Anyone paying attention to the circus performers in Washington is aware that Jon Tester cast a “Yes” vote for a bipartisan bill that included money for strengthening the southern border. In case you’ve never heard of him, Tester is a Republican Senator from Montana. He also sent a scathing email to congressional members accusing them of “political malpractice.” Here’s a sample of what he wrote:

“Republicans committed ‘political malpractice’ when they blocked bipartisan legislation to help secure the southern border — an issue Republicans claim they want to fix — after Donald Trump criticized passage of such legislation.” The former president made it clear he did not want anything passed that would give Joe Biden credit for something he couldn’t do. Tester went on to say it was the “epitome of craziness” to kill the bill. This calls into question the sincerity of Republicans who claim securing the border is their No. 1 priority for the safety of Americans.

Make no mistake. Tester is and always will be a member of the GOP. According to his website, he’s a “Third generation Montana farmer who believes in hard work, responsibility and accountability. … His parents believed public education and family agriculture were the cornerstones of democracy.” If they’re still alive, I wonder what they’d believe about these two cornerstones in today’s society. It seems their party wants to privatize education, and we all know the traditional small farm is only a memory.

What’s more, will the U.S. still be a democratic republic after the Nov. election or will we transition to rule by a dictator? As the campaign heats up, more and more people are standing behind DJT and his numerous felonies. It’s pointless to remind them why he’s in legal hot water. If he had played by the rules spelled out in the Constitution, he would be free of the chains threatening to bind him. Unfortunately, folks who are diehard Trump fans will not listen to facts easily supported by evidence. They believe President Biden and other Democrats concocted all the charges against their man. Trying to explain to Trumpsters that he brought his troubles upon himself is like trying to hold water in a sieve.

Tester, like a few other courageous Republicans who are attempting to hold the line and keep our form of government in place, are out-shouted and vastly outnumbered. What we’re witnessing is the disintegration of our Constitution and the ultimate collapse of our republic. If that’s what most citizens want, then that’s the way it will be. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone came along who would take a wrecking ball and demolish an outdated system. The ball in this case wasn’t a piece of heavy machinery. It was a loudmouth Democrat turned Republican.

I often have conversations with a friend who has young grandchildren. He’s concerned about what the future holds for them. Will there be good-paying jobs in whichever field they choose? Will they be capable of making sound decisions based upon facts? Will they believe anything is factual or will everything merely be an opinion? Will AI create images that look like “real” people but are mere pixels telling them what to believe?

Youngsters growing up in the America Trump and his cult created will never know anything different. They’ll be enslaved and not realize there once was a time when human beings were intelligent. A time when politicians took their knocks if they broke the laws. A time when crying “foul” only occurred during sports games and witch hunts were confined to Massachusetts.

— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy’s new book, “View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories,” is available from her or Amazon.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sharon Kennedy: Jon Tester: A man of integrity