Many Republicans are publicly wondering why they lost seats in the recent election and failed to win the presidency. Apparently, they haven’t noticed that women, immigrants, gay people, seniors, the poor, the middle class and racial and religious minorities are tired of being ignored, disrespected and patronized.

Democrats believe that Medicare and Social Security should be available without major cuts for those who qualify. Democrats also believe that assisting with early education, job training, infrastructure improvements, police and rescue services, programs such as FEMA, health care and food stamps are proper functions of government, and that everyone should pay his fair share of taxes.

None of those concepts seem important to Republicans.

They have conveniently forgotten that their hero Ronald Reagan started with a tax cut but then raised taxes 11 times. He added more than 60,000 government workers (Department of Veterans Affairs) and the national debt went from $700 billion to $3 trillion under Reagan. He also worked cooperatively and compromised with Democrats. He clearly would not be acceptable to today’s party.

This is the United States of America, not every state and every person for himself. I grew up believing that those who are fortunate should care about those who are not. That once-common American belief has been abandoned by the Republican Party.

Ellen Field, New Gloucester