Judith Ackerson: Vote in November like lives depend upon it

To The Daily Sun,

On July 4, the United States will celebrate Independence Day, commemorating the passage of the Declaration of Independence. The American colonies fought for their freedom from the tyranny of Great Britain. Sadly, the roots of another tyrannical ideology have taken hold in this country.

I feel the tyranny of forces within our own country who have been systematically:

• Taking away the rights of children to feel safe in their school.

• Taking away the rights of all peoples to feel safe in public places.

• Taking away support for children to attend a community school that will prepare them for a productive life ahead. (The wealthy now have our tax money for their kids' private schools.)

• Forcing a woman or female child who was raped to carry to term.

• Taking away a woman’s right to decide whether to carry any pregnancy to term for any reason. (Women of means will always be able to choose.)

• Taking away our right to have a clean, safe environment.

• Taking away our right to live with whomever we choose, love whomever we choose.

• Taking away our right to privacy in all the intimate parts of our lives.

No one is safe from having a right we treasure taken from us by an extremist ideology. Vote in November like your life and the lives of your children and grandchildren depend on it.

Judith Ackerson

Franklin