In my ninth-grade social studies class, we read “Profiles in Courage” by John F. Kennedy. The book tells of senators who risked their careers to do what was right — men who chose conscience over party, integrity over convenience. They spoke out when silence was easier, and history honors their bravery.

Today, we are witnessing the opposite. Most Republican senators remain silent as Donald Trump undermines the foundations of our democracy — the courts, the press, the rule of law and the professional bureaucracy that keeps government functioning. They know better, but they say nothing.

Kennedy honored those who placed principle above ambition. Today’s Republican senators are driven more by fear — fear of losing elections, fear of Trump’s wrath, fear of their own base. In the face of attacks on our democratic institutions, silence is complicity.

When the history of this era is written, it will not be “Profiles in Courage” but “Profiles in Cowardice.” History will remember those who failed to speak out, and among them will be Sen. Susan Collins, whose habitual expressions of “concern” have become a poor substitute for courage.

Gary Massanek
Topsham