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By David J. Smith

In early April, I attended the Hands Off! Rally in Washington, D.C. Living near the nation’s capital, I’ve always tried to engage in protests and events to support causes I believe in, often as a family with my wife and children. I fondly remember attending Barack Obama’s first inauguration, watching it on jumbotrons with thousands of others.

In January, I turned 65 and have been thinking about what my next chapter will look like. And I’ve reached the conclusion that defending democracy must be the focus.

I want to thank three people for helping me reach that decision. The first is my high school social studies teacher, Mrs. Jean Algier. She passed away a few years ago, but for many years taught at Parkville High School in Maryland, where I graduated. She was a caring, diminutive person but had a commanding presence in the classroom. She believed in the democratic foundations of this country and instilled in students an appreciation for our system of government, a belief in our ability to make positive change, and a desire to engage with those of different cultures and backgrounds. She encouraged me to run for student government president, to which I was elected. If more students had had her as a teacher, I think we might not be in the fix we are in today.

Second, I’d also like to thank Donald Trump for creating the fix we are in. I know, that might seem odd. Why thank him for anything? There is so much we can blame him for. But he has activated many older Americans to engage in promoting democracy and oppose his illegal, corrupt and oligarchic actions. At the April rally, I was impressed with the large number of older Americans present. Many were there for their children and grandchildren. Many of us slept through Biden’s term only to be abruptly awakened in January. Good thing.

Finally, I want to thank the man at the April rally who held up a sign that stated, “Fighting for Democracy is my Retirement Plan.” I didn’t have a chance to talk with him; I couldn’t reach him in the crowd. But I was moved by his sentiment.

It was recently reported by The Wall Street Journal that more retirees are starting to collect Social Security early because of the uncertainty of the program’s future. The continued slide in the stock market and 401(k)s will only accelerate retirees leaning on Social Security. Many may want to wait to draw from their Thrift Savings Plans to see what happens. However, where I live, with so many government employees being forced out, many don’t have the option to wait it out. A consequence of this is that there might be many more folks of retirement age with time on their hands. Some will be looking for part-time work or seek to spend time with family or travel. Yet others may want to do something to protect America’s future for their children and grandchildren.

The 1970s — when I was coming of age — has been viewed as a period of social and political change. But the spade work for that change was not done by my generation but the one before me. We lived off the hard-fought work of those sacrificing to advance civil rights, women’s equality and cease the fighting in Vietnam.

The first president I voted for was Jimmy Carter. He made human rights and democratic governance a cornerstone of his policy. Ronald Reagan, who I disagreed with on many things, helped bring about the end of the Cold War. Bill Clinton used the peace dividend we received at the end of Cold War to reduce military spending and the deficit. Barack Obama’s election as president broke the glass ceiling for people of color in seeking national office. Of course, none of these presidents were without error. George W. Bush took us into Iraq, with weapons of mass destruction as a ploy. But through this all, there was international respect for the U.S. Our values and principles were looked up to. As a country, we were a full partner with other democratic governments and helped maintain global security. Young people from around the world flocked to our colleges and universities.

During a long teaching career, I had the honor of participating in the Fulbright Program, teaching in Estonia after it had emerged as a vibrant democracy. While there, I heard stories of the horrors of the Communist legacy and Estonians’ dreams of a free and market-driven society. I was honored to represent the U.S. in advancing the call for democracy and peace. I also spent several years at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a not-for-profit funded by Congress to advance global peace. I traveled the U.S. making the case for peaceful democratic governance. The institute was callously shuttered by Trump.

I now worry much. The actions taken by the Trump administration threatening democracy and constitutional order cause me anxiety and fear. Trump is a master manipulator and has been able to bamboozle millions of Americans into thinking only he can fix things. Don’t worry about the rule of law. Don’t worry about the environment. Don’t worry that tariffs will raise prices. Just trust me. Similar arguments were made by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. I do wish more students had taken Mrs. Algier’s class.

It’s time for us to do our part. We need to get out and defend democracy, not only for us but for others unable or fearful to act, including immigrants (documented and undocumented), government workers, young people and many others feeling vulnerable right now. Those of us retired are best positioned to act. We must make fighting for democracy our generation’s retirement plan.

(David J. Smith, adjunct faculty at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, also spent eight years at the U.S. Institute of Peace.)