1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take concrete action to defend our democratic institutions against tactics that mirror those identified in a 1945 U.S. Army fact sheet warning American troops about fascism. On March 25, 1945, the War Department issued Fact Sheet #64: Fascism to educate soldiers about threats to democracy as World War II ended. The warnings in that document are alarmingly relevant today. The Army defined fascism as government by the few and for the few, maintained through skillful manipulation of fear and hate and false promises of security. The fact sheet specifically warned that American fascists would not openly identify themselves but would camouflage their plans under the guise of super-patriotism and super-Americanism. They would drape themselves with the American flag and attempt to carry out their program in the name of the democracy they are trying to destroy. The War Department identified three key fascist practices: pitting religious, racial, and economic groups against each other to break down national unity; denying the need for international cooperation while substituting perverted ultra-nationalism; and indiscriminately labeling opponents as Red as a political device. The Army noted that native fascists have historically been anti-Catholic, anti-Jew, anti-Negro, anti-Labor, and anti-foreign-born. I am deeply concerned about current political movements that employ these exact tactics, including those that denounce legal due process and threaten civil war. The 1945 fact sheet warned that during times of crisis, people become frightened and desperate, making them vulnerable to undemocratic organizations with power and money that direct emotions toward scapegoating minorities. I urge you to publicly affirm your commitment to democratic principles, oppose any rhetoric or legislation that pits Americans against each other based on religion, race, or national origin, and support measures that strengthen rather than undermine our democratic institutions. As the Army warned in 1945, if we permit discrimination, prejudice, or hate to rob anyone of their democratic rights, our own freedom and all democracy is threatened.