To the editor:

“If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time or die by suicide.” - Abraham Lincoln. At times, I find myself taking certain aspects of life for granted; I try not to, but it is easy to fall into the trap of doing so, and I suspect I am not alone in this tendency. When it happens, it is dangerous, as it often leads to complacency. Therefore, we must remind ourselves to be vigilant, to check ourselves, and remember that there are no guarantees in life. Things do not have to be the way they are, and the history of mankind shows that we, Americans with our freedoms, are more an exception than the rule. We are an anomaly, and if we are not careful, we can quickly slide back into the realm of normalcy, or far worse.

Our country is in trouble, I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think I am. As our nation continues to slide further to the left, we see what were once radical ideas become mainstream, up has become down, and down has become up. We are told things about “domestic terrorism,” climate, race, gender, the election, etc., that run counter to science, logic, and common sense, and we are supposed to cast aside reality and simply believe what we are told. Cancel culture, censorship, and extreme political correctness are running wild, often while being cheered on by radicals. Little do they seem to understand, or perhaps even care, how poorly history tends to view those who burn books, tear down statues, censor, etc. The envelope has been pushed far, and it will continue to be pushed. When will it end? Will it end? Do you care?

Compounding the problem is the fact that we find ourselves at this precarious time without competent leadership. “President” Biden is in serious mental decline. Before the election, Biden’s cognitive issues were known by many, but since they were covered up nicely by the mainstream media, you might be just waking up to this now. If you are skeptical, which you should be, do some research, watch the videos where Biden appears to be lost, confused, and doesn’t really know where he is or what he is supposed to be doing. As a fellow human being, I genuinely feel sorry for the man.  Recently, 30+ Democrats petitioned for him to give up his authority to launch our nuclear weapons; of course, they tell us it had nothing to do with his mental condition. Right. Given his current state, we would be remiss not to ask the obvious questions: “Who is running the show?” and “How could someone in his condition end up in the White House?”

As we look beyond our White House, we see our capital, and it does not look like one representing a great and free nation. No, it has turned into a fortress. We look more like a junta, not a democratic republic. Thousands of soldiers, barricades, and razor wire everywhere. Why? Ostensibly, because of the threat of domestic terrorism. I fear there are other, more malevolent, motives at play. Political theater to portray Trump supporters as dangerous? Maybe. Regardless of the actual reasons, this much we know: Such tactics have a dark history around the world, and when employed, rarely end well.

What I have shared is but a brief listing of the dangers our country is facing. My friends who care and are concerned, please commit to doing something about it. You can begin by arming yourself with the truth, don’t be afraid to speak up, ask questions, get involved, call your representatives, do not sit idly by as this great blessing called America is destroyed on our watch. In closing, it would be wise of us to take heed and remember the words of former President Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Matthew Fletcher

Barrington