The Role of Americans in Standing up to Anti-democratic Extremism

On Monday night, December 19th, at Acton Town Hall the Acton Select Board debated the removal of an Acton resident from the Town of Acton 250th Anniversary Committee

Acton, MA - “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” - Desmond Tutu

Not every opportunity to push back on anti-democratic forces will be as clear as speaking up, writing a letter, showing up at a meeting, or taking a vote. But sometimes it is.

On Monday night, December 19th, the Acton Select Board voted to remove an Acton resident from the Town of Acton 250th Anniversary Committee.

The Board learned, after the resident’s uncontentious appointment three weeks earlier, that he had a history of publicly posted positions incompatible with the mission and values of serving the town. It seemed that no one knew of his extremist positions, which were available to any and all on multiple social media platforms.

This member has shared content supporting the false belief that the 2020 presidential race was won due to election fraud, and a conviction that secret insider forces would restore Donald Trump to office and arrest the democratically elected officials (often referred to as “the Deep State”). He ridiculed and attacked LGBTQ+ persons, with the same demonizing ideas that have driven an alarming increase in attacks against the trans community this year. He has supported numerous conspiracy theories, repeating the lies that 9/11 was an inside job, and that the January 6th insurrection was the work of paid agitators. He proclaims that a “storm is coming,” and speaks of war and military action as the way to overthrow the current government which he believes is fraudulently in power. His language echoes QAnon’s, and he sees secret signs and symbols that supposedly “reveal” that Q and Donald Trump are masterminding a grand plot to rescue America.

These are extremist, dangerous views that must not be endorsed, whether tacitly or expressly, in any setting--especially by an individual selected to represent any community or government.

Leading up to the Board’s vote, there has been a healthy discussion among Acton residents, as we as a community wrestled with how to engage with intolerable anti-democratic ideas and anti-LGBTQ+ slurs.

 As the State Senator for Acton, I shared my position in a letter submitted to the Acton Select Board on Monday, December 19th. .

 I encourage Acton residents--and indeed, all citizens of Massachusetts concerned about our times--to watch the Acton Select Board meeting, and read all the community letters for and against his removal. Those documents can be found by clicking here. 

The way we stop authoritarianism, bigotry, insurrection, and subversion of democracy, is to do something when you personally see it --  that is, in the small moments, the seeds where the bigger outrages come.

 There is a reason that extremists are organizing to take elected local positions across the country.  There is a reason that the extremists are using local schools and libraries to cultivate their transphobic and censoring efforts.

 And if you think these attacks are not happening in Massachusetts, I encourage you to watch the most recent Acton-Boxborough and Concord School Committees meetings, where conservative parents pushed to ban the book, “This Book is Gay.”  

 The growing rifts in America are no longer a facile opposition between “Democrats” and “Republicans”. Years of the Republicans’ steady rightward drift accelerated rapidly upon President Obama’s election and tenure. It has spun out of control under Donald Trump’s rise to political power and presidency.

 Reasonable people can disagree and still govern effectively, over policy. Plurality of ideas and political points of view and vigorous debate over good faith ideas strengthen our democracy. But today’s Republican party leaders have suborned a shocking war on people and identities (big government in my bedroom, body, school, libraries) and a full out assault on truth and reality itself.

 A local committee appointment of a volunteer position may seem very far from plots of false electors and attempted theft of the actual electoral votes.

 But it isn’t.