Our democracy is in trouble.

We operate on a system of checks and balances.

All of the power in Washington is not supposed to rest in the hands of the president. That’s why our Founding Fathers established a Congress. President Obama has undermined that system of balance by using executive orders to make sweeping changes to our laws.

Obama has gotten away with governing by executive order due to another checks-and-balances failure. Our forefathers realized that to keep government accountable we needed a free press. It was the First Amendment to the Constitution. Hence, the media have an important role in protecting us from tyranny.

Unfortunately, we have learned via Wiki­Leaks that the media have failed to live up to their responsibilities. News organizations and reporters have been colluding with the Clinton campaign to cover up her scandals and promote her candidacy.

I am not talking about a slight bias, but an all-out war to destroy Donald Trump. You might think that Trump deserves it due to his locker room talk. However, those being featured by the media for criticizing Trump have done far worse. For example, actor Robert De Niro has absolutely no right to complain after he starred in the filthy movie “Dirty Grandpa.” Was De Niro questioned about being a hypocrite? No!

The double standard for Republicans has always existed during my lifetime. The difference now is that the media are being exposed for more than double standards, but for actually working to help Hillary.

As secretary of state, Clinton jeopardized national security by setting up a private server in her home and she deleted tens of thousands emails to cover up her tracks. If she truly did this crime, then why didn’t FBI Director James Comey recommend charges against her? The better question is, why haven’t the media hounded Comey over his conflict of interest? His brother’s accounting firm has done work for the Clinton Foundation.

WikiLeaks exposed that a Clinton campaign staffer was in direct communication with the Department of Justice. So not only did Bill Clinton privately meet with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, but Hillary’s campaign staff was also talking to the DOJ. There is no other way to define this other than as a cover-up. Why is it happening? Because the media are not doing their job!

Without the balance of the media playing referee, our country is no better than a banana republic, with all the power resting in the hands of a few, rather than the people.