The massive assault on democracy in the US by the Trump-support rightwing activists is a strong reminder of the need to protect democracy and the associated rights of the people. The Democrat Senator Charles E. Schumer had a good and timely question on what happened on Capitol Hill. He said: “As we speak, the eyes of the world are on this chamber, questioning whether America is still the shining example of democracy, the shining city on the hill.”… “What message will we send to fledgling democracies, who study our Constitution, mirror our laws and traditions, in the hopes that they, too, can build a country ruled by the consent of the governed?”