Thursday President Biden presented the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 Americans. Notable among them was Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House select committee on the January 6th 2021 attempted coup, "...for putting the American people over party..." Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chair of the select committee, also received the medal.

These patriots deserve this medal and the respect of every American for their work in revealing the truth of the attempted violent overthrow of the 2020 presidential election. It was a months-long series of plots and actions by Mr. Trump to become president for another 4 years, without reelection. Those who testified, such as Cassidy Hutchinson, Shaye Moss, and capitol police officers also deserve to be honored.

President Biden appropriately honors these supporters of democracy and the rule of law. However; in the face of a future president promising to be a dictator on day one, we all must be patriots, supporting our founding American values with action. We must support the self-evident rights of all, and participate in the government that is meant to reflect the consent, or dissent, of the governed. We must use that freedom, or we will lose it to the dictator on day one.

Bill Dagnon
Baraboo