Democracy Dies In Darkness.

That’s the message on the front page of every Washington Post paper and website.

And little by little it’s getting darker in America.

One of the messages that Kamala Harris is bringing to the campaign is that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. I totally agree that he is, but not every threat to democracy is coming directly from Trump.

The threat is also coming from cowards that are afraid to speak truth to power. Two recent incidents come to mind.

The first are the publishers of the Washington Post, and the LA Times. The owners of both publications blocked the editorial boards endorsement of Kamala Harris. Now let’s be honest, it’s been a few election cycles since a newspaper’s endorsement actually meant anything. I fear the reason those billionaires blocked it was because they feared upsetting the former president who has threatened retribution to his political enemies. These billionaires have contracts with the government and don’t want to upset the want to-be dictator in case he wins reelection.

Nationwide journalism is under attack. Newsrooms are getting smaller, attention spans are getting shorter, and algorithms determine the news people want to see vs. the news they need to see. Reporters in print or broadcast no longer have the luxury of time to probe the workings of government. On the rare occasions when they do an in-depth expose on government misdeeds, all too often, it gets lost in the sea of media outlets and Twitter feeds.

But the owners of newspapers aren’t the only cowards I’m seeing.

Mitch McConnell joins a slew of other Republican politicians who say one thing about Donald Trump in private yet still endorse him for president in public. McConnel has a book coming out where he called the former president “stupid, ill-tempered, and a “despicable human being.” That mirrors comments other high ranking Republican politicians like Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and others have said in the past. I wonder how they’ll actually vote when push comes to shove.

Hell, Trump’s own pick for Vice President may be the biggest coward of all. In the past, JD Vance has said he’s a “never Trump guy” and called him an “idiot” and “America’s Hitler”.

He obviously has changed his tune for his own advancement, now warning that the “enemy from within” is a bigger threat to America than North Korea, China, or Russia.

Obviously not every Republican is a coward. Many are brave patriotic Americans that are not afraid to speak truth to power. Liz Cheney, Adam Kinszinger, Mike Pence, and countless other former officials in the Trump administration are shouting the warning signals about a future Trump presidency.

Trump’s longest serving chief of staff, John Kelly, has come out and said that Trump is a fascist who wants generals like Hitler had. Other former generals who have honorably served our country have confirmed General Kelly’s comments. I wonder what former general Don Bacon thinks. We know he’s criticized Trump numerous times in the past yet still says he’s going to vote for him. But will he once he’s in the voting booth? Who knows.

If you honestly support Trump that’s your right as an American. But it’s also my right and obligation to point out the cowardice of people who know the truth yet are afraid to speak out.

I have agreed and disagreed with every president in my lifetime, but I have never feared punishment for anything I’ve said. Trump has said he wants to punish those who disagree with him or don’t pledge blind loyalty to him.

If he wins, I will not pledge blind loyalty to him. I’ve not had blind loyalty to any president and I’m certainly not going to start now. If Trump and his supporters want to consider me to be part of the enemy from within, I will wear that badge with pride.

If the comedians and satirists end up being cowards like some newspaper publishers, business leaders, and many Republican politicians, then the America I thought I knew and believed in will be gone.

Democracy does indeed die in darkness. It also dies when the citizens get comfortable living in the dark. Regardless of how you are going to vote next week, don’t be afraid to speak your truth. Don’t be silent or say one thing in public, then vote a different way in the privacy of the voting booth. Men and women have died to guarantee your rights. Don’t let them slip away on November 5th.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.