The People Are Watching—Will You Stand for Democracy?

In the earliest days of Nazi Germany, it wasn’t just the extremists who enabled fascism—it was the so-called moderates, the ones who didn’t want to “rock the boat,” who thought going along with small concessions would prevent something worse. But history has shown us that appeasement doesn’t stop authoritarianism—it feeds it. And yet, here we are. You are about to vote for a Republican budget that funds the very machine designed to dismantle democracy. You are giving in to the same dangerous logic: “We must avoid chaos now, even if it means enabling something far worse later.” But there is no later. The time to fight is now. This budget doesn’t just keep the government running—it keeps the GOP’s authoritarian ambitions alive. It funds an administration that has already jailed political dissidents, undermined free elections, attacked the press, and openly discussed purging government agencies of anyone who disagrees with them. You are giving them the money to finish what they started. What exactly are you saving by keeping the government open under these conditions? Stability? There is nothing stable about normalizing fascism. Security? There is no security in funding the very people working to strip us of our rights. This is not a compromise—it is a surrender. You were elected to fight back, not fall in line. You have the power to say no. You have the power to shut this down and demand real concessions before funding another dime of this madness. If you choose not to use that power, you are complicit. This moment will be remembered. When the history books are written, will your name be among those who fought back—or those who let it happen? Do the right thing. Vote NO on this budget. Shut it down.