For three days I listened to Republicans speaking out at their convention about their ancestors coming to America. It was all about how they came because they could make it here. They never mentioned they had left their homeland because government did not make it possible for them and that many came to get away from the persecution of their freedom of religion.
Our Founding Fathers were aware of what was happening in other nations so they gave us our Bill of Rights and formed a government to be for the people and by the people. They separated church and state so Americans could worship in the church of their choice and no one religion could every again take control as had happened in Europe. They formed our government with programs to take care of the less fortunate. They made it possible to own property and to be protected by law for their individual rights. They, indeed, gave us a more perfect union.
Now, what I am hearing from Republicans is they want less government. They think they can work hard and make it without government. They have forgotten that their ancestors came here because they had no rights or government protection or help in their homeland. They do not need government help in their lives.
Sounds good, but reality is that many are not able or capable without some help. This was a lesson understood by our Founding Fathers as well as a core Christian belief. It does not matter if a person is a Democrat or a Republican, history has proven that any great nation that does not reach down and bring up the poor, the poor will reach up and bring down that nation. That is reality.
Your vote will effect the future of our nation. Let's go forward, not backwards.
Jean Grapes
Parkersburg
