Letter Editor 7-23
Make America America Again
Editor:
Since the founding of our great nation we Americans have embraced a set of ideals and principles that have inspired us, and much of the rest of the world. They are: everyone is entitled to the pursuit of happiness; everyone, with reasonable limits, has the right to to vote, the right to bear arms and, under the eyes of God and the law, everyone is equal. Each of us has the right to practice our respective religions, but our government should not establish or show a preference for any religion. And we welcome poor, disadvantaged and endangered people to our shores. Achieving these goals is not easy or quick, but to paraphrase Lincoln, we have “appealed to our better angels, and they have prevailed,” some of the time.
Americans fought a devastating civil war and two world wars, faced the struggle for civil rights, cleaned up industrial poisons in our air, water and land; saved entire species from extinction, but more needs to be done. Discrimination and, at times, even violence still darken our national landscape. Some of this is the persistent residue from the era of slavery. If we deny our past mistakes and failures, we do so at our peril and cannot move forward.
America’s problems are numerous and require creativity and multiple solutions. Turning to bigotry, sexism, xenophobia and climate change denial are not options if, indeed, our greatness as a nation is going to survive.
Our chief executive was told in mid January by public health experts that action to stop the spread of COVID-19 was needed immediately and yet, the US has the highest death rate from the disease in the western world. None of the other advanced nations have been as dismally unprepared for the pandemic as America. This alone (and there are many other compelling reasons) tells us that there is a great need for a change in leadership.
How does America move forward instead of backward? Mark your calendar for November 3rd and don’t forget to VOTE! Voting does not solve all our problems, but it is a critically important first step.
I say this to all potential voters, “Come on ‘Better Angels’, spread your wings!
Dan Reeder
Lock Haven
