Becoming un-American

To the Editor:

I recently read in the Lewiston Sun Journal a hideous letter from a local woman. I believe in free speech, and I believe in sharing good news, but when it comes to sending out hatred, bias, nastiness and falsehoods, I am dismayed.

I do not believe that even two people agree all the time, but I believe we can exist and be kind and look at issues in a sane way. I do not believe that letters containing venom serve any purpose other than to make a person who sends it look warped.

It serves no purpose to send out a crazy letter, one that has little or no basis of truth. We do have freedom of speech, but with it comes responsibility I think.

It was disappointing to most of us to witness the campaigns with slurs against each other, distortions that were handed out on so many channels during the campaign for the presidency.

The whole aim was the White House and control of Congress. Regardless of what it took, people had the ugliest and most useless comments shoveled at them over the airways.

It was tiresome but I felt like it was almost un-American. I do believe that freedom of speech is a precious right we have, but I also believe we have a duty and responsibility to be fair, and not fall into the hatred mode.

I almost think the United States of America has become so un-American and broken. It needs to heal. Our military needs support in a sane way, a proud way, and we shouldn't expect them to risk their lives while we at home appear so divided, so cruel to each other, so full of ugliness.

We need to support them, yes, but we need to clean up our act at home as well. That takes cooperation, not hatred, not throwing barbs and the idea of Seek and Destroy our own.

The ugliness proved just how broken our country has become. There is a great deal of healing that needs to take place. As good as the television invention was, it has lately become an ugly tool I believe. That can be changed.

We could also teach our young people the meaning of kindness, working together, supporting instead of hating, and finding out facts before we throw our bombs, whether they're real bombs or if they are cruel verbal assessments.

Somewhere along the line I was taught this country is a Christian country, founded on Christian principles. What happened? Where is the decency, the acceptance of some things we may not even fully understand, such as being gay and offering rights to them.

Again, there is hatred and nastiness offered on this subject and almost no understanding what being gay is all about. They tell me they don't want children to be taught in schools about being gay.

I don't know the reasoning for that, and I don't know if it is actually true, but I do know people are who they are, whether we like it or not. Personally, I do not blame God for that, I blame Nature if at all anyone needs to be blamed.

Meanwhile, we have human beings, taxpaying people, family people, and I assume good people as well. Acceptance may be a difficult thing, but hatred is far worse I believe.

Peace begins at home. Understanding and caring begins at home. Our country can be great again if we grasp the belief that we can be human and at the same time live with or allow certain challenges that are also human.

Theresa Geissler

South Paris