Opinion

Finding a way back

To the Editor:

Americans widely recognized for their knowledge, understanding and insight recently commented that, had voters retained the former chief executive, we would likely, ultimately, have lost the U.S. Constitution, rule of law, system of justice, and American freedoms. They concluded this development based on the former president’s daily practice in use of misleading, false, misrepresentational, and untrue statements accompanied by his penchant for the immoral and unethical while breaking laws and norms, evermore often moving from his sworn duty as a four-year, public-elected office holder into behaviors and actions of an autocratic head of state.

However, by what’s transpired since the United States inaugurated a new president, it appears that what was feared, if the outgoing administration had won re-election has, in fact, in places throughout the country and, specifically, in Keizer, come to pass. Here, several of our local public officials have, apparently, borrowed some behaviors from the former president a great many of us hoped would disappear from use with the presence of a new administration. Finding our way back to a firm embrace—on what has been valued and appreciated for years and years—has not yet established a firm grip in this mid-Willamette community.

Gene H. McIntyre

Keizer