We cherish our sacred American freedoms—the right to speak our minds, to see and hear what we choose, to worship or not worship, to travel freely, to love freely, and to gather with anyone, anywhere, at any time. But let’s be clear: these freedoms survive only when the rule of law protects them and patriots defend them. We have a lot of work to do in our state. The affordability crisis, from groceries and housing to higher education, these are priorities we need to focus on. It is why I’m running to be your State Senator. But the overreach of the Trump administration to strip away our rights and liberties to advance its radical and often unlawful agenda can’t be ignored. We need to organize liked minded patriots to tackle the affordability crisis while pushing back to defending our democracy. It is a symbiotic, “what comes first, the chicken or the egg,” dualistic reality. We need an agenda to solve the affordability crisis to get like-minded patriots elected to public office, and we need like-minded elected patriots to defend our democracy and the rule of law at all levels of government.
In March of 2024 I sent out an email to 486 politically connected people in Scott County from both parties. The message was that we all had the responsibility to choose between truth or tribe (Read Blog).
From readily available public reporting we could see that in the coming 2024 general election we would have the chance to vote for a multi-racial democracy or risk losing our democracy altogether. From what Trump had previously done and what he was saying, it was clear he was a menace to our way of life constitutional democracy. The tribe of MAGA and Trump-enablers were supporting Trump.
I stressed we all needed to speak out – that we needed to choose between freedom and autocracy. We needed to fight for what would be best for America, without fear or favor. We had a choice between what the Democrat party had to offer or what the Trump/MAGA tribe wanted, and it was past time to choose.
We lost that chance last November. Over the last year, I invested a lot of time formulating a plan help push back against Trump/MAGA and achieve solutions to the affordability crisis.
I can’t stay silent. Can you?
We are a Nation of Laws, Not Men
Years ago, as a young Jaycee, I came to believe in a truth that defines our nation and sets us apart from much of the world: America is a nation of laws, not of men. Our rights are not granted by pressure groups, the strongest fist, or the whims of an authoritarian leader. They are secured by the law and our Constitution, which should always be impartial, fair, consistent, and accountable. That principle is the backbone of our liberty. And it is our duty to defend it with vigilance, courage, and unwavering resolve.
I can’t stay silent. Can you?
We Need to Persuade Independent Voters
First, for democracies to survive, losers of elections must respect the outcome of free and fair elections – win or lose. 65% of Republicans polled in Iowa just before the caucuses in 2024 said “yes” to the question “if Trump is convicted, is he fit to be President?” 61% also said “no” when asked if President Joe Biden was legitimately elected President. Again in South Carolina, in a 2024 GOP Primary exit poll, when asked the same questions, Trump voters answered similarly. To find and organize likeminded patriots, we need to focus on “independent” voters. MAGA voters aren’t going to be persuadable.
I can’t stay silent. Can you?
Violence Destroys. It Does NOT Buildup
Second, we must unambiguously reject violence (or the threat of violence) as a means of achieving political goals. Trump wants us to be afraid. He wants us to be intimidated and has intimidated many politicians who are afraid of resisting Trump for fear of losing support of the Trump base of the Republican Party and risk destroying their political careers. In a glaring recent example, Trump ostracized one of his most ardent supporters, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, to resign her seat in the US House of Representatives over a policy dispute for affordable health care. In terms of respecting the rule of law, Trump pardoned numerous criminals convicted for their role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, whom he called “hostages being wrongfully imprisoned.”
I can’t stay silent. Can you?
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
The fear and the intimidation by Hitler and the “brown shirts” fit the same pattern that Hitler used in the 1930’s. In fact, MAGA uses the same tactics as the Nazis did in the 1930s:
- Aim for the heart (appeal to feelings of losing something).
- Divide (demonize and scapegoat, seduce with nostalgia blaming the loss to “others”).
- Conquer (muzzle the media, bully the bureaucrats, condemn the courts, put down protesters).
- Stoke Violence.
- Create an image of a “superman” to cure all ills. I wonder how many Germans (those who survived) later regretted not speaking out before it was too late.
What would any of us have done in their place—standing against a charismatic leader backed by a cheering majority who promised certainty and belonging? How many could recognize the evil as it unfolded? Who has the courage to oppose something that flatters you, lifts you up, and makes you feel part of a grand purpose you’ve been conditioned to embrace? Yet tens of thousands who sensed the truth remained silent in Germany in the 1930’s. Their inaction helped catastrophe take root. History warns us: silence is not neutrality. We must act with vigilance and moral clarity to ensure such darkness never rises again. To do this we need to solve the affordability crisis to get like-minded patriots elected to public office, and we need like-minded elected patriots to defend our democracy and the rule of law at all levels of government.
I can’t stay silent. Can you?
We Need “Reagan Republicans” Too
I don’t know if “Reagan Republicans” is the best term to describe what I am getting at here. But the point is we need to make relationships and partnerships with MAGA defectors, likeminded patriots that are committed to solving our state and country’s affordability problems and committed to the rule of law and protecting our constitution. We need more courageous office holders than Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger to speak out, regardless of their political careers and aspirations. History shows that those who remain silent out of political expediency contribute to the tearing down of democratic institutions and the rule of law. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Not to decide is to decide. Not to act is to act. Not to speak out is to condone what we see unfolding before our eyes.
Before becoming a DFL’er, I was a Reagan Republican from high school and while serving in the Michigan House of Representatives. I feel it is my duty to our country to “speak out.” If you are like me, will you stand up and speak out?
I can’t stay silent. Can you?
Bottom Line
We need to organize liked minded patriots to tackle the affordability crisis while pushing back to defending our democracy. It is a symbiotic, “what comes first, the chicken or the egg,” dualistic reality. We need an agenda to solve the affordability crisis to get like-minded patriots elected to public office, and we need like-minded elected patriots to defend our democracy and the rule of law at all levels of government. To get there, we have to organize a coalition of DFL’ers, independent voters, and Reagan Republicans. I have been publishing on my blog and social media pages ideas to ease the affordability crisis. I’m humble enough to know I don’t have all the answers. I would love to hear what you think. I’m running to be your State Senator to work on what matters to you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with ideas or your questions.
