Many of the Founding Fathers were afraid to trust the masses with the vote. They didn’t have confidence that the common man (it was just white men voting then) could really be trusted to make the decisions to let our democracy thrive. And yet for over 200 years the right to vote has expanded, and the electorate has made those decisions. Trust the people.

But now, at least half of the electorate is terrified that the other half will use their legal votes, in a constitutionally correct election, to enthrone (right word) a party (MAGA) that openly admits it plans to dismantle our democracy in favor of authoritarian, one party rule.

More irony. If it happens, it will be mostly white male votes that make it happen.

Dennis Merritt

Shelburne Falls