I am having difficulty believing we are living in the same United States where I, a son of immigrant parents, was born. It almost feels like we are living in a different universe.
It was not that long ago that a conservative Republican president went to Berlin, and asked the then Soviet president “to tear down this wall.” Now we have a conservative Republican president who wants to build a wall.
I still remember how we encouraged people to vote; now we have a political party that wants to restrict voting rights.
We all grew up and were told to believe scientific research; now such research is condemned.
Education was considered the gateway to a better life; now we even hear people saying that education should not be attainable by all.
I remember when we lived by what was on the base of the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...” Now we want to keep those yearning to breathe free away from us.
We used to be respected as a world leader who would work with other countries to solve complex issues; now we are condemned because we try to go it alone. Somehow, these days, facts are not believed by some, and we have alternative facts.
It is my hope that these changes are only temporary, and that soon we will once again become a nation we can be proud of.
Peter Schott
Rehoboth Beach