An Aug. 7 Letter to the Editor talked about the downfall of the Democratic Party. Allow me to use the same format as in that letter, with a few changes:

“I wonder how many people understand that we no longer have a ‘Republican Party.’ The Trump/white supremacist wing of the Republican Party has taken over. The moderate members that are still there are afraid of him/them and do not speak up — cowards. These people are hell-bent on destroying the America I love and am proud of. They demean our country every day on the news; the fake-White House sanctioned/advisors station, Fox News. They seem to hate our Constitution, our democracy, our very political system, everything American. They want to bring fascism/authoritarian leadership to our country.”

I need go no further. This is the other side of the same coin. We can easily forget that we are all Americans who love our country and truly want the best.

Don’t be fooled this election cycle with “word triggers.” Socialism is a big one and will be used heavily by the Trump campaign because many Americans believe it is the same thing as communism. Many of my fellow Baby Boomers remember the “red scare” and do not fully understand the difference between communism and socialism. Please educate yourselves.

Mary Grabski wrote a great Letter to the Editor published Aug. 8 about what is really meant by Democratic socialism and what it has done for our country. If you haven’t read her letter, I urge you to do so and check out the site she published.

It is imperative that ALL Americans do their due diligence and educate yourselves on the issues and candidates. Be aware of fake facts and those darn trigger words both sides will use. Hang on; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.