Editor,

Thank you for publishing two letters in your Jan. 28, edition: “Republicans must stand up to Trump” and “Nation founders feared tyranny as should we.” These letters perfectly capture the predicament that we are in: Republican representatives are in charge but are not good stewards of the founding principles of this country.

I find myself asking, why is our country so off track? Many Republicans I know are highly productive, family-centered people who ascribe to good values.

The answer to my question seems to be in terms of, “Choose your fear.” America First seems to emphasize fears that I don’t quite understand. “Immigrants are the worst ofthe worst. Washington D.C. is a self-serving, power hungry ‘swamp’ that must be drained and destroyed. People are not created equal whereby some must preside over the disloyal, unclean masses.”

I don’t get it. In the America First playbook, one instance of something you see constitutes an all-encompassing generalization of fear stuck in ideology. This, even if it is not supported by science or anything approaching the statistical rigor we need to understand natural variation in our lives.

A snowball brought into Congressional chambers is thought to prove that climate change is a hoax.

We all have fears. I ask America First to acknowledge embedded ideological fears and decide if they are well founded. If not, let’s wonder if there isn’t something else that should be on our agenda.

In the big picture, America First is making America last. Lost allies, raw power and wealth over people, God redefined, highest- ever gold and silver prices and national debt, weirdest weather from changing climate, erosion of time -tested values and relational civility – these are the real indicators for where we are today. Real fears are not carefully selected to manipulate you.

Let’s act on what we can demonstrably show to be real concerns – not ideologically- based fears that elevate before us, false saviors like Trump and Putin.

Lee B. James

Coupeville