Early warning signs

Unidentified federal agents armed with riot gear, batons, pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets, are whisking away protesters into unmarked cars without probable cause in large liberal cities. The use of federal agents, against the will of local and state government officials, is fueling a constitutional crisis of over-reach by President Trump. He is already expanding this tactic to other cities. How will we respond?

A friend sent me a reminder of the poster outside the U.S. Holocaust Museum describing the 14 Early Warning Signs of Fascism: powerful and continuing nationalism, disdain for human rights, identification of enemies as a uniting cause, supremacy of the military, rampant sexism, controlled mass media, obsession with national security, religion and government intertwined, corporate power protected, labor power suppressed, disdain for intellectuals and the arts, obsession with crime and punishment, rampant cronyism and corruption, and fraudulent elections.

Sound familiar? Sadly, these warning signals have become a reality in the U.S. While we still have a democratic voice, speak up and vote to change these disturbing political trends and policies!

Susie Leonard Weller

Liberty Lake