Consider the following: A sitting president who received three million fewer votes than his chief rival; a legislative ruling party that received fewer congressional votes nationwide than its opposition; and a Supreme Court soon to be stacked with a majority chosen by each of the above.

In othe words, a minority ruling party in control of all three branches of government supported by economic and corporate elites across the nation. 

Connect the dots. This situation points to a rapid descent toward fascism. The only thing that may stand between us and authoritarian rule is the upcoming election on Nov. 6. Fellow Americans, both Democrats and Republicans: please, let's embrace our better angels and set partisanship aside. This could be our last chance. To save our democracy Trump and his enablers must be defeated. Only then can we emerge from these dark, divided times back into the light of those "self-evident truths" on which this great republic was founded over 200 years ago.

John Knudsen

Lebanon