1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

Subject: Stand Up Against Authoritarian Extremism and Protect Our Democracy As a lifelong Alaskan who moved here at age five, I’ve grown up hearing about and studying the cycles of far-right extremism that have threatened our country over the decades. Each time, these movements have claimed patriotism and morality while spreading division, fear, and intolerance. From what I’ve learned and witnessed, the pattern is clear: • McCarthyism in the 1950s ruined lives by persecuting people without evidence. • The John Birch Society, founded in 1958, carried forward the same paranoia and anti-communist hysteria. • President Nixon infamously declared, “when the president does it, that means it is not illegal”—a chilling justification for abuse of power. • The Moral Majority of the late 1970s claimed moral authority but fueled discrimination. • The “compassionate conservatism” of the early 2000s repackaged old forms of prejudice (racism, misogyny, and bigotry) under a friendlier name. • The Tea Party emerged in 2007, largely in response to the first African American president, deepening political hostility and mistrust. Now, we face what may be the most dangerous version yet: the MAGA movement. Efforts like Project 2025 and the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” threaten to undo vital protections, strip millions of their healthcare, and put countless lives and jobs at risk. I’ve seen how easily misinformation takes root and how damaging it can be when leaders fail to push back. Alaska has always valued independence, integrity, and service. Those values are incompatible with the authoritarianism we are now seeing from this administration. I’m asking you to stand up against the politicization of our institutions, against attacks on our democracy, and against policies that harm working families and dismantle basic protections like healthcare. History will remember who stood for country over cult.