The signers of the Declaration of Independence, which America celebrates today, all knew they were putting their lives on the line. Benjamin Franklin reportedly said: “We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately.”

At the time, treason against the King of England brought a punishment of being hung, drawn and quartered (cut open while alive with body parts removed), often before large public audiences. As Maine gathers for the Fourth of July festivities, we urge you to consider the risks our Founding Fathers took to establish the rule of law.

While the United States may have problems, our constitutional republic is a historically unprecedented representative democracy. So powerful is this idea that from the start Americans have given their lives to protect it. As veterans of the 9/11 wars, we often reflect on the many sacrifices made over the past 248 years.

This year, in what is shaping up to be the most consequential campaign season in our lifetime, the peaceful transfer of power, a pillar of what holds this all together, is under attack. In every election since 1788, except one, the losing party has always “willingly and peacefully” relinquished power to the opposition.

The exception was in 2020 when Donald Trump whipped his supporters into such a frenzy that they attacked the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the official certification of results. America’s courts and broader society continue to wrestle with what was an attempted coup d’état that occurred on Jan. 6. Meanwhile, Trump continues to question the legitimacy of our elections and spread conspiracy. Among those conspiracies is a twisted interpretation of 1776, with Trump and his supporters wrapping their white supremacy in red, white, and blue flags. They are also threatening violence again if the election does not go their way.

The American Revolution was violent, but it also contained the seed that grew this representative democracy: belief in the rule of law. Leaders from 13 colonies overcame the fear of potentially being hung, drawn, and quartered by the English crown and agreed to embrace the rule of law as the foundation of a new society, an experiment that continues to this day.

During last week’s presidential debate, Trump evaded three questions on accepting election results, and when asked about Jan. 6, he lied and blamed the mayhem on Nancy Pelosi, then-House Speaker. His fearmongering was in overdrive, as was his disregard for the rule of law and his disparaging of veterans and the concept of service.

As you gather with friends and family on the Fourth, recite a line from the Declaration of Independence – that we are all created equal – and explain that more than 3,300 men and women from Maine have died overseas to defend that idea. Then, ask any Trump supporters nearby what they think John or Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, or Thomas Jefferson would say about Jan. 6.

Don’t be afraid to set the record straight.