1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Obviously, the re-election of Donald Trump is distressing given the threats he's made about what he'll do to democracy and to his opponents. As a Professor of Rhetoric who studies Nazism, fascism, and demagoguery, I'm particularly concerned about the potential for violence that rises as democratic norms and institutions weaken. I'm writing to urge you to take action to protect democracy, and to urge Joe Biden to do the same, in the months between now and Trump's inauguration. My feelings are spelled out nicely in a recent opinion piece in Common Dreams titled, "Hey Democrats, Tell Biden to Break Something for Democracy!" by Ira J. Allen. Allen argues that Democrats should change "everything necessary to prevent a smooth and functional authoritarian transition in Trump's First 100 Days." I couldn't agree more. Here is a link, though the article can be found by Googling, too, in case you prefer not to click on email links: https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/biden-act-to-save-democracy. https://dl-rapidbot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/1/4335/e1e2/4335e1e2-5ba7-4794-bb9f-e8c375b7cd8c.php I'm afraid we don't have much time to protect against the kind of damage Trump has foreshadowed, but in the time left, I implore you to do what you can to put obstacles in his way. And if he doesn't actually follow his worst impulses, all the better.