It's been said that were it not for the stand by The 300 and their allies at the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persians exactly 2,500 years ago this month, the budding flame of democracy would have been snuffed out forever from the face of the Earth.

Today, the stakes are no less noble and no less dire.  Although the dangers aren't coming at the point of a spear, the threat of authoritarianism and the subjugation of liberty are the same.

Democracy has stemmed the tide of tyranny and authoritarianism for millennia and has pulled more people out of poverty than any other form of government throughout history.  Today in our country, the concepts of individual freedoms and liberties are under assault.

In our modern democratic republic, where every citizen has one powerful vote against the yoke of tyranny and where the battlegrounds are the hearts and minds of all Americans, the clarion call is clear: hold the line.  Elections are coming.

The commander's intent is clear: Keep America Great.  This is altogether fitting for a nation that is the sentinel of individual freedoms and human rights.

Those who seek to divide us as Americans remain incredulous at the loyalty that this president commands because they fail to see that he represents the average American.  In him, the people see themselves: a plain-talking counter-puncher who speaks his mind and is unapologetic in his defense of faith, family, and country.  Like all of us, he believes in an honest reward for an honest day's work and in the nobility of the underdog rising above his circumstances.

But when his term is done, and another follows in his footsteps, their deranged incredulity won't stop.  Whether they want to admit it or not, it's about not just one man, but the ideals that he represents that ails them.  The president is, after all, meant to be the personification of America.  That's why that position is voted on by every eligible American.

The president is showing us how to save our republic: the silent majority must awaken and speak up.  As Madison put it, "the causes of faction cannot be removed, and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controlling its effects.  If a faction consists of less than a majority, relief is supplied by the republican principle, which enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote."  In other words, your vote matters.

For all of our academic expositions on the merits of a democratic republic, we must temper our learning with deeds lest we become like a tree with many branches and few roots.

But how do we do this?  How do we control the effects of these sinister factions?

First, know that you're not alone.

Patriots are next to you quietly resisting in line at the supermarket, on social media, on your friends list, on Zoom calls in your home, and in millions of glowing cell phone screens.  They are found on Third Street, on Oak Avenue, on Elm Boulevard, and on countless other streets, and they have your back.

To the freedom-fighters marooned in unfriendly territory, know that you are never alone.  Even the most storied among you, like director Oliver Stone, are realizing that the self-aggrandizing woke and politically correct mob has turned an industry "mad [and] too fragile and too sensitive."  There are more of you than you think.  Oliver Stone is just the tip of the iceberg.

Second, you must resist non-violently.

When someone accuses you of "racism" or "white supremacy," challenge him with words like "prove it" or "give me specific examples right now of how I am racist."  You will find that many people cannot give clear, specific examples.  They are too consumed by emotional, overly general talking points to back up their claims.  Make them defend their positions publicly for all to see.

When they lob insults at you like "Coons" or "Uncle Tom," fire back with movements like Blexit and movies like "Uncle Tom" as Candace Owens, Brandon Tatum, and Larry Elder have done.  Rally others to the cause not with viciousness, but with compassion, reason, and a steadfast devotion to "liberty and justice for all."

When they try to marginalize you into silence, shout from the tallest online platforms and "play offense" with grassroots organizations like Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk, whose aim is to "identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedoms, free markets, and limited government."  Champion our young warriors, for they know best the terrains of their own lands.

When they try to defame or slander you, capture it on video and use it to defend yourself in a court of law, as then-16-year-old Nick Sandmann successfully did against CNN and against The Washington Post after he sued them for $275 million and $250 million, respectively.  He has other lawsuits against Gannett, ABC, CBS, NBC, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone.  He's proven that media giants are not invulnerable to the slings of the rule of law.  Learn from him and his lawyers.

When they praise the Nordic countries as towering examples of socialism, show them that the prosperity of countries like Sweden is based on cultural factors such as "trust, robust work ethic, and considerable social cohesion" rather than economic ones.  Further remind them that Nordic countries practice "compassionate capitalism" rather than socialism.

When they throw dates at you, remind them that 2020 is not 1960 or 1860 or even 1619.  Remind them also to refer to 1776 (Declaration of Independence), 1787 (Constitution is ratified), 1863 (Emancipation Proclamation), 1865 (Civil War dissolves the Confederacy and 13th Amendment is ratified), 1964 (Civil Rights Act is passed), 2008 (first black man becomes president of the United States), 2018 (President Trump signs First Step Act criminal justice reform bill into law), and November 2020.

When they accuse you of intolerance, use Ms. Bari Weiss's resignation letter from The New York Times to point out the irony that those who demand the greatest tolerance sometimes end up being the most intolerant.

And when you find yourself in doubt, know that the president of a business co-op called a national radio show recently and revealed that "well over 70%" of 877 business-owners in the Oakland, California area who voted for Hillary in 2016 are voting for Trump in November 2020.  Know that the people are stirring, and that the sleeping giant is awakening once again.

Third, you must vote.  And tell everyone you know to vote.

The valiant actions of those warriors on that Greek mountain pass 2,500 years ago echoed into the distant future.  So shall ours.

Ages from now, men and women across a great republic will look back with envy at the stand we take today and pine to be among our company.  They'll wish that they lived in the time of Limbaugh, in the time of Owens, in the time of Kirk, and in the time Trump.

"I lived in the time of Trump" — now, there's a badge of honor to be envied for the ages.

The awakening is happening.  Lock your arms.  Form the phalanx.  Hold the line.  Elections are coming.

Joe Motos Gordon is a retired Air Force officer with a Ph.D. in applied physics.  He has previously written for The Federalist.

Image: Fox News via YouTube.