A Serious Dilemma

Our Democratic Republic is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

So, what do we call Donald J Trump after he and his packed Supreme Court negate the people's votes?

Partial list to consider:

Absolute Monarch
Chancellor
Chairman
Chief
Consiglio Federale
Emperor
Führer
Grand Vizier
His Majesty
Il Duce
King
Leader
Premier
Prime Minister
Shogun
Sultan
Supreme Leader

Defense Department officials recently said,

The military, by law, the takes a vow to the Constitution, not to the president, and that vow means that the commander in chief of the military is whoever is sworn in at 12:01 p.m. on Inauguration Day.

Military Oath of Enlistment

I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and

that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States

and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

The way I remember my US Military Oath of Enlistment was to "support and defend the Constitution" and "obey the orders of the President of the United States."

The US Military

The military in a democracy exists to protect the nation and the freedoms of its people.

It must not represent or support any particular political viewpoint or ethnic or social group.

Its loyalty is to the larger ideals of the nation, to the rule of law, and to the principle of democracy itself.

The purpose of a military is to defend society, not define it... armed services must remain separate from politics.

The military are the neutral servants of the state and the guardians of society.

US Legislators

Legislators have a responsibility to articulate their views as effectively as possible.

But Legislators must work within the democratic ethic of tolerance, respect, and compromise to reach agreements that will benefit the general welfare of all the people - not just their political supporters.

US Judiciary

The power of judges to review public laws and declare them in violation of the nation's constitution serves as a fundamental check on potential government abuse of power - even if the government is elected by a popular majority.

This power of judges, however, requires that the courts be seen as fundamentally independent and non-partisan and able to rest their decisions upon the law, not political considerations.

The People of the United States

In the end, people living in a democratic republic, like the United States of America, must serve as the ultimate guardians of their own freedom

and must forge their own path toward the ideals set forth in the preamble to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.

So, here we are now, in a moment of history more real than I want to admit. What if President Trump loses the 2020 election and the Supreme Court of the United States rules the election to be invalid, null and void, what will you do then?

Please be serious in considering your answer. Now may be a time that tries all our souls.