Dear Editor,

In my 80 years, I’ve experienced many ups and downs, many joys and sorrows. Although there have been times I was unhappy with the direction of our country, I have never felt so deeply confused and disillusioned by the actions of fellow Americans who re-elected DJT.

I am overwhelmed with disbelief and grief that otherwise decent human beings would justify his thousands of lies, outrageous behavior, numerous criminal actions and outright threats to our democracy and systems of justice to vote for him. They willfully ignored the warnings of respected generals and close associates of Trump’s own administration that he was a danger to society and a national security risk.

Perhaps some found it easier to just be angry than to pay attention to the numerous red flags. Perhaps some simply don’t care about honesty, character, competence, justice, law and order, military sacrifice, environment, humanities, democracy. Perhaps some just believed what they wanted to hear from the lips of the most relentless and proven liar of the last decade. As has been said before, lies repeated often and forcefully enough will begin to be accepted as truth.

Benjamin Franklin famously once said our country was a republic “if you can keep it.” To me the choice was clear that we were voting for democracy or authoritarianism. I fear we have just witnessed the dying gasps of that country established by our Founding Fathers.

Unfortunately, now a narcissistic, self-serving man will be surrounded by extreme loyalists. He will be armed with Project 2025, with vindictiveness, with an enemies list, and with no one to restrain his worst impulses. All that with presidential immunity. What could possibly go wrong? How could this happen in a supposedly enlightened America? Is this what our beloved country has become?  So sad, so pathetic, so heartbreaking for humanity and for our country’s soul.

Sharon and Marshall Heckaman
Fort Wayne