What are we doing?

To the Editor:

What are we doing?

I have never been more concerned about the direction our nation and community is going. We have reached the point where people are being silenced, shamed, and even fired for having a differing point of view. There are those pushing to defund police (law enforcement) while at the same time empowering the “thought and speech police”. As a student of history this is very alarming to me. This is how tyranny comes about. Both Fascists and Communists did this to take control of nations and their people.

Let me first say that I wholeheartedly believe in equal rights and protection of the law for all people, rich, poor, black, white, and any and all ethnic, political, or religious groups. This brings me to my point. We are a nation ruled by laws, not by people. We are a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy. Our founders were completely against “pure Democracy” because it allows 51% of the people to oppress the other 49% by a majority vote.

Yes, we do vote for our representatives who legislate and institute laws but those laws must be in line with the Constitution. This is so there is equality under the law and one group can’t oppress the other. The free exchange of ideas, freedom of speech, helps us process ideas for “We the People” to decide the direction our communities and nation go, as long as it is constitutional.

We have reached a point where differing thoughts and ideas are being suppressed and silenced through ridicule, shaming, and outright censorship. A community social media platform is for the free exchange of information and ideas, vulgarity is not appropriate, but it is not OK to silence differing opinions. I support equal rights and opportunity for all races.

How does vandalizing and destroying statues and monuments of Lincoln, Grant, Fredrick Douglass, or any of the other brave souls that fought for racial equality support black lives? It doesn’t! How does vandalism, looting, and rioting help black lives? It doesn’t! It is only mob mentality and behavior, with many of the victims of these mobs being black businesses, homes, and lives.

I do not support the BLM movement. If any of you would take the time to read their mission statement, read or hear what the leaders of this group has said, and do say, then any fair minded person can see that the ultimate goal of that group is to institute Marxism and replace our Constitutional Republic.

I can already hear the hysterical screams of “racism” being hurled at me. You will not shame me or get me to go along with something I believe is wrong. I have never treated a member of another race any differently than I do members of my own race. There are people in positions of great influence and leadership that are imposing their own views and beliefs on others using shame, censorship, and retribution to silence differing points of view.

This must stop immediately. We must be able to have the free exchange of ideas and healthy respectful debate so that those who claim to be standing against oppression do not themselves become the oppressors! We must stop the censorship, name calling, insults, and vulgarity in our discourse and become more civil with one another.

We are the land of the free and home of the brave. Let’s start acting like it. Do not be shamed into going along with something that doesn’t feel right out of fear that you’ll be called a racist when you are not. Do not feel you have to go above and beyond to prove you aren’t a racist when you spend every day of your life not being one, and if you are going to support a movement be sure you know what the ultimate goals of that movement are.

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