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Letter: Our worst president and his enablers are devoting their lives to undermining democracy

(Cliff Owen | The Associated Press) In this June 10, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up while addressing the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority Conference in Washington. The billionaire running for president wants to convince millions of Americans to give him money. With the simple tap of the “send” button one day last week, Donald Trump collected $3 million in campaign contributions, as much as he did in the entire month of May. He had asked for donations of $10 or more, with the promise of chipping in $2 million of his own money as a match.

Some 150 years ago, our greatest president, in his greatest speech, spoke of a government of the people, by the people and for the people. He devoted his life and, in the end, literally gave his life to ensure that we would enjoy the benefits of such a government.

Today, our worst president and his henchmen from the Party of Lincoln are devoting their lives to undermining this government.

In a set of profoundly undemocratic acts of political mischief, the Republican legislatures of Wisconsin and Michigan have rushed through a series of laws and appointments designed to limit the power of the incoming Democratic administrations in these states.

These acts directly contravene the will of the people and are reminiscent of the “Reichstag Fire Decree” prepared by Adolf Hitler and signed into law by President Paul von Hindenburg. This decree suspended many civil liberties previously enjoyed by the German people and effectively brought democracy to an end in that country.

Many will find this comparison overblown, just as many Germans were complacent in their confidence that Hitler could be controlled until the very moment they were engulfed in the nightmare that was the Third Reich.

Craig Rushforth, Kaysville

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