With spring in the air, and flowers in bloom, the airwaves resound with plaintive shrieks of doom. “Beware!” they say, “our country is hurting; look over there…with socialism we’re flirting.”

And what to our nation poses a danger so great? Well, it’s you, Americans, who aren’t white, Republican, Christian or straight.

Because now the GOP has come to surmise, they can’t win elections without resorting to lies. Lies of all sorts, the specifics are no bother, the point is to stoke anger by demonizing the “other.”

Republicans abandoned truth long ago, just like their own Jabba the Hutt down in Mar-a-Lago. Trump built his career on bald dishonesty, a fact about which he evinces no modesty.

So Republicans find themselves in his liar’s box, which serves them well among those who watch Fox. They play their viewers for rubes and suckers. If you doubt this at all, just watch little Tucker.

The GOP wants Americans to believe that each and every day we’re on Armageddon’s eve. They are quick to point out the suspicious among us, who insidiously seek our very nation to cleave.

“Look at those immigrants,” Republicans say, “Who let them all in? And furthermore, why does their skin have so much melanin.” Tucker says they make our country “dirty.” What he means is ‘why can’t we keep it nice and white, like 1930.’

Republicans worry about schools teaching American history. They’d prefer that troublesome detail of slavery remain a mystery.

They invent a problem called ‘Critical race theory,” and then scream about it until throats are hoarse and eyes are bleary. It matters not that’s a thing no teachers teach. Republicans repeat a sermon of lies whenever they preach.

And for the GOP, gender must be rigid. To any young person’s identity struggles, their response is frigid. In America’s schools, any mention of “trans,” must not just be condemned, but must be banned.

To American women, Republicans insist your freedom is not dubious. But they’re now passing laws to control your uterus. Hypocritical Republicans shout, “Protect the fetus!” While poor women with babies worry, “Who will feed us?”

Republican lies are sometimes inscrutable; for them, all facts are thoroughly disputable. Madison Cawthorn, for one, dissembled about orgies and cocaine. But perhaps those are just fictions of a bizarre man-child’s brain.

“Are babies racist?” recently asked a Senator named Cruz. While a Representative named Greene worried about space lasers from Jews.

The GOP says, “These enemies, they are not our side on. Why look, they’re all following that Joe Biden.” They claim his election wasn’t true, so they embrace lies about their attempted coup.

Republicans are virtuosos of hypocrisy, even about their own democracy. To excuse January 6, they say, “What about Black Lives Matter?” While in the next breath they excuse Kyle Rittenhouse’s grisly blood splatter.

Our nation endured a violent insurrection. For Republicans, this warrants no introspection. Marauders stormed the Capitol, shouting, “Hang Mike Pence!” For this, the GOP says they should incur no consequence.

Trump’s presidential phone logs that day contain a 7-hour gap. Republicans say, “Meh, just give him a gentle wrist slap.” After their leader sought to subvert the Constitution, the GOP has extended him complete absolution.

Republicans understand they have to prevaricate, because they’ve proven they care to legislate. Their only way to win is through division, so they shamelessly pummel other Americans with derision.

They blithely lie with impunity, because they value power above unity. Republicans have made their choice, and they choose to ignore your voice.

As Americans patriotic, we must prevent our country from becoming despotic. Against those who are authoritarian, we are duty-bound to remain contrarian.

Because if we don’t stand vigilant, you see, the cost to us is our very democracy.

The La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club meets the first Wednesday of every month. Please join us for our in-person Club meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 7 p.m., at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive in La Mesa.

– Sean Quintal writes on behalf of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.