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    • No, Trump will not destroy our democracy. Neither did Harris
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    No, Trump will not destroy our democracy. Neither did Harris

    Online Niel Posted on

    Kamala Harris and the Democrats love to portray Donald Trump as a would-be dictator who could single-handedly overthrow our democracy. It cannot, given the beauty of our Constitution.

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    Call me a dreamer, but I’m not too worried about the future of our democracy, whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins Tuesday’s presidential election.

    I have no doubt that there will be protests across the country regardless of who wins, and that is worrying.

    However, I also have confidence that our system of government will survive.

    That’s not the rhetoric we’ve heard from the candidates and their campaigns, however.

    Both Trump and Harris were inclined to call their opponent a threat to democracy and used fear tactics as a way to turn off their supporters.

    Opinion: Biden calls Trump supporters “garbage.” It fits the pattern of dignitaries insulting opponents.

    Trump charged Harris as a far left extremist which would turn the United States into a Marxist mecca.

    Harris called Trump a fascist, unhinged and a tyrant.

    All of this puts Americans on edge, with many people who sincerely fear for the future of our country.

    It’s a pity.

    Choices are important, but keep things in perspective

    Beyond the top contenders themselves are the issues driving voters in this election.

    While candidates like to opine about the dangers facing our democracy, many Americans are more concerned about what directly affects their daily lives — including the high cost of food and other necessities and the economy, illegal immigration and crime.

    As Harris and Trump make their closing arguments, however, the focus of their campaigns has darkened as they consider what might happen if they lose.

    Opinion: Where did the joy go? Harris ditches happy vibes over fear of Trump.

    Last week, Harris made her case to the American people in the Ellipse in Washington, DC — the same place where Trump spoke to his supporters on January 6, 2021. And even as she tried to call for unity in the speech, her focus. it was still a long way to call his opponent.

    “America, we know what’s on Donald Trump’s mind,” Harris told the crowd. “More chaos. More division. And policies that help those at the top and hurt everyone else. I offer another way. And I’m asking for your vote.”

    The president matters. No question. But our system of government is designed so that no one branch has too much power. That’s the beauty of checks and balances.

    It is also expected that whoever wins the presidency will he is fighting a divided Congress. That should allay voters’ fears, as a divided government it will work as an impediment to any president’s to-do list.

    Harris and the Democrats love to portray Trump as a would-be dictator who could single-handedly overthrow our democracy.

    It cannot, given the beauty of our Constitution.

    As Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, recently observed: “We elect a president, not a king. The constitution is not threatened by an authoritarian. It was written in anticipation of one.”

    Our democracy faces bigger threats than who becomes president

    That being said, I think there are real concerns facing the country, including the loss of confidence in our most basic rights.

    For example, a new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found that Americans’ understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment is declining.

    Opinion: No laughing matter. Humorless leftists want to silence your “offensive” views.

    More than half of Americans believe that “The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.”

    And 80% agree in some way that “words can be violence.” (This is not true.)

    “Equating words with violence trivializes real physical harm, shuts down conversations, and even encourages real violence, justifying the use of force against offensive speech,” FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff said in a statement. “Freedom of expression is not violence, it is the best alternative to violence ever invented.”

    If there is a danger facing the country, it will not come from a president. But it could come from ourselves.

    Ingrid Jacques is a USA TODAY columnist. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques.

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