Miniter: In the wake of Afghanistan, democracy still matters

"As we've seen, democracy is rarely perfect, but structured properly it has a way of tempering the passions of the public and pushing society toward morally defensible positions over the long run. At the very least, it offers a release valve to public pressure. Regular elections create a peaceful means for pushing for the changes to society that people desire. But this isn't the only way the antidote works. Supporting democracy also serves our national interests because it gives people who reside in other countries a reason to stand with us against extreme and repressive ideologies. Building a democracy gave us a joint project to work on with the peaceful people of Afghanistan, and that democracy itself became a firewall against the extremists who would otherwise direct violence toward the United States." —Brendan Miniter in The Dallas Morning News

Brendan Miniter is the editor of The Dallas Morning News editorial page.

MORE: 'We will hunt you down and make you pay': Biden vows retribution for deadly attack on U.S. forces in Kabul —Politico

WaPo Ed Board: The danger to democracy

"The 2020 presidential race stress-tested the nation's democracy, and it held. But what about the next time? Given the persistence and proliferation of the 'big lie' that President Biden won the 2020 election through fraud—and the alarming number of Republican office-seekers running on the conspiracy theories being flogged by former president Donald Trump—the country's institutions may be weaker in coming election cycles, even as the pressure mounts on GOP officials involved in counting or certifying votes to find 'fraud.'" —The Washington Post

MORE: What is the Voting Rights Act? —NPR

Sepkowitz: Fighting Covid on all fronts

"Given our current predicament of rising cases and political nonsense, it is time to re-introduce another effective strategy for pandemic control: rapid diagnostic tests. Research and funding were largely focused on the miracle jab, and the initial results were so successful that other crucial parts of the scientific response were seemingly abandoned. … More accessible and accurate tests could help tamp down the spread of COVID-19 and act as a useful stopgap before booster shots are rolled out." —Kent Sepkowitz on CNN

Kent Sepkowitz is a physician and infection control expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

MORE: DeSantis' school mask mandate ban is unlawful, Florida judge rules —NBC News

Nowlin: How we can stop the infodemic

"Failure to speak to our friends, family members, and neighbors about the dangerous falsehoods they've shared or succumbed to is an essential part of reversing the dangerous course the United States is on, says Aaron Delwiche, a communications professor at San Antonio's Trinity University. 'If we give up on that attempt to persuade, to talk, to dialogue, we're giving up on democracy.'" —Sanford Nowlin in San Antonio Current

Sanford Nowlin is the editor-in-chief at San Antonio Current.

MORE: Rejecting COVID-19 inquiry, China peddles conspiracy theories blaming U.S. —The New York Times

Li: Don't gerrymander our diversity away

"The Census numbers make clear that our country's future is multiracial and deeply coalitional. Without gerrymandering, political parties would be forced by necessity to figure out ways to build diverse, multiracial coalitions or face being condemned to being regional or sectional curiosities. But gerrymandering gives states a way to kick the can down the road. For the sake of all of us, Congress must take the power to cheat voters off the table." —Michael Li in The Boston Globe

Michael Li is a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, where he works on redistricting, voting rights, and elections.

MORE: Here comes the New York gerrymander —The Wall Street Journal

Sargent: A glimpse at the Jan 6 panel's plans

"On Wednesday, the House select committee examining the Jan. 6 insurrection issued a massive demand for documents from multiple government agencies. It shows that the committee is casting a very wide investigative net—and a big target is the months of efforts to steal the election that came well in advance of President Donald Trump's incitement of mob violence. That's critical, because it suggests the committee sees the effort to overturn the election via legal manipulation and illicit plotting as central to explaining the outbreak of violence itself." —Greg Sargent in The Washington Post

Greg Sargent is a columnist at The Washington Post and the author of "An Uncivil War: Taking Back Our Democracy in an Age of Trumpian Disinformation and Thunderdome Politics."

MORE: Police officer who killed Capitol rioter says he fired gun to 'save countless lives' —The Guardian

Lachelier & Morrow: The value of democracy learning communities

"Democracy demands informed, skilled, and caring citizens. Good citizens are neither born nor made through the status quo of episodic democracy. Democracy can and should be a lifestyle as much as a governance system. Municipal and regional DLCs can cultivate more good citizens and help Americans overcome political dysfunction. There is no better place to start than in your own town, city, or region." —Paul Lachelier & Mike Morrow in The Fulcrum

Paul Lachelier is the founder of Learning Life, a nonprofit lab devoted to innovating education and citizen engagement. Mike Morrow is a former U.S. diplomat and current senior democracy strategist with Learning Life.

MORE: Brian Klaas: America should support democracy—but we have to be smarter about it —The Washington Post

Team America to the rescue

Unlike almost all presidents in U.S. history who accepted the will of the voters, Donald Trump embarked on a non-stop campaign to overturn a democratic election. Never accepting the peaceful transfer of power, Trump worked single-mindedly between November 2020 and January 2021 to find a way to install himself as a dictator. He never conceded.

Take your pick of the crimes Trump committed: solicitation of election fraud, conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding (Electoral College certification), violation of the Hatch Act, and inciting insurrection jump out. Failure to prosecute likely guarantees a repeat performance in the future by Trump or a Trump clone. You don't have to be a cynic to wonder if our legal system is up to the task.

With Trump we have a cult leader who incited a violent and deadly insurrection. He presents himself as some kind of national savior to his followers. He has promoted a culture of hatred and dehumanization against immigrants and an utter disregard for the rule of law. Believing himself above the law, he has no hesitation in trying to steamroll any obstacles in his path to power. This behavior is far more consistent with the fascist strongman tradition than any kind of conservatism.

Nobody should be reassured that we barely escaped this time. —Jonathan B., New Hampshire

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.