(EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: The following letter by Gary Gabel of Madge Lake, although addressed to American President Donald Trump, is submitted to this newspaper as a Letter to the Editor.)
Dear Mr. President,
I have always hoped that I was the kind of person who would give others a chance. You know: a chance to prove themselves or show themselves; a chance to make a real impression not just on me but a chance to express their own sense of the world. And most of all, I have hoped to see some sign in people that they display an informed opinion and not simply an opinion of the world based on ignorance.
Mr. President, you are not giving yourself much of a chance. You are expressing yourself in a very simplistic and somewhat childish perspective. Your interpretation of America and its place in the world displays no sophistication or even that it might have progressed by its history and the people who have come before. You don't seem to understand that America, like nations everywhere, is inhabited by humans who have come from somewhere else. People have migrated and moved around this planet for not just decades but from the earliest times of human history and prehistory. They move most frequently in search for something new or something else or to escape whatever they perceive threatens their fundamental human right: life.
It is true that some people are moved by darker motivations. These individuals usually use excuses for their behaviour such as: a misguided interpretation of a belief system, an enlarged opinion of self-worth, or even in quest of excessive wealth and power. But in general, these individuals are only a small minority. And might I add, I feel as mankind has progressed with the help of education, kindnesses, and love there are fewer and fewer of these twisted individuals.
There is still time Mr. President. You still have an opportunity to 鈥淒efend and protect the Constitution of the United States...鈥� as your oath dictated. Learn the lessons of history. Perhaps listen to the words of one of America's own:
鈥�As a nation we began by declaring that 鈥楢ll men are created equal...鈥� we now practically read it 鈥楢ll men are created equal except Negroes,鈥� soon it will read 鈥楢ll men are created equal except Negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics, when it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty; to Russia for instance where despotism can be taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy,鈥� President Abraham Lincoln (1860, prior to the Civil War).鈥�
As a 鈥渇ree鈥� citizen of Canada, I, 听like millions of others, realize that freedom is risky business. True free citizens understand that we accept the risks that freedom brings because we love our liberty.
Our lives could be taken away from us at any time but we choose to exercise our freedom anyway and that we are not fooled by anyone or group that claims that in exchange for our freedom, they can protect us from harm. History has proven this many times over. If you don't believe me, read the history of the United States. You might learn something.
Thank you,
Gary Gabel
Canadian Citizen
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