To the Editor:
I was at the Vietnam Veterans Against the War protest in Washington D.C. in 1971. I wasn’t a veteran, but I talked to soldiers who served. I registered for the Vietnam draft and would’ve answered if called, but I had a high draft number, 216, at that time, a pass. The day I registered for the draft, I asked the draft board guy what I should do now, he said, “Go home son, don’t worry about it, you’re not going to go.” I was listed 1H on my draft card, available, but not needed.
I feel we’re in a similar time of crisis, but now, I can’t just go home and not worry about it. I‘m needed; we’re all needed. We’re in the middle of a transformational moment in our country, at risk: 1st , 2nd and 4th amendment rights, cost of living, health systems, more. I love our country and the opportunities it’s provided me, but I’m worried. There’s an autocratic overreach happening. We can’t ignore that our government is moving in a direction that is not democratic, including talk of nationalizing elections. What does that even mean?
Armed agents have been sent to our communities. Often, they’re not wearing uniforms. They have masks over their faces. They have no badges, no identifying markers other than a generic “Police” on their jackets, jackets we can buy online. They’re literally wearing blue jeans and sweatshirts, not uniforms, as they injure, detain, and kill people. These “agents” now have the authority to enter our homes without a search warrant, contrary to the 4th amendment. This is what fascists do. As Dr. Robert Fisher pointed out in his recent letter to the editor, instead of the usual 672 hours of training given to police officers, these “officers” get 47 hours of training. That’s the amount of training given to shopping mall security guards.
I think most Americans would agree that we don’t need a new secret police, or a justice department completely out of control. Nor do we need to hold 70,000 people in detention centers in conditions that rival any Soviet gulag. They’re not the worst of the worst as we’ve been told. Of the 70,000 detained, 74% have no criminal record, and only 2% are sexual or homicide offenders.
We have other issues that we need to deal with that really affect our lives. My insurance costs are going up, food prices too. My last auto repair cost more, by a lot. I was told it was tariffs, the parts cost more. Our world is getting less affordable.
Just a reminder, Mr. Trump didn’t win the majority of votes in the last election. That’s a fact. There’s no mandate for this tyranny. Just as we did in the 60s and 70s during the civil rights and Vietnam War movements, we need to stand up and say, “No more.”
“We the people” are the power in this country; stand up, get involved, make your voice heard.
Richard Chamberlain Colchester, Illinois
