EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.

Could the king be checked by the people? That was the underlying question asked by the Sons of Liberty 250 years ago, according to author and historian Heather Cox Richardson.

In a talk given April 18 in Boston’s Old North Church on the anniversary of the lighting of the lanterns, she recounted the story of why and how the Revolutionary War began. It is a story we must never forget. Especially now. 

As the executive branch boldly encroaches on the responsibilities of the other branches of government and strongarms the institutions that have historically kept our democracy intact, I wonder: Can the 47th president be checked by the people? 

Yes. Unequivocally, resoundingly, yes if: 

• People choose to publicly get involved — as we saw April 5 when millions gathered in over 1,300 locations in all 50 states to send the administration a “Hands Off” message.
• We email our political leaders from both parties and insist they speak the truth and take the necessary risks associated with doing the right thing in this environment of political and financial retribution. 
• Through our purchases and contributions, we support universities, companies, aid organizations, and other institutions under attack.  

We are not helpless in influencing what is happening to our country.

In an email to constituents, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut suggested the president is weakening all tools of accountability to transition the country to an autocracy — a system of government by one person with absolute power. Following the same playbook used by Putin in Russia, Orbán in Hungary, and Erdoğan in Turkey, he warns it is happening at breakneck speed. How?  

• By legitimizing political violence to keep critics silent, aka the Jan. 6 pardons. 
• By silencing the press, co-opting the owners of the Washington Post and Meta while harassing others — like the Associated Press and CBS.
• ,By silencing the protectors of the law as evidenced by the “deals” reached with five of the top law firms in the world, providing $940M in free legal services to avoid punitive executive orders. 
• By silencing universities as when the president threatened to cut $2.2B in federal money to Harvard University when the university refused to allow the federal government a say in hiring decisions and required it to reform departments the president considered biased against its policies. 
• By silencing the private sector by dangling relief from tariffs to businesses or threatening to withhold funds from nonprofits in exchange for eliminating any public dissent. 
• By starving funding mechanisms for the opposition to include nonprofits and donor collectives like ActBlue that oppose administration policies.

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This is happening at breakneck speed, Murphy says. “It is hard for the public to see it all as part of one plan. But it is. ... Bottom line is we still have the power, but we probably have less time than most think.” 

Please join me in participating in peaceful protests organized by Indivisible, calling or emailing elected officials, and supporting those organizations under attack. Too much is at risk to remain silent. 

To email your Representative: house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

To email your Senator: senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

— Mary McKSchmidt and Jane McKinney are co-authors of "Miracle Within Small Things: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through Loss and Aging." Mary resides in Laketown Township. Jane resides in Holland.