Tolerance is critical

This is not support or criticism of Donald Trump. I disagree with ideas that Trump is the real threat to democracy. For better or worse, Trump as president is a function of the American people and the process by which he was elected. The threat to democracy is the American people who have lost the ability to intelligently question and study issues as well as to crave discussion of differing opinions for the purpose of providing more food for thought.

The threat is that people are devolving to dangerous ignorance and actions of anger. Statements that Trump is anti-democratic, evil or satanic are equal in brainlessness to flat-out statements that Trump is great, about law and order, and will restore the USA. Blind protesters are no worse than blind cheerleaders. Hatred is about dictatorship. Violence or death to silence opposing opinions is about dictatorship. The strongest "law and order" is military dictatorship and a police state. Is that what people crave? As social and economic problems increase, it seems so. In democracy, opposition and support are equally welcome. No one should ever be told to silence their views. Intelligent views from all sides are a desired treat. A good president will prevail against the critics and the critics will prevail against a bad president. This is what democracy is about. Democracy is dependent on people being respectful and open to differing opinions. Democracy is about people of opposing views working together. Democracy needs intelligent thinking. The truth and answers to problems of a country are never simple. I challenge the American people to avoid becoming like the people in Germany during the 1930s and in other places of the world.

A president will not destroy democracy. The people will vote democracy out of existence. It has happened before and it can happen again. The people in this country need to stop going crazy.

Rich Lorimer

Streamwood