Dismantling Democracy: One Leg at a Time

By Mildred Robertson

While thousands take to the streets each week in opposition to the Trump administration and how it has run roughshod over the democratic process, there seems to be no singular entity prepared to take up the cause of democracy. Neither the Congress nor the courts appear able or willing to take up their role as the antithesis to a rogue president who freely issues executive orders instead of doing the hard work of seeking change through the Congress and courts. As the Founders designed the process, Congress makes the laws, and the courts interpret and apply them.  The executive branch is called upon to uphold laws, not enact them.

Donald J. Trump, who heads the Executive branch of government, has succeeded in undermining the power of Congress, one of the three branches designed to bring balance to our system of governance.  Congress, led by a Republican majority, has taken the knee to Trump, even when he appears to usurp their power. Trump pushed through clearly unqualified candidates to head vital government agencies.

As those agency heads stand by, Trump has allowed Elon Musk and a cadre of his assistants to run amok in those agencies, indiscriminately cutting programs and firing professionals integral to the continued efficient functions those agencies provided for the American public. Having successfully cuckolded Congress in the first 100 days of his second term, he has now turned his attention to the courts, the third leg of democratic governance upon which our freedom rests.

He has consistently defied court orders to halt deportations of immigrants and has upped the ante by deporting American citizens as well. Ignoring threats that he will be held in contempt of court, Trump and his administration continue to refuse to provide information in cases involving the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was admittedly deported by mistake. He has also ignored court orders to halt deportation flights, using the Alien Enemies Act as his excuse. The Act is a wartime immigration law that Trump used to deport certain individuals from the U.S. to El Salvador to be detained in the country’s maximum-security prison. He alleges the U.S. is at war with the detainees due to their alleged membership in the gangs MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.  As many as 260 migrants have been deported to El Salvador as alleged gang members, on such flimsy evidence as tattoos. Further, he has deported children who are American citizens without any due process.

As he continues his power grab, Trump has ramped up his attacks on judges, this week arresting Judge Hannah Dugan on charges that she allegedly frustrated efforts of immigration officials to arrest an immigrant in her Milwaukee courtroom.  Dugan questioned the warrant the ICE officials presented because it was an administrative warrant, not an arrest warrant. She allowed the defendant to exit her courtroom, after which he was arrested in the courthouse hallway.  The arrest of Dugan appears to be designed to make other judges fearful of opposing the actions of this administration. They handcuffed and arrested her when normally she would have been served and allowed to appear. Instead, they publicly humiliated and jailed her.  Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened sitting judges, stating that others could suffer the same fate as Judge Duggan if they rule against the Administration's wishes.

So, we are witnessing the collapse of the co-equal branches of government our forefathers designed. Americans must now decide how to maintain their freedom when all the guardrails have failed to hold.

April 19, 2025. (Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times)

If you ever wondered what you would have done in the infancy of Nazi Germany, you no longer must wonder. You are doing it now. There is nothing that stands between America and tyranny but the people. Will you take risks for democracy, or will you watch while our nation burns, and the ashes of destroyed humanity drop from the sky like snowfall? America has no legs to stand on, but ours.

America Spiraling Under Trump's Dictatorial Rule

We, the People Can Stop the Decline

By Mildred Robertson

America is at a crossroads that many societies have faced before us. We boast a glorious past that also features, if we are truthful, particularly inglorious chapters. That being said, America has created the premier society in the modern world. Our goal to become a true democracy has been marred by as many failures as victories. Nevertheless, we lead the world order in terms of freedom, democracy, and economic and social stability. Although many would point to our shortcomings, measuring society on a curve puts America at the top of the class.

But world domination is cyclical. And America like many empires before it has fallen prey to anti-intellectualism, the sowing of disinformation, and the pitting of the masses against itself rather than the rich and powerful who exploit them. Scientists, historians, politicians, and economists are all sounding the alarm as we watch America devolve from the leader of Western civilization to a two-bit third-world nation with a despot leader determined to bend the entire country to his will.

We have always prided ourselves on our three branches of government which are designed to ensure a free and stable society. Sometimes referred to as the “three-legged stool", our system of government is structured so the executive, legislative, and judicial branches provide the checks and balances necessary for good governance, safe from dictatorial rule. Unfortunately, America’s stability is hampered by an inept legislative branch and an ineffective judicial branch that recently has taken a knee before the executive branch. Donald Trump and his 2024 electoral victory have turned our nation upside-down.

There are many reasons why Trump was able to win the presidency for the second time. Let’s be honest, his victory was rooted in our national prejudices against women and people of color. A contributor to the national temperament were some bad decisions on the part of the Democratic leadership, and an economy perceived as faltering, although data showed the nation was in an economic upturn.

Trump took our economic fears, and the racist nature of many in America and created a narrative that made him look like a savior rather than the annihilator he is. Having learned from his first term, Trump removed everyone from the administration who would stand in the way of his implementation of plans to devastate this nation socially and economically. By purging all those who could possibly block his dictatorial whims, Trump has taken control of the military and all federal agencies. Those were our bulwarks against tyranny. All guardrails have been removed because those placed in leadership are corrupt, weak, or both. Now the struggle is between the might of the federal government and the will of the people. Unfortunately, in 2024 many people supported Trump, outright, buying into his lies, supporting him by sitting at home or throwing their votes away on third-party candidates with no chance of taking the seat.

While a functioning government is the best way to ensure that America does not fall into a dictatorship, there is an opportunity in the next election for us to make it better. But we cannot be splintered in our desire to reclaim our country. We must be of one mind, to wrest power from the hands of Republicans. Note, I am not saying ONLY republicans are corrupt and weak. But they have certainly taken the gold medal in this competition in recent years. 

America has two choices, freedom or tyranny.  It's either Democrat or Republican. If you don't support Democrats with your vote, then you are supporting Republicans. 

If you truly can't choose either of the dominant parties, then build a third party from the ground up. It would be a difficult task, but not impossible. It is unrealistic to think a third-party candidate can win a national election without any infrastructure to support it.

If you are serious about walking away from both the democrat and republican parties, then you need to do the hard work. Elect third-party candidates to your city council, school board, or other local governing body. Elect state and national reps and senators. That will give you a foundation for building a party that can successfully run a presidential candidate.  Otherwise, you are wasting your vote and dooming us to Republican rule. 

If you want to stop America's downfall, then you must be prepared to act and act responsibly. It is our only hope. You must choose your path. Make it a path toward freedom and democracy for all. Otherwise, America will join great nations such as Rome who once ruled the world. We will be doomed to the rule of a tyrant, and our freedoms will only reside in a history book. 

NC Supreme Court Halts Decision Favoring Republican Supreme Court Candidate

 By: Mildred Robertson

The battle for the seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court between Justice Allison Riggs, who currently holds the seat, and her challenger NC Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin takes another turn today as the NC Supreme Court issues a stay in the case.

Judge Jefferson Griffin (Rep) - Justice Allison Riggs (Dem)

On Friday, April 4, the North Carolina State Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision that as many as 65,000 North Carolinians who thought they were eligible to vote could have their ballots thrown out. The appeals court said that the contested ballots in the state Supreme Court race should be recounted and verified. The Court of Appeals gave the challenged voters 15 days to prove eligibility.

But today, the North Carolina Supreme Court, the body to which Griffin aspires, issued a temporary stay of Friday's Court of Appeals order which directed election workers to identify and contact those voters whose ballots were challenged by Griffin. Justice Allison Riggs, who currently holds the contested seat, sought the stay. Following two recounts of the over 5.5 million ballots cast in the November, election results indicate that Riggs beat Griffin by 734 votes.

If the Appeals Court decision on Friday, April 4 is ultimately upheld, the elimination of hundreds of thousands of North Carolina voters' ballots could flip the election outcome, giving victory to Griffin. Democrat Toby Hampson, the only appeals court judge to dissent the ruling to eliminate votes, criticized Griffin's "indiscriminate efforts" to disqualify voters otherwise eligible to cast a ballot under existing state law. With the current ruling of the NC Supreme Court, the outcome of this case is unclear. The Court's findings will have a huge impact on the makeup of the North Carolina Supreme Court. 

Only absentee and early votes are among those challenged.  If you fall into those categories there are several databases, you can use to determine whether your vote was challenged.  You can go to the State Board of Elections’ website which is organized by county and the reason for the challenge. You can search https://tinyurl.com/3b826h3v, then locate the links to your home county. There you will find a list of names. You can search to see whether your vote is listed by hitting ctrl+f and then typing in your name.

Other alternatives include a searchable spreadsheet by government watchdog Bob Hall. Type https://tinyurl.com/bdf37zuy. Or you may access the Triangle Blog website at The Griffin List.

Court Rule May Jeopardize Your Vote In N.C.

 Early and Absentee Voters Should Check Status

BY Mildred Robertson

The North Carolina State Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision on Friday, April 4, 2025, that as many as 65,000 North Carolinians who thought they were eligible to vote could have their ballots thrown out. The court says that the contested ballots in the state Supreme Court race should be recounted and verified. The Court of Appeals gave the challenged voters 15 days to prove eligibility.

In this hotly contested race held in November 2024, Republican State Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin trailed incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs by fewer than 1,000 votes.  Riggs and the Democratic Party declared victory months ago after all the votes had been counted. Griffin, however, challenged the validity of certain ballots for numerous reasons.

The lawsuit prevents the state elections board from certifying Riggs as the winner five months after the election. The 2-1 ruling from the North Carolina Court of Appeals came in response to Republicans’ months-long effort to overturn the results of the state Supreme Court election in November. Democrat Allison Riggs, who currently sits on the NC State Court of Appeals, defeated Appellate Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican, by 734 votes.

Justice Allison Riggs

After the election, Griffin filed a protest seeking to disqualify around 65,000 votes. Among those challenged are voters who did not present a photo ID and American citizens living abroad who voted but never resided in the U.S. The latter are individuals who are citizens because one or both parents are U.S. citizens.

Griffin currently sits on the North Carolina Court of Appeals – the body that issued Friday’s ruling. A panel of three of his colleagues heard the case. Court of Appeals Judge Toby, the lone registered Democrat, dissented from the decision, stating that Griffin had not identified one voter who was ineligible to vote in the November elections under the laws and rules governing elections.

Justice Riggs stated, “We will be promptly appealing this deeply misinformed decision that threatens to disenfranchise more than 65,000 lawful voters and sets a dangerous precedent, allowing disappointed politicians to thwart the will of the people.”

The state board of elections previously rejected Griffin’s request, and a superior court judge upheld their decision. Friday’s ruling from the court of appeals overturned that ruling. The Appeals Court ruling also reverses the decision of a trial judge who upheld the State Board of Elections' action in February.  

If you think you may be among those citizens whose vote has been challenged, you should have received a notice in the mail from the North Carolina Republican Party, which includes a link to protest. You can also go to the State Board of Elections’ website. It is organized by county and the reason for the challenge. You can search https://tinyurl.com/3b826h3v, then locate the links to your home county. There you will find a list of names. If your name is listed, you can find it by pressing Ctrl+F and then typing in your name.

Other alternatives include a searchable spreadsheet by government watchdog Bob Hall. Type https://tinyurl.com/bdf37zuy. Or you may access the Triangle Blog website at The Griffin List.