Be Careful What You Vote For’

April 22, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: Our current president, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump will compete in the November presidential election.

Biden believes in democracy, where the leaders work for the people under a system of checks and balances between the executive branch, Congress, and the Supreme Court.

The Republican nominee believes in autocracy and is a wannabe dictator. A dictator works more for himself and his loyal followers than for all the people. Power rests with the dictator.

We don’t know yet what verdict will come down for the presumptive Republican candidate in his hush money criminal trial now underway in New York City, and three other trials that await him. It’s not clear if he could serve as president in prison, but his conservative followers have plans in place for the next Republican president.

Project 2025, led by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, provides a chilling look at how the next Republican president would have increased powers to reshape our federal government, as follows: - To fire executive branch employees and replace them with president’s loyalists; - Slash Department of Justice funding and dismantle the FBI and Department of Homeland Security; - Weaken environmental and climate change regulations to favor the fossil fuel industry; - Eliminate the departments of Education and Commerce (Cabinet posts); - To invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to use the military for domestic law enforcement and direct the Justice Department to pursue the president’s adversaries.

Project 2025 has 100 partner organizations, and its advisory board includes several of the former president’s appointed officials.

Put this election on your urgent list. It is clear that a democracy cannot support a double blow — from a president who will focus on vengeance for his loss in the 2020 fair election, and with a boost from Project 2025 influence.

We the People, that means all Americans, must vote for Joe Biden to keep democracy strong. He has years of experience as president, vice president and senator. Despite the clowning and intentional delay of his Congressional opponents, Biden’s overall success, confidence, intellect, and dignity will win his reelection in November and strengthen our democracy.

Be careful what you vote for. Go with truth, not lies. SUSAN ALLEN Rockbridge County