To the Editor:
The fabric of our society in the United States is being tested as it has not been, arguably, since the Civil War. We are not facing the prospect of states seceding or of an armed conflict (yet), but we are facing a real threat and challenge to our way of life and to the successful functioning of our democratic republic. The fundamental strength of our society has always been based on the welcoming and successful assimilation of many different immigrant cultures. It is exactly this diversity that has made ours the most dynamic society and possessing the world’s most dynamic economy for the 243 years since our Republic was founded. This shared value of tolerance, of acceptance, of recognizing diversity as our greatest strength, is being systematically denigrated by our President, Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump, in his single-minded pursuit of a second presidential term, is willing to compromise what has actually made this country great, ironically in the pursuit of what he calls “Making America Great Again.” No, Mr. Trump, you are not making us great again, you are stripping us of our will to accept those who were once seen as the “others” and make them one of “us.” This is a loss not just of our national innocence, but will have lasting consequences that we cannot even imagine right now.
Ken Derow
Swarthmore