Leslie Ann Ashe Angelo: We all have a chance to work together regardless of beliefs

To The Daily Sun,

To those who accuse the right of stifling free speech, for the last number of years that is exactly the way conservatives have felt.

If I say I am pro-life, and that I believe that abortion is the taking of a life, I am confronted with “my body, my choice” and “no one should control my uterus.” I am accused of being an extremist because I believe that a fetus is actually a human life.

If I say that I believe that homosexuality is wrong, I am accused of being homophobic, even though many members of my family are gay, including my brother, Tom Ashe, who fought for gay rights in the 1960s and 1970s. I didn’t always agree with him but I will always love him and am proud of the way he fought for what he believed, and I fight for what believe.

What I don’t think is quite understood is that many believe there is a right and a wrong. Some believe that it is spelled out in the Bible, which we believe is God’s written Word. For this we are accused of being narrow-minded and bigoted. We are accused of being extremists and using hate speech.

There are definitely extremists on both the left and the right. But a majority of conservatives and liberals are not. I said years ago that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party should each split in two parts so maybe both moderate conservatives and moderate liberals can actually get down to work and run this country. But that probably wouldn’t work either ...

In my opinion, the left pendulum went way too far to the left. Now it’s swinging wildly. We had no choice but to elect “him.” But all of us have a choice to work together now.

Leslie Ann Ashe Angelo

Moultonborough