Next time, who will stand in the way of the mob attacking our democracy? | Opinion

I ran for Florida House District 71 in 2020, but the voters of the district chose to re-elect the incumbent, Will Robinson. That’s fine. He won fair and square. Every Democrat voted for me, every Republican voted for him, and two-thirds of the independents voted for him. I lost by a margin of 6,000 independents. But none of these voters could have anticipated what happened on Jan. 6, when a few hundred of President Donald Trump’s cult followers stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to change the results of the presidential election.

Think about it for a minute. Change the results of the election. That means to subvert the will of the people, and steal Trump another four years. It would almost certainly be the last election in US history, because after four years, Trump and his violent, intimidating minions will have penetrated our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and our democratic institutions through beatings and threats.

Trump is a student of Adolf Hitler. Mein Kampf is probably the only book he has ever read. He has been using it as a playbook during his term in the White House. We have just about gotten to the page where Hitler sends platoons of goose-stepping brown-shirts down the avenues and boulevards, beating and kidnapping anyone who stands in the way. Widespread terror is the next logical step in the arc of Trumpism.

Trump’s second term was going to be the ultimate payday: a “permanent majority” for the Republicans. They came close. The Trump cultists were stalking the halls of Congress with armloads of zip-ties, preparing to take hostages. Think about that for a minute. Members of the House and Senate, held hostage in the Capitol. Trump’s minions were going to hang Mike Pence. They were going to kill Nancy Pelosi, and probably others.

There have always, since the American Revolution, been people among us who would prefer absolute authoritarian rule. They were called Tories then. They were loyal to the mad king of England. They are called conservatives now, and they have tied their fates with that of the mad prince of 5th Avenue. They live among us, mow their lawns, take their kids to school, go to work, but in their hearts they despise this “socialist” society and fear its racial diversity. They wrap themselves in the flag and call themselves patriots, but they have a very dark and deviant view of America. They await Trump’s next call to action.

I have to wonder what Will Robinson is thinking. He is a proud conservative. He has said so and written so many, many times. He is a slavish adherent to the Cult of Trump. Would he have been among the mob? Possibly. Would he have stopped the guy with the fire extinguisher from crushing the Capitol Police officer’s skull? Maybe. Maybe not. Remember, these are all nice white people, the folks next door. Trump loves them, thinks they’re special.

But you have no idea what they are capable of after seeing that. Has Robinson issued an apology for the storming of the Capitol by his colleagues? Not that I am aware of. Does he think it’s OK to support armed insurrection? Apparently, as indicated by his silence. Does he think the 197 Republican Representatives who forever enshrined their approval of the Capitol takeover by voting “no” to impeachment deserve to hold public office in the United States of America?

I sure don’t. And that’s one of the big differences between me and Will Robinson. I believe in democracy. I served in the U.S. Navy and ran for office because I believe in the ideals that make this country the greatest on earth. I serve the U.S. Constitution.

Who does Will Robinson serve?

Andre Mele of Sarasota was the Democratic nominee in the 2020 election in Florida House District 71. He lost to Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton.