DEAR EDITOR:

As a Republican and a Christian, how sad it is to see so many of our leaders turn their backs on the Constitution, to simply rubber stamp things that a man who literally created a picture of himself as king desires. The President and the members of Congress have all sworn an oath almost identical in this wording, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” And unelected Elon Musk has not sworn this oath.

Our Founding Fathers would be saddened and horrified to see their work turned upside down. To see those who proclaim their Christianity, turn their backs on the helpless, minorities, those in need, and a democracy fighting for its survival, and instead side with our enemies. Neville Chamberlain, Hitler, Stalin, Putin… would so admire you. This rash of slash and burn, not taking into consideration what truly needs to be cut has put the survival of farmers, our military and veterans, our health and well-being, our infrastructure, and the core of our country into peril. To simply march in lock step to the executive branch is frightening. Yes, there is some good being done, however we need to remember often good for a country can be accompanied by evil — even Mussolini made the trains run on time.

In our past, much was done in the ‘name of public good’ that has caused taking away the rights of others guaranteed by our Constitution: consider Jim Crow laws, the internment and violation of rights against Japanese citizens during WWII, limits on the rights of women to own property and self- determination. Who is to say that your rights will not be next? Who is to say that your access to medical care will not be limited because of your choices to smoke, eat fatty foods, drink alcohol? Who is to say that your ability to travel won’t become limited because of your ethnicity?

Laws and policies are being created to restrict individuals from education about minority Americans’ histories; healthcare; bathrooms; library materials; protections under the law. Again, take care at what you allow those in government to do in the names of the “public good” and “Christianity” (which borders on establishing a religion, which the Constitution forbids the government from doing). You may be the next one they decide is not good!

CAROL BAKER

Roaming Shores