Good Evening Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden,

I am angered and saddened by our president’s speech this evening. In light of his promise to be a unifier in one of his initial speeches upon taking office, he did not sound like a unifier this evening.

How old does one have to be when one begins to serve their country? When he enters elementary school and gets good grades through 20 years of education? (Age 4) When one enlists in the United States Marine Corps and serves for 17 years? (Age 21) When one pays their first taxes on income? (Age 16) When one casts their first vote? (Age 21) You may select one of these as a “beginning to serve date” or suggest those do not qualify and offer an alternative. I have served this country, as virtually all of us, in a variety of roles and tonight I wonder, to what purpose?

It is difficult to recall a more divisive speech in my lifetime. I am challenged to feel good about the condition of leadership in my country. I am led to believe that because I hold a different opinion I am now labelled as an individual with the characteristics of individuals against whom I have committed myself to oppose for at least 75 years. I heard words this evening that I would expect from a person such as V. Putin, or loyal citizens of today’s Russia or a Bolshevik revolutionary in 1918. One wonders if the president in his speech this evening wanted to clearly define some Americans as fascists and without overtly saying the words imply others are communists. The rhetoric he espoused this evening certainly gave me pause to think so. That does not bode well for America.

If we are labelled and treated, as the president defined this evening, how should we respond? When we mislabel, mischaracterize, demean and marginalize others we are lowering them to a role of less than fully human. That attitude incites violence toward those of lesser status. Is that what the president was hoping for this evening? Perhaps, more to the point, is that what the president’s followers are seeking. That granting of permission unleashes the full wrath of some individuals as well as the federal and state governments, upon those labelled less than fully human. A recent example of this is the FBI raid on Mar a Lago. If the FBI can do that to a former president, who in America is safe? No one is safe, if mere labelling justifies the armed entering by police into a home and indulging in all forms of bad behavior.

When we make others less than fully human it ushers in a host of actions by those considering themselves as superior. It justifies imposing the loss of opportunity, the loss of freedom of expression, the loss of employment, the right for others to say whatever enters their mind and ultimately it is permission to commit violence against the lesser without fear of retribution. Is that what the president was suggesting this evening?

I will listen attentively for the next few days.

Thank you,

hank