‘Anticipatory obedience” to an authoritarian regime “is a political tragedy,” Timothy Snyder warns us in “Tyranny.” Threatened by autocrats, frightened people surrender their agency to a tyrant before it is demanded. Their anticipatory “protection” from autocratic rage is an illusion.

On Friday morning, Oct. 25, Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, fearing Trump’s revenge, and William Lewis, the publisher and chief executive officer, made such a cowardly capitulation. Although the editorial staff had drafted a statement supporting Kamala Harris for president, Lewis announced that the paper would break with a long-standing tradition and refuse to endorse a candidate in this momentous election.

By that evening, 20 Post reporters and editors had signed a statement dissenting from the new policy and the failure of Bezos and Lewis to assert The Post’s “commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances.” They argued that Donald Trump posed a unique threat to “freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution” and should never again be president.

As we have seen with Trump, the first victim of the autocrat is the truth and then the agents of truth are attacked and undermined; most often, the mainstream media, universities, and research institutes, where lively debate and dedication to democratic values prevail. We mustn’t pre-censor ourselves, but must courageously speak out in support of our local and national press, our colleges and universities, and especially those individuals dedicated to freedom, democracy and justice.

We must remember that “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” and vote for Kamala Harris.

Susan J. Tracy

Professor emerita of U.S. history, Hampshire College