The letter published Oct. 21 (“Is America’s Greatness Over?”) mentions many subjects, with little to no evidence to support any of them.
Examining our history and vowing to do better doesn’t indicate a decline in America’s greatness. It isn’t “convincing members of one race that they’re inherently evil and others that they are perpetual victims.” Our country is doomed if we fail to acknowledge and correct our mistakes. Remember Ruby Bridges, escorted into school by federal agents in 1960 while racists ranted? Should we erase this part of our story? German school children learn about the Holocaust, not to teach them they are evil, but to ensure the country never follows that path again. Denying history works NO WHERE, as the writer said about socialism.
More points:
• America is not socialist. Technically, it’s a constitutional republic; informally, it’s a democracy. However, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Canada do have Democratic Socialist forms of government, and they’re doing just fine.
• “A regime of revolving elites?” “Less freedom?” Who knows?
• The writer calls President Biden “the pathetic creature.” While Biden is undeniably old, he has achieved much, traveled widely and, after the Hamas attack, reassured the global community. His predecessor, in contrast, recently announced that Viktor Orban leads Turkey. (Orban is the Hungarian prime minister.) If an “old” person is to be in charge, I’ll take the one who is intelligent, unselfish, and steady over an insecure braggart who is at the mercy of greed and his ego.
• Gay and transgender people have always existed. Does the writer think they should return to the fringes of society to be isolated, ostracized and sometimes murdered? Just what is so threatening about letting people be?
• “We slaughter the unborn.” In short, no. Giving fertilized cells more rights than the women who carry them isn’t “saving babies;” it’s exerting government control over half the population. If it isn’t, the men who contributed to unwanted pregnancies would be held equally responsible.
• “Patriotism is called an insurrection.” Did the writer watch that mob on Jan. 6? People beating police officers with flagpoles carrying Trump banners is not patriotism. Theft, vandalism, snooping through legislators’ desks and calling for the deaths of Pelosi and Pence? That’s insurrection.
• Here’s the dead horse of “Fauci-ism.” The pandemic killed more than 67 million people. Is the writer denying COVID-19 altogether? Or is he still mad because knowledge of how viruses spread trumped rants about personal freedom?
• Finally, speaking of “abandoning God,” our nation was not founded on any religious tenets. Citizens can be religious or not; the country has no affiliation.
The letter amounts to outrage at change itself. Change is difficult and inevitable. Surely shaping a future fair to all of our diverse population tops screaming and kicking until — surprise! — change occurs anyway.
Readers’ letters are an important part of newspapers. All sides of all issues should be aired. But this letter lacked facts, examples and rationality. What was the point of publishing it?
Margo Bartlett
Delaware
