A message from the publisher: Left unchecked, our experiment in democracy is in peril

Publisher authors book as a guide to uniting us all to achieve a better world

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By Marty Cheek

Our American democracy is in peril. Let’s save it.

If you, like me, are deeply worried about the survival of the 245-year experiment in governance of the people, by the people and for the people, I hope you will join me in an effort to prevent the looming collapse of our republic.

Daily in the news, we see the signs of the rapid decline of our nation as the United States becomes increasingly divided politically, economically and culturally. To continue as a democracy, we as a people must stop fighting and start uniting. If we continue along this path to democracy’s almost inevitable demise in this decade, we Americans will have no one to blame but ourselves when we painfully realize we have lost our heritage of freedom.

We live in unusual times. That’s why I, as the publisher of Morgan Hill Life, am taking an unusual action. I am using the frontpage main story space of this issue to ask South Valley readers to take part in an experiment to save democracy. I am asking you to support a movement called Vision-2020. It is an endeavor that will bring all Americans together as a team to fight for our nation’s future. We can do that by creating a lasting legacy that will unite us around an exciting objective. We can give a gift to the children of the world by striving together around Vision-2020’s main goal of achieving a world forever free of wars by Christmas Day in the year 2040.

A world where all nations exist together in peace is an ambitious goal. It is certainly a goal worth striving for. It is also a goal that is 100 percent possible to achieve if enough people truly want to make such a world a reality. The reality is, however, with the state of the world it’s now highly improbable to achieve world peace in the next two decades. The human race can change those odds when we change our mindset. We must make the collective decision to give future generations a world free from the violence of conflict between countries.

How can we change society’s mindset to focus on creating a better future for all people? The key is the power of the media. The information that is put in millions of minds through news, marketing, education, and arts and entertainment has an energy to shape the public’s attitudes and opinions for good or for ill. This in turn shapes the decisions — for good or for ill — made by men and women elected to lead us.

If you, like me, care about our community and our country, do me and your fellow Americans a favor. Please purchase a book I wrote, a novel titled “Humanity: A Vision-2020 Novel.” I am self-publishing it on Amazon.com on Tuesday, Sept. 21. This is International Peace Day, a day devoted toward the goal of achieving a world free from wars.

The cost of the novel is $30, and the royalty money (about $15) will be used by Life Media Group, the publisher of Morgan Hill Life, to fund the Vision-2020 movement by creating news, marketing, education, and arts and entertainment media that promotes unity in humanity.

The novel is a fun way to learn about Vision-2020 and its goals. It is a science fiction mystery that looks at the next 20 years and how the human race can achieve a world full of peace if we learn to live together in the spirit of harmony.

The story’s plot includes several locations in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Henry W. Coe State Park to make it entertaining for local readers. “Humanity” serves as a narrative companion to my nonfiction book titled “Vision-2020: Be a Hero for Humanity,” also self-published on Amazon for $30. (The royalty money from that book also goes to fund the movement for global peace.)

In a fast-paced page-turner story, the novel “Humanity” shares with readers why the survival of the human race depends on preserving democracy in America and elsewhere. We know from history — especially German history in the 1930s — what happens to a nation when its people fail in their duty to protect their republic. The loss of the free press will result in the loss of freedoms. Tyrants will then rise to control the government. Inevitably the violence of war will follow. We see Americans today failing to preserve our republic — and that should scare us.

If this continues, we will no doubt see our democratic institutions fall and replaced with an authoritarian leadership. If that happens, the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China will most likely find themselves in a hot conflict by the year 2040. It’s a crisis that will draw in their allies, resulting in a third world war. China and Russia are now modernizing their nuclear armaments and missiles to increase their capability to attack American cities and targets in other countries. That’s a dangerous situation for the world.

The novel “Humanity” shares with readers what might happen if an atomic Armageddon takes place in the year 2039. It also shares with readers a vision of hope for humanity if we decide to follow the path to peace.

Some people have told me the Vision-2020 movement’s goal of global peace is an impossible dream. They’re right . . . if we choose to continue along our present course and fail to find a path to peace. They’re wrong, however, if enough people — enough ordinary men, women and children — decide to choose the blessings of peace over the violence of war.

Unfortunately, the human race is going in the direction of its own self-annihilation in the next twenty years. We’re in the process of destroying democracy in America. We see the warning signs in the news daily. One of them is the violence that took place Jan. 6 when a mob of hundreds of Americans attacked the U.S. Capitol Building, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count  the 2020 electoral votes.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. The leaders elected to manage our union on both sides of the political aisle are now failing the American people. The incivility and insanity in our governance is a cancer that, if left unchecked, will grow to consume our freedoms and rights. The increasing divide in our politics, economics, and culture is killing our country.

The media plays a significant role in creating this divided America. But the media also can serve to provide a cure for this cancer. It can inspire ordinary people to take action before it is too late to preserve democracy and our freedoms and rights.

Life Media Group seeks your help to save our democracy. I hope that you will purchase the novel “Humanity” and the companion nonfiction book “Vision-2020” and use your social media to encourage your friends and family and co-workers to do the same.