(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Once Americans knew what we stood for, a thing called values. We believed in law and order. Our constitution was sacred; the law of the land. Why then, do we now witness the open and clearly intentional violation of the principles of our founding fathers; those things enshrined in the 14th amendment of our constitution?

Written in 1866, the 14th amendment states, plain as day, that if you were born in the United States, then you are an American citizen — period! All American citizens are without exception entitled to certain rights which cannot in any way be violated without the due process of law. This means the deportation of any American citizen without due process is a direct attack against our constitution.

Americans have died in combat worldwide to defend our land and our constitution. We have always stood firm against those who would destroy the things we value including the rights of all citizens to due process under the law. No one suggested we throw away those rights to deal with violent mob figures like Al Capone. Why would we throw away our rights in the face of current threats, drug cartels, terrorist organizations or the pressure generated by refugees fleeing violence and oppression in other countries, today’s Al Capone threat? It is not so different, and yet there are those who would leave our values behind, throw away everything we have ever stood for. Let us not destroy the very thing we seek to protect.

Yes they would throw it all away. Why? Do they have no sense of right and wrong? Does it make sense to throw the baby out with the bathwater? Those who would cast out law and order either are in a state of panic, or serve a darker purpose to use panic as a weapon against us, so they can rise to undeserved power.

I do not argue with our need for stronger enforcement of our immigration laws; we need to deal with it — but not like this! Let us not throw away our souls! Let us not mock the blood that was shed to make our country great. Let us not panic in the face of adversity, and fail to defend our constitution simply because the going gets tough. We are made of better stuff than that, I am sure. Let us instead shout in a clear voice what kind of people we are!

When someone puts a boot to your neck and dares walk on our constitution, we must stand tall and shout, plain as day, that what we fought for, died for, is being violated before our eyes. We must shout “Don’t tread on me!” But look, there’s the boot on our neck plain as day. If we do not act, we will pay the price, the loss of America’s soul. This is no small thing. For how many years has humanity searched before finding this sacred thing, a country protected by rights — rights for all! Don’t let this happen. All the long years of searching — searching for a country with a soul. We found it, bled for it, a gift for all of us from those who long suffered to find it. Now we have it — let’s keep it. Keep what we searched and bled for — America’s soul.

R.W. Austin

Parkersburg