I would like to bring to attention a document made by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025, that would transform our current democracy into a Christian nationalist dictatorship.

Although Donald Trump claims he knows nothing about this document, more than half of the authors are appointees and staff from his time as president and the words “Trump” and “Trump administration” appear more than 300 times in the document. It is reasonable then to conclude if he were elected many of the ideas in Project 2025 would become reality.

To me a most terrifying thought: Project 2025 is a 900-plus page document that outlines the steps needed to move our country away from democracy to an authoritative dictatorship.

It attacks our fundamental freedoms and democratic principles and basic values as Americans. This plan would reshape daily life for millions of Americans if implemented. This plan is not a pie-in-the-sky policy agenda full of bold but empty promises. It is crafted to be a list of things the next president’s appointees really can do, put together by many people who served in top posts under Trump last time and could well do so again.

Under this plan the president would gain more power, as the checks and balances on which our Country was founded are removed. Concentration of power would be with the President as civil service workers are fired and replaced with those loyal not to our country but to the president.

Although I am unable in this limited space to outline all the changes included in the plan, here are a few of the far right changes that would be implemented under this plan:

— Permit the teaching of christian faith in public schools.

— Move money from public schools to private ones by issuing vouchers that would pay for private school.

— Require all students in public schools to take the military entrance exam, private school students exempt.

— Eliminate a program that has proved effective in helping children learn.

— Reinstate the student loans that had been “forgiven.”

— End the discounted and free lunch program in schools.

— Ban the teaching of African American history (slavery).

— Eliminate no fault divorce.

— Ban all abortions even those for victims of rape, incest or to save life of the mother.

— Severe restrictions on all birth control.

— End marriage equality and protections for LBGT community.

— Permit employers to stop paying overtime.

— Cut Social Security and Medicare, by raising the retirement age and limiting benefits.

— Raise taxes on the middle class through tariffs imposed on imports which we all know will be passed on.

— Cut taxes for billionaires.

— Use the military to break up protests (almost like they never read the First Amendment).

— Eliminate unions and workers rights.

— End all climate change study and eliminate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

— Repeal the protections in the affordable care act, such as protection for those with pre existing conditions.

— Mass deportation of immigrants, even those with children who are American citizens.

— These are just a few of the major very disturbing changes to our country if this plan were ever to be implemented.

I encourage readers to Google Project 2025. Read for yourself the many radical changes to our government, our way of life, and yes even the core values on which this country was based would be changed. This plan would move our country from one where we hold freedom of religion to be one of our fundamental freedoms (a reason many of early settlers came) to one based on far right Christian Nationalist dogma.

— This plan makes it clear this election is not about political parties.This election is about our vision for the future of our country.

— We have a choice this November: democracy as we know it or far right dogmatic dictatorship.

Choose wisely our country, our rights and freedoms are on the line.

Judi Lutz Woods is a Fredonia resident.