To the editor:

The July 11 letter “Fly your flags, or leave the Country”  leaves this reader baffled.

Other than an expression of fear and loathing, what is the letter writer’s point? Who, specifically, are the “too many folks taking advantage of our country”?  What does that even mean? What advantage are they taking?  To what flags does the writer refer? Is he appealing to us to simply fly “The Stars and Stripes”? Must we fly “Old Glory” right side up or upside down? Should we fly our “Appeal to Heaven” flag? Our multi-colored “Pride” flag? Our Rhode Island “Hope” flag? Should we wave a white flag?

I know he wants us to spell “country” with a capital “C”. Why? Whom specifically does he think is encroaching on parenthood, child rearing, and family values? Whose concept of parenthood and child rearing is being encroached upon? Does he believe there is but one way to deal with these issues and “only he can do it”?  Or do all of us struggle to find a personal way to do our best within the privacy of our own homes and the reasonable guidance of our safe schools and communities?

He states that “thousands have died to keep us this way.” In what way have those thousands kept us? The writer refers to “many wars of independence” (lower case “i”).  How many wars of independence has the United States fought? This reader knows of only one (spelled with a capital “I”), fought from 1775 to 1783 and recently celebrated right here in Bristol by a very diverse, large, and joyous crowd. Yet the writer’s letter fails to reflect that celebratory and joyous mood. It seems to express deep loathing and fear in regard to the anonymous “reader” for whose bags he will gladly pack. At age 76, I’ve heard that “Love it or leave it” nonsense before.

Who is that unnamed reader, and why is he to be feared? Is it because the reader fails to follow the letter writer’s dictates — fly your flags, think as I do, believe what I believe, conform to my political, religious, and social opinions? Fascists of many stripes have tried all of this and failed. We presently have a Republican presidential candidate spewing the same ugly message.

Let’s hope he will fail, and we can all continue to live in a diverse, egalitarian, freedom loving country that welcomes and accepts all with love, respect, dignity and kindness.

Jim Manchester
Bristol