Democracy or Autocracy? Your Vote Does Make the Difference

By Margaret Konieczny

In 1949 at President Harry Truman’s second inaugural speech, he said "Communism is based on the belief that man is so weak and inadequate that he…requires the rule of a strong master,” while “Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity as well as the inalienable right to govern himself”.[1]  We govern ourselves, by voting. In today’s world, I would substitute the word “Fascism” for “Communism” in the above statement, and it is truer than ever.

In this coming election we have a choice not of a person to govern us but of an ideology that our country was founded on Democracy which is a system of government of the people, by the people and for the people. We vote for a president of a republic, not an autocratic king, nor a fascist dictator.

I must believe in the intellectual capacity of my fellow citizens --that they will make an informed, mindful, moral decision and vote not based on anger, selfishness, unhappiness or self-righteousness.

We have a marvelous country based on the idea that all people are created equal and are protected by the rule of law.  We are all neighbors and in it together. For the future of our Republic, I beg you examine your conscious and don’t vote for a dictator.

October 14, 2024
Nevada Appeal

[1] The Trials of Harry S. Truman by Jeffery Frank 2022 pp193