Letter to the Editor

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln famously said this as part of his 1858 speech at the Illinois Republican convention. Right now, about the only thing Americans can agree on is how severely divided we are as a nation.

At a time when our country was engaged in a brutal civil war and had an uncertain future, President Lincoln demonstrated great temperament and leadership that kept our government and our Union together. But, whereas Lincoln is known as the “Great Uniter”, our current president has become known as the “Great Divider.”

President Trump has been attacking ANTIFA. “I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated.”

There is no antifa organization. It is simply an abbreviation for being anti-fascist. Before, during and after World War II patriotic Americans were all anti-fascist. Especially the 413,000 brave patriots who gave up their lives to fight fascism. There were all antifa.

After the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, President Trump stated “It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree.”

The awful truth is that rhetoric dramatically heated up with the emergence of Trump and it continues today because of his incendiary comments. Below are just a few of his over-the-top derogatory comments about his “enemies”:

The painful truth is that global warming is already impacting us and it will just get worse as Republicans push for Americans to accept fossil fuels as panacea for economic problems they created by giving tax breaks to the very rich. Droughts are already impacting lakes across the country. Harmful algal blooms that erupt in very warm water can be dangerous to humans and animals, causing illness and even death. These blooms used to appear for short times in the middle of August.

If the immigrant working in the fields or the activist protesting in the streets or the governor of a state can be used as pawns in this autocratic take-over of democracy, then even citizens like you or me can be denied rights.

The pledge of allegiance ends with “liberty and justice for all”. Not anymore.

Liberties are being denied to the non-white, the Muslim, the immigrant, the protestor. Due process is too often denied just because Trump doesn’t like some group or person.

Be afraid, America. Be very afraid. This is not law and order. It’s denying rights and due process to ALL the people.