Editor:
Thank you for your opinion in your Sept. 17 issue about the Charlie Kirk murder and what it makes us think about as Americans. We agree that after violent crimes like this, people start asking tough questions about ourselves and our country.
While you correctly mentioned our Constitution and Bill of Rights, we have some concerns about what you wrote.
You recommended a film called “Truth Rising,” made by the religious group Focus on the Family. Many truths are discussed in the film, however, using this film to explain society’s differences is a problem because it promotes a Christian Nationalist view. This is not what the Constitution or America’s history supports.
While the First Amendment protects our freedom to practice religion, it also guarantees our right to be free from the government forcing religion on us. Americans have a guarantee that church and government remain separate, so that the very personal decisions of religious belief can be made without government oversight. The film also talks about how many Americans feel hopeless today, compared to a generation or two ago.
Maybe that’s because our government isn’t working for most people anymore, but for a few.
Charlie Kirk did promote dialogue, but his ideas did not encourage respect or equal treatment for all. No matter what he said, we are deeply troubled that he was murdered. No one deserves violent treatment for their beliefs, speech or peaceful assembly. The First Amendment guarantees that. Our country is no place for any type of violence – especially political violence used to silence and divide us. We need tolerance, which means respecting and listening to others, even if they are different from us or say things we do not agree with.
Tolerance means trying to understand different opinions, not judging people unfairly, and working together to find solutions that help most of us. This simple effort of kindness and fair-mindedness is how we make a good, strong country. Right now, it seems like many problems come from people simply not respecting each other.
Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are essential and should be protected. They provide the foundation we all can agree on. But we must keep learning and fighting for these principles. If we don’t, we could lose the freedom and rights we have. We are stronger together, and everyone deserves fairness and justice—even those we disagree with or don’t want to hear from. We must stand indivisible, with liberty and justice for all…
In this spirit, we are a group made up of neighbors who want to find common ground based on American values like community, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. You might see us holding positive signs about democracy that remind us all of what we share as Americans. We invite you to join us!
Editor’s note: This letter was submitted by Pam Hewitt, Wendy Cramer, Bryan Vernon, Megan Berger, Bill Berger, Norina Columbaro and more, who are members of Sweet Home Concerned Citizens, a local group that has been holding flash mobs (quick demonstrations) in support of our Constitution/Bill of Rights for the past few weeks in front of Sweet Home City Hall. They advocate “promoting what we want to see in our country, NOT protesting against what we don’t want.”