The Time for Change is NOW! STAND UP AGAINST PARTY OVER COUNTRY!

Patriotism is love, devotion, loyalty, and integrity toward one's country. It manifests a genuine appreciation for a nation's values, history, culture, and ideals. It is not an extreme ideology of the right or left because radical liberalism is equally as bad as maximal conservatism -- a zero-sum proposition. But patriotism affirms something more significant than political indoctrination. It is loving your fellow compatriots and honoring our sacred responsibility to each other. And patriotism is the basis on which the doctrine of democracy subsists. Therefore, it is an ideal incompatible with autocracy or totalitarianism; it is egalitarian and mainstream in its substance.

The United States is a great country. However, it must still be a perfect union of all races. That's the more reasons for the two major political parties to participate in the arduous nation-building tasks. Our democracy has become so fragile that only one political Party is defending it, and the other is seemingly uninterested in nurturing it. As an independent voter with moderate views, I do not take sides with any political party. But I must speak the truth for the sake of our country, no matter who takes offense to it. Optimistically, everyone else should do the same.

The Republican Party has dramatically changed in the last two decades, particularly during the Trump presidency. It has deviated from the "Party of Lincoln," as it was popularly known. When I look at the Party today, I see an unholy trinity within the GOP -- the proverbial three-in-one metaphor bound for doomsday sooner or later. Three culprits are responsible for the degradation of our body politics today. First, I see the GOP base voters who found a demagogue in Donald Trump, pushing him hard to fight their tribal wars. They are unwavering in condoning Trump's wrongdoing – no matter how extremely egregious. They cheer and embolden Trump even when he is breaking the law. It is like a cult. I have never seen anything like it before.

It is the first time I have seen a major political party's exultant voting base perpetuating cultural war and embodying mobocracy as a brand for its national outlook. They are willing to support Donald Trump despite concerns about his misbehavior and ill-actions, enabling him to relentlessly pursue divisive and polarizing policies and create tribalism within the electorate.

Second, I have observed that most elected Republicans despise Trump behind the scenes but appease him publicly, avoiding his ire for their political survival. They failed to hold him accountable for his misdeed, even when it harmed the GOP brand. Because of Trump's stronghold on the Party, the GOP leaders feared the loss of support from Trump's MAGA base for their political well-being. Alas, they unwillingly helped create the monster that had come home to devour them all.

Lastly, the third stumbling block to our democracy is Donald Trump, who unwaveringly breaks all norms and laws for self-aggrandizement, realizing he had the GOP at his fingertips and could do whatever to it. Hence, he felt invincible. Nothing could stop the "Teflon Don." ?Not his so-called locker-room talk of holding the females by their genitals, not his race-baiting and mocking of the disabled. No, it was not his two impeachments or the Jan 6th insurrection that could disrupt Trump's hold on to power. Not his Party's losses of both houses of Congress and the White House and various local elections – many of which he endorsed. No! Not even his confession on national television of taking secret and most-sensitive federal documents from the White House unlawfully and obstructing the government's attempts to retrieve them every step of the way.

If the party apparatus had attempted to tame Trump in the early days of his presidency, even if less successful, he could have modified his misconduct somewhat. Our nation could be better for it. I also believe the GOP has abandoned its responsibility as a major political party as it attracts and justifies racial bigots, extremists, and insurrectionists. All Americans of goodwill should rise to save our democracy. Speak out; tell your elected officials that enough is enough! They must place this country above a political party and self-being.

It is time for all Americans to stand up and save our way of life. Because if we do not stop the gradual drifting into the political abyss henceforth, it may be too late to curb a potential socio-political disorder that may follow the next presidential election of 2024. That is how critical and pessimistic things have become in America.?We must not let the actions of a political party or its members jeopardize our nation's long-destined democracy. Therefore, it's time to unite and end this madness. Let's make America better by standing up against Party over Country.

Written for Moderate Voices of America

Nicholas A. Owoyemi

Author

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