The Justice Department, under the President’s orders, is investigating all groups they view as extremist, particularly what they call Antifa. They continue to confuse an ideology with a physical group. “Antifa” stands for antifascist, it is not an organization. The administration therefore must be openly saying they are pro-fascist. That is the only conclusion one can arrive at.

The Attorney General’s recent memo ordering US law enforcement to investigate “extremist groups” raises the false specter of left-wing political violence (with none to point to) as an excuse to crack down on political opposition. Her memo is vague in its definition of what organizations are to be targeted and suggests the DOJ will prioritize opposition to Trump over actual crimes. When in history has it been illegal to disagree with the president? Freedom of speech is a first amendment right that the administration continually threatens.

Authoritarian regimes’ greatest enemy is powerful, peaceful, people-powered protest, such as the No Kings protests seen earlier this year when millions of citizens peacefully took to the streets across the nation to show their unhappiness with what this administration is doing. The numbers were unprecedented and will only grow until things change. These are people the DOJ considers Antifa, the people they want to silence. Is it any wonder millions of people march to defend their constitutional rights, including their right to free speech and to peacefully assemble?

The administration has declared war on free speech and freedom of the press since January, and the only speech that is accepted is speech favorable to Donald Trump. We see examples of this every day in his insults to reporters with questions he does not like, in his daily posts full of name-calling of people who disagree with him, and calls to remove people from the air who say things he does not like, or who make jokes about him, as they have made jokes about every president before him. The majority of the press corps is now made up of handpicked MAGA-friendly pseudo journalists. It is vital that we protect freedom of the press, free speech, and all of our first amendment rights in order to protect our democracy. The most important people who are going to protect our democracy and our constitution are everyday citizens. It is not Congress and it is not the courts.

Regardless of what party you belong to, if you belong to one, it is important to pay attention to what is happening, read the unbiased news each day such as AP or Reuters, and to stay informed. You don’t need other people’s opinions, you just need the facts. They will speak for themselves. Many people died creating our democracy and defending our constitution. We owe it to them to keep it.

JOAN DERSHAM

Williamsport

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom