As Americans, we teach our children about the rule of law, and that it is the right of every person to be equal before the law. But those constitutional rights have no meaning when a new administration commits itself to dismantling longstanding norms and laws without giving “we the people” a chance to weigh in, without full and public disclosure, and without discussion of the pros and cons of dramatic changes in policy.
Some of what has happened in the first two weeks of Trump’s term include firing the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard who just happened to be the first female in that position, freezing the hires of air traffic controllers, gutting the Aviation Security Committee, sending an email to 2.3 million federal employees encouraging them to quit and get paid until September, freezing federal grants (that action was at least rescinded), nominating inexperienced and wildly unsuitable candidates for Cabinet positions, leaving the Paris Climate Accord, threatening Greenland and Panama, levying tariffs against Canada and Mexico and China (actions which experts expect to increase costs for all consumers and to cause inflation), and conducting an intimidating military style campaign on undocumented immigrants, many of whom are seeking asylum.
Add to these the executive orders (too many to be listed), and other actions and pronouncements of questionable legality, none of which suggest a careful, intelligent approach to governance but rather a “shock and awe” plan designed to overwhelm citizens, patriots, and indeed, anyone who believe in discourse, research, and a constitutional government. This is a democracy?
And now, Elon Musk, who has no security clearance and is not even an elected official, has illegally broken into the data in our treasury, and now has access not only to our funds, but also the personal private information of every person in America. He has also shuttered the USAID agency, which disburses humanitarian assistance all over the world. He and his six very young hackers have seemingly committed crimes against this country.
Mr. Trump stated multiple times that he knew nothing about Project 2025, a playbook for an authoritarian state, but that was when he wanted to be elected. Now we are seeing that a number of the authors of that very playbook are part of the administration and Russell Vought, the main architect of Project 2025, is set for an important position as the director of the Office of Management and Budget despite his public statements about wanting civil service workers to be put “in trauma,” as well as wanting to make it easier for Trump to “deploy the military in response to domestic unrest.”
Is this what we believe democracy looks like? We know that the current president admires dictators like Victor Orban of Hungary and Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Is this what we want for our country? What happens to “government of the people, by the people, for the people” if we turn our backs on justice for all?
I know that people are frightened of being punished for speaking out — that doesn’t sound like a democracy that prizes free speech, does it? We are in a crisis right now and we all have to remember that living in a democracy is really what makes America great. I want to see our elected officials speak out against this wholesale slash-and-burn campaign. Let them know how you feel, talk to your family and neighbors, understand that our (your) country is under attack from within, and that those rights you hold dear are in danger of disappearing.
• Bridget Smith is a Juneau resident.
