Hate as you will, I will not bend from my values

To The Daily Sun,

Hate! I’m 77 years old; how did that happen? Never thought I’d be here, but here I am.

Another thing I never though I’d see was our nation so divided by pure hate, but here we are, and so much so that thoughts of another civil war don’t seem at all out of the question. Who’s at fault? Well, that depends on which side you’re on. I’m biased, I admit it; I’m a constitutional conservative and my views today aren’t much different from when I was 27. For that matter, no different from those of my father, likely as my grandfather, too.

Most of the conservatives I’ve met in recent years have pretty much the same views as I do, so when I hear “liberals” say things like we are the “extreme right,” I can’t agree with them; we are pretty much as we have always been. Limited government, law and order, low taxes, equal justice under the law, and the Bill of Rights, all equally important. How in the world is that extreme?

I remember when Democrats said largely the same things. Sure, they were more into a larger government and government controls; otherwise, we all stood for and sang the national anthem, took our hats off and over our hearts when the national flag passed leading a parade. My father’s generation, all fought the Nazis and the Japanese, then rebuilt all western Europe and the Pacific nations ravaged in that war. We were all Americans then, but now?

Now the left wants to tell me what I can or cannot say or think. I must feel guilt for being white, even though I have never committed any crime or injustice to one minority or another. As far as I know, my father or mother never did, either, nor my grandparents. We have always been working people, never rich, never powerful, so why should I be guilty because of what some long-dead men did to other long-dead people? I know it happened and am proud that, of all the nations in all the world’s history, our nation, our culture, our heritage is that they recognized and corrected the wrong that was being done.

Political left now vilifies all whites who will not bend and worship at the alter of “white guilt” and acceed to their political agenda. Their agenda is not one of equal justice under the law, law and order. It is not one of love of country, respect for others, or respect to our Constitution and Bill or Rights. I will not bend, I will not acceed to their socialist totalitarian demands. Hate as you will; I will not bend.

Steve Earle

Gilford