I always read the opinion pages and am interested in what is written. They’re mostly partisans who believe their party is best, the other is bad, and that their party has the only solutions to America’s problems. If I might simplify — one believes government should do more and one believes government should do less. However, as we have recently learned, this is not a straight divide like the media suggest but is more of a crooked one.
At least this used to be the discussion. I am concerned because there are those who do not believe in our democratic republic or care about the opinion of others. An extremist fringe has entered the picture and that is true for both parties. These people believe violence is justified, hide behind the flag as patriots or under the guise of politics.
Our country’s founders decided on a republic because they did not want an authoritarian figure, like a monarch or emperor, to be in charge. For this reason, extremists don’t like voting, no matter what form that takes. The power obtained by violence is the only drug that will satisfy.
If you want to keep your republic and don’t wish for extremists to succeed, is it important that you don’t follow or support them.
Darrell Anderson,
Battle Ground
