“This must stop, period.”

The National Association of Secretaries of State followed that comment on the “disturbing trend” of threats to elections officials and workers and a second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump by saying “Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.”

Well. It SHOULDN’T have any place for those things, but they are, sadly, nothing new.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office is among the 15 elections offices across the country that received suspicious packages this week. The packages are believed to contain a “powdery substance,” reminiscent of the anthrax attacks and copycat hoaxers that began in 2001. The intent then, as it seems to be now, is to instill fear.

But why? And, specifically, why threaten those who are working to ensure a fair and safe general election in November?

“Fortunately, we were notified by our law enforcement partners to be on the lookout for this package, and we were able to intercept it before it reached our office,” LaRose said. “The security of our employees and all election officials across Ohio is a top concern as we enter a critical period in the election cycle.

Those being threatened take their obligation to conduct honest, legal elections very seriously. When results are tallied, those elections officials and workers take pride in having safeguarded one of the pillars of our democratic republic.

While the FBI and other law enforcement agencies do work to stop the threats and attempted violence, politicians and the rest of us must do our part to condemn rather than encourage the kind of language that spurs on such behavior.

And on Nov. 5, we must not allow fear to stop us. We must vote.