‘How democracy dies’ editorial was a disappointing viewpoint

To the editor:

Although I sympathize with your grief, I was disappointed by your seemingly partisan editorial, “How democracy dies,” in the Sept.12 edition of The Breeze and Sept. 17 edition of the Island Reporter on Sanibel.

It feels as if we live in two different worlds, where these information silos have become increasingly disparate, divisive, and therefore dangerous.

You present Charlie Kirk as a leader for free speech and Judeo-Christian values, whereas I knew him only as a purveyor of the basest ideas, steeped in racism, sexism, and verbal and epistemic violence, an “influencer” famed for “trolling” or “owning the libs” in dramatically one-sided,socio-political theater/”entertainment” disguised as “debate,” stoking hate and divisiveness, especially in young men.

Likewise, you present Mike Johnson as a man of wisdom, restraint, and compassion, whereas I see plainly how the Speaker calls for peace and unity out of one side of his mouth, while refusing to allow open, democratic debate on any subject whatsoever in Congress (notably but not exclusively gun control and the Epstein files), and actively aiding and abetting what is arguably one of the most divisive, corrupt, and hostile presidential administrations in U.S. history.

None of this justifies the terror-inducing execution of Mr. Kirk in a public place, the whitewashing of his messages, the downplayed political assassinations of Melissa and Mark Hortman in their (Minnesota) home, or the near-daily massacres of school children in this nation.

But it does illustrate that Rep. Johnson does not speak for me, or for the majority of Americans, even if we could take his words at face value, which I cannot, based on his contradictory behavior when it comes to siding with the gun lobby and Project 2025 and against healthcare and other protections for American workers and citizens.

The single biggest threat to democracy in this nation, and much of the rest of the world, is our rapid descent into demagoguery and fascism, enabled and exacerbated by the anti-empathy, anti-democratic factions of MAGA, DOGE, and MAHA.

Until enough of us repent of this Pavlovian response to the abject propaganda and dog-whistling of 47, Fox, and the right-wing fringe (not to mention the greedy complicity of Big Tech, billionaires, and the corporate Democrats), so as to reclaim the commons, shared facts, and an inclusive spirit of kinship and community, locally, nationally, and globally, we can all kiss democracy goodbye.

Holly L. McEntyre

Sanibel