What is missing in the lives of people who think it is patriotic to overthrow a democratically elected president. Maybe they’re looking for adventure. Maybe it’s meaning and relevance they want.

If they accomplish the unthinkable, will they realize that fascist leaders have no more use for them once they’re in power? What then?

People, our country is not perfect. It never was. But it’s had its moments. Although it took too long, women finally won the right to vote. They gained the right to own property.

Gay Americans won the right to marry the person they loved, to have their partner on their insurance, to adopt children who needed a loving family.

We got rid of poll taxes, a means that kept poor people from voting. At least for the time being. Voting rights are in jeopardy again.

Women and their partners gained the right to plan their families. That, too, could be in jeopardy.

Schools in wealthy districts are still better funded than schools in poor districts. There’s still de facto segregation, but we don’t need the National Guard to permit a young Black girl to enter the school.

It can still be dangerous to be Black and on the road, but you don’t need a special guide to know where to fill up your tank and stop for meals.

Baby steps, but these days, we seem to be walking backwards. We need to be moving forward. Could making progress happen help hopeless people feel relevant?

Here are a few suggestions if it is relevance you want:

Volunteer at a food bank.

Be a book buddy at a nearby elementary school. Help a child learn to read.

Drive senior citizens to see their doctor. Check on your elderly neighbors.

Welcome a refugee. Make them part of your community. Think about how and why your own ancestors came here.

Maybe you’re afraid of losing power. If being fair-skinned is the only thing you’ve got, I have some bad news for you: You share 99.9% of your DNA with your dark-skinned brothers and sister. Women are as capable as men, and sometimes as incapable.

We don’t need to destroy the U.S. We don’t need fascism or dictator wannabes. What we need are good-paying jobs, access to healthcare and education, and a sense that we are all in this together. That means a fair tax system that doesn’t reward billionaires while stealing from those of us on the lower rungs of the ladder. It means getting money out of politics. What won’t get us there are thieves and liars and conmen who are selling you a bill of goods.

Think. Think again. Then, find your own relevance. You’d be surprised how good it feels to help someone who needs help. And if you really want to be relevant, do what it takes to strengthen our democracy instead of tearing it down.