The Weimar Republic did not fall in one day. It fell step-by-step: economic hardship, political violence, conspiracies that blamed scapegoats, erosion of democratic norms, and a “legal” seizure of power that ended democracy. Many dismissed the danger. Others assumed institutions would hold until it was too late.

Today, in the United States, we can see the unsettling parallels. We have faced economic strain and deep polarization. We have witnessed political violence with shameful regularity. Our voices are threatened by laws designed to undermine voting rights. We are flooded with conspiracy theories meant to turn us against one another. We are misled into treating these dangers as normal. They are not.

This is not about left or right. It’s about recognizing that democracy dies step-by-step when people look away. History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. The warning is clear: if we do not defend our democratic institutions now, we risk losing them entirely.

Democracy isn’t saved by one leader or one law. It’s saved by people standing together, looking out for each other, and refusing to be divided. Volunteering, community service, getting to know our neighbors, and participating in local government will help us weather the storm. Authoritarianism feeds on fear and division. Our defense is solidarity, mutual aid, and refusing to see neighbors as enemies.

WILLIAM COLEMAN

Williamsport

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom