The GOP’s silence puts democracy at risk

In the 1970s, Argentina had been going through a difficult period, with kidnappings to fund terrorist activities and terrorist attacks changing people’s lives forever. My teacher and her husband were newly wed. While he was attending a meeting in a building, a bomb exploded. He lost both legs.

On the evening of March 24, 1976, my parents had a fight in our kitchen. They had been arguing about the coup d’etat that occurred that day. The coup overthrew Isabel Perón, who was president of Argentina. I was in sixth grade and not sure who was right. My dad said the situation was out of control and order needed to be restored. My mom argued that he had no idea what was coming. While my dad had his point, the events of the following years showed my mom to be right.

When you lose democracy, you lose it all. You are at the whim of a dictator and, little by little, all the freedoms and rights you previously enjoyed are chipped away.

I love the United States. I have lived here for 31 years and am now a citizen. But I am disheartened to see how unwilling Republican members of Congress are to defend the principles that underpin our democracy and how they take it for granted.

According to a Reuters poll, 52 percent of those who voted for President Trump think he won based on the lies that these Republican members of Congress are willing to sustain with their silence.

A leader is someone who stands and shows the path to others when things are difficult. Leaders cannot be cowards; they cannot be scared to speak the truth.

I hope Republican members of Congress show the courage to be leaders before it is too late. Our democracy, with all its strengths and benefits, is at risk.