Twenty-one years ago, this month while deployed to Tal Afar, Iraq, I was aiming my camera to take photos of Iraqi citizens standing in line to cast their ballot for their country’s national referendum. The elections were considered a democratic milestone for citizens in the region, who united against terrorism to make their voice heard as ‘free voters’, giving the people of Iraq an opportunity to voice their approval or desire to make changes to the constitution.

I was amazed by the bravery they displayed despite threats of violence that would take place if they dared show up to the polling stations. I’ll never forget the smiling faces of men and women displaying their purple ink-stained fingertips as a badge of honor marking, they voted – the equivalent of when I wear the “I voted” sticker.

With our nation’s upcoming midterm elections, I can’t help but draw strength from those Iraqi citizens as I prepare to deal with a threat of a different kind. Thank God I don’t have to fear a suicide bomber detonating themselves at the polls, nor do I have to worry about an explosive packed vehicle causing a catastrophic event when I show up to vote.

That is not to say that there is a looming threat from our federal government who over the past few months has tried to intimidate the American public from exercising their right to vote as part of our treasured democratic experiment. The noise amplified from our president and through his watchdogs are not to be ignored.

Department of Homeland Secretary Markwayne Mullin has stated officers won’t go to patrol or monitor polling places broadly but could go for specific reasons such as arresting someone if they have a warrant or are responding to a threat.

So, what is he truly implying? Well, the Supreme Court has already given the green light to officers to stop someone because of their skin color and accent. It was Justice Brett Kavanaugh who said ethnicity alone does not constitute reasonable suspicion, but it can be considered a relevant factor alongside the totality of other circumstances.

This is the veiled threat of intimidation from this current administration that is meant to scare American citizens from voting. The mere thought of an ICE agent aggressively accusing someone of being illegal at the polls and physically accosting someone may be just enough to deter a voter from showing up at all.

I’ve always said with this administration, the cruelty is the point. There is a cruelty in removing access to polling sites. There is a cruelty in trying to take away mail-in balloting. There is a cruelty in denying people to vote for representatives who can best represent them by gerrymandering districts in non-census years. I’ve witnessed cruelty firsthand in Iraq when terrorists attack people for making their voice heard.

But I also witnessed Iraqis boldly show up in the face of fear – and vote! Just like them, we should not be afraid. We will show our bravery – and vote!

Editor’s Note: Donald Sparks is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major who served nearly 31 years as a combat journalist and photojournalist. He has earned numerous citations including a Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Joint Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device. He has deployed to Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Inherent Resolve (ISIS).