“If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them. I’ll pay the legal fees.” — Donald Trump, at a 2016 rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

What is fascinating to me is that when I asked my three Trump-supporting friends about former President Trump encouraging his supporters to beat up protesters at rallies (and that he would pay their legal charges), none of them had seen the clip nor heard of this! They didn’t know. They watch Fox News.

Fox News is a propaganda network. Now, some could say the same about a station I like: MSNBC, which is liberal.

It is your duty, Trump supporters, to listen to objective mainstream news, such as ABC, NBC or CBS, as well as Fox. Just as I hope anyone listening to MSNBC would also listen to objective news and occasionally tune in Fox for a different viewpoint.

The point of my article is two-fold: 1. You should not vote for a person for president who has an immoral character; and 2. if you still want to, then as a responsible citizen, you should at least watch objective news to ensure that you are hearing news from responsible journalists.

People fear Trump.

The reasons former President Trump elicits fear are:

His supporters chanted “Hang (Vice President) Mike Pence” at the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

He and his team, unable to accept his election loss, made up lies about voter fraud against two election workers in Georgia, a mother and daughter. These ladies endured months of death threats including threats of lynching. Trump accused 62-year-old election worker mother Ruby Freeman by name. She had to move out of her house.

Former Washington, D.C. Police Officer Michael Fanone’s 78-year-old-mother was the victim of a vicious prank in which the Fairfax County Police Department received over a dozen calls describing an active shooter at her home address. This occurred on May 28, 2024, hours after her son had spoken against former President Trump. Fanone said that this is not the first time his mother has been harassed in response to his criticism of Trump.

Reuters documented more than 800 intimidating messages to election officials in 14 states.

Is this the America you want to live in?

Trump supporters, you owe it to our country to look into the facts when so many other citizens are saying Trump is a danger to democracy. If Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts, which include falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to an adult film star; his conviction of sexual abuse and defaming his accuser; his charge of racketeering when he asked Georgia’s Secretary of State to find 11,780 votes so he could win in Georgia; his treatment of his loyal VP Mike Pence; and his encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol, tantamount to treason against the United States of America — if this is not enough for you to end your support of him, does it not occur to you that you may be fooled as to who he is? That you are under the influence of Fox News propaganda and distorted information?

If the above is not enough for you to not vote for him, at the very least you could watch news sources other than Fox to hear an alternative viewpoint before the election. And, yes, listen a little to the opposite side, MSNBC, just as I have listened to Fox. If your thinking is correct on President Trump, you will be able to hear another opinion. We need you to ensure our democracy is safe. Former President Trump must lose by a landslide so that he accepts the results and that Americans confirm that character matters.

A man running for president does not threaten American citizens with bodily harm and get away with it.

Nancy Herbert is a retired grant writer who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UConn. She lives in Norwich.