Dear Editor,

“Land of the free, because of the brave?” Every time I return home from Barnesville to Bethesda I see this very large sign on the side of a local barn. American’s freedoms came at a very high price and we should never forget that thousands upon thousands of brave men and women fought and died, and thousands that are still dying protecting us.

But it seems as though little by little, our freedoms are being chipped away until we’ll have none, and the federal government will have full control of our lives. You have to realize by now that our free speech is already gone. You can’t have an opinion today and be able to express it without being afraid you will be canceled, banned, berated or fired by big tech companies, big corporations or employers for expressing that opinion. Our First Amendment rights, Freedom of Religion, are being attacked. Churches have been shut down while bars and restaurants are open. Our Second Amendment rights, freedom to bear arms, that says we can “keep and bear arms and shall not be infringed upon,” and now Congress has passed a bill waiting on the Senate called “For the People Act.” Our Tenth Amendment, where the government would have full control of our elections instead of the states, which would remove all the basic security protocols that we here in Ohio take for granted like being a U.S. citizen, showing our I.D. and signing our name before we can vote. Right now the Tenth Amendment gives power to individual states and their people not the U.S. government.

If that’s not enough we also have other problems, a national health and humanitarian crisis at the border, drug cartels, child prostitution, higher taxes, censorship by big tech, reopening of our schools, mask or not to mask, rioters, no support for law enforcement. Instead, during Biden’s recent State of the Union Address, one of the things he promised was more tax increases so he could give away more of our money and also said, “We the people are the government.” That announcement alone should scare the hell out of all of us, but what did some news media show the next day? They didn’t question anything he said; they thought it was just great and showed Kamala’s husband throwing her kisses and love signs during his address.

Let’s face it, we’re being brainwashed by the news media. We are being fed their opinions non-stop, 24/7. Wouldn’t it be appropriate if they just reported the news as it happens and left off all the criticism, scorn, mocking, hate, anger, doom and gloom. What has happened to our human kindness, a kind word, an encouraging smile, a thoughtful gesture and human interest stories?

Are we going to let the current administration, the cancel culture, the woke, the big tech kingpins, the corporate sellouts, the radical colleges and professors who want to transform education especially about history, the socialists who want to give away everything especially our tax dollars, the Atheists who want to eliminate God, the Hollywood liberals who believe they know it all, and those who hate American take over our lives? Where are the brave voices today who will stand up and say, “we’ve had enough, we won’t be silenced anymore and were done apologizing for every little thing?” Count me in. Abraham Lincoln once said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Well, I believe we’re on our way.

Judie Phillips

Bethesda