Defending our democracy is in the news media every day. It has been reported that our democracy is under attack by individuals or organizations perhaps by those who still believe the “Big Lie.” The Big Lie is still believing that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

We now have the former 45th president of the United States indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the government, conspiracy to violate civil rights, the corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding, and corruption to carry out the obstruction. Other individuals are now in jail for their part in the insurrection of the United States of America.

I will list below quotes that show how important it is that we as a nation must defend our democracy, for man have died in doing so throughout our history. Let us remember people died in defending our democracy and the rule of law because of that insurrection against our country on Jan. 6, 2021.

• “Democracy arose from men’s thinking that if they are equal in any respect, they are equal absolutely.” Aristotle

• “Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln

• “Any government is free to the people under it where the laws rule and the people are a party to the laws.” William Penn

• “Our liberty depends on freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Thomas Jefferson

• “There is danger from all men. The only maximum of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” John Adams

• “Being democratic is not enough. A majority cannot turn what is wrong into right. In order to be considered truly free, countries must also have a deep lover of liberty and an abiding respect for the rule of law.” Margaret Thatcher

Our duty and obligation as Americans must be defenders of liberty and democracy. In not doing so, then you as an individual have lost your way as a patriot of this nation. Let us understand, with this so-called divided government as we now have, we voters are the ones in charge to rectify the situation.

“Voting is the first duty of democracy,” a quote by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Our voting rights in certain states is also under attack. We Americans must exercise our sacred right to vote. A quote by Thomas Jefferson, even back in his time, said this: “With all the imperfections of our present government, it is without comparison the best existing, or that ever did exist.” With that quote being said by Thomas Jefferson, our author of the Declaration of Independence, we the people of the United States of America will always defend our democracy, now and forever.

Thomas E. Carter

Rio Rancho