Scary Times

As much as we all love sports, there are times when real life intrudes.

So as we head into Memorial Day weekend and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our way of life, it might be appropriate to pause and reflect for a moment on the current sad state of affairs.

(This would be the time when subscribers who think I should stick to sports should click off).

The Trump presidency has caused a great deal of consternation for those among us who cherish democracy, our freedoms, and our institutions.

Rightfully so.

But there may be a bigger, more ominous threat to ponder here: Is our grand experiment failing? Can democracy endure as a viable form of government?

Government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” relies to a large extent on the foundation of an informed electorate, as well as a system of checks and balances between three branches of government.

Consider that 40% of our electorate doesn’t believe scientists, experts, law enforcement, the intelligence community or distinguished journalists, instead trusting the word of a man who has defrauded people all his life and lies incessantly.

And consider that our legislature and judiciary have been attacked, defied, and rendered powerless, in far too many instances, by an increasingly autocratic administration.

To make matters worse, alt right and white nationalist leaders have assumed power in many other countries around the world.

These are scary times. Unless voters wake up soon, and the other branches of government step up to fulfill their constitutional responsibility to rein in the executive, democracy may indeed “perish from this earth.”

And all those who gave their lives for this country will have died in vain.