Intimidation, Fear and Silence in the Age of Trump

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Senator Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, was called a “deep state puppet” by Elon Musk after he asked tough questions about Mr. Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence.Credit…Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

To the Editor:

I was shocked by the first sentence in “Fearing Payback, Critics of Trump Mute Themselves,” by Elisabeth Bumiller(front page, March 9): “The silence grows louder every day.”

Self-censorship by elected officials, chief executive officers and college and university presidents is extraordinarily pernicious because it looks benign. It doesn’t seem as though the government is doing anything overtly to restrict their freedom of speech.

Since our ostensible leaders don’t have the courage to stand up to save our crumbling democracy, it falls to us average citizens to be brave and risk the wrath of the MAGA faithful.

I’m 78 years old and don’t want to live in an authoritarian (or worse) country for my last years, and I’m sure most American’s don’t either, regardless of their age. But that’s where we are headed.

So, I encourage you to follow the example of my small town (population: about 1,600) in New Hampshire and organize a nonpartisan democracy vigil in your town or city square once a week. About 50 people attended the first one here. If every place in our great country did it, maybe our passion and commitment to democracy would give our elected leaders the guts to speak truth to power before it is too late.

Allen J. Davis
Dublin, N.H.

To the Editor:

Chief executives and other leaders who claim that their silence would better serve their organizations should disband their risk assessment teams and resign so that more capable successors can be named to lead.