Opinion: From Democracy to Dictatorship: Can Oklahoma Survive Trump?

I am embarrassed that America would even consider replacing our sacred democracy with a dictatorship. How are you not feeling?

Lynn Adams
| Guest columnist

America’s founding fathers must surely be turning over in their collective graves. Since when did lies, misinformation, bullying, gutter talk, racism and threats of retaliation become traits we admire in our presidential candidates?

I remember when presidential campaigns were civilized. Sure, the truth was distorted a bit from time to time, but when the ballots were cast – without claims of a stolen election – the loser graciously gave in and both parties worked together for a better America.

Ah, the good old days.

These days, however, Donald Trump says whatever comes to mind. And all too often, after he says something – anything – inflammatory, unconscionable, and beneath the office of the President, many claim that he never said anything like that. When they turn out to be wrong, they say, “He doesn’t mean it.” Are we willing to elect him to the most powerful office in the world and risk that his malice is just inflammatory rhetoric?

What if not? He praises Hitler, Putin, Stalin, Kim Jong Un and other notorious authoritarians. He says he will use the Justice Department as a weapon and threatens to use the military to enforce his will. He is already naming “enemies,” politicians and organizations that he will target as president. Most disqualifying, however, is his promise to repeal the U.S. Constitution.

Could Oklahoma Republicans also be on Trump’s hit list?

Will we be immune just because we are in bright red Oklahoma? Won’t Project 2025’s radical agenda negatively impact us? Democrats certainly expect to be on his hit list. But homegrown Democrats will surely be so low on his list that they will undoubtedly be in the grave before his henchmen make their way into rural Oklahoma during his reign of terror as dictator for life.

Not possible? The attack on January 6th was never thought possible until it happened. Now that the Supreme Court has shielded his behavior, the sky’s the limit, and he can’t wait to use that power.

Sure, he wants to be a dictator. But his real motivation is to return to the White House to avoid going to prison and not being held accountable for his actions. He is already a convicted felon 34 times and is now hoping to avoid conviction. He knows that if he loses the election, he will be forced to stand trial for other serious crimes and misdemeanors.

Here, too, there are those who rely on the justification: “Well, it doesn’t affect me.” But what if the top secret documents had fallen into the hands of Russia, China, Iran, North Korea or other bad actors? He bragged about his sexual assaults on women we didn’t even know existed until they came forward. But what if he sexually abused your mother, sister, wife, daughter or granddaughter? Would such a complaint still be dismissed as boys being boys?

Trump’s irresponsible policies will have lasting effects

Something that will affect us all is high tariffs, tax cuts for the wealthy and mass deportations of immigrants. Experts and economists around the world are unanimous in their predictions about how such irresponsible policies will cost the vast middle class more taxes and saddle us with crippling inflation, adding trillions upon millions of dollars to the national debt.

And how many immigrants have taken our jobs? Were any of us in the fields picking vegetables or working in meat processing plants when we lost our jobs to an immigrant? Or are immigrants just hoping for a better life, huddled masses longing to breathe freely?

Those who know also say that Social Security will be bankrupt by 2031 under Trump. Like many others who have worked our entire lives with the promise of a financial safety net, I rely on Social Security. Without these benefits, I will lose my house and everything I thought was safe until I died.

And Medicare is in jeopardy. It’s called socialism. But like Social Security, it is a promise of security in our golden years that would fall victim to a Trump dictatorship.

And one of the biggest flashpoints is women’s rights and women’s health independence. Today abortion is banned. What’s tomorrow? Are we naive enough to believe that men’s rights won’t be next?

The common question is, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Will you be better off with Trump as dictator? What will future generations think of us based on the decisions we make this year?

I am embarrassed that America would even consider replacing our sacred democracy with a dictatorship. How are you not feeling?

Lynn Adams has been a lifelong Democrat and newspaper journalist for over 50 years.