“After retiring from the profession of arms I want to apologize for being a liberal.” Air Force veteran Michael Stringer speaks his peace with a twist in “How Dare I?”
Dear Neighbor,
After retiring from the profession of arms I want to apologize for being a liberal. I was naïve to believe the Constitution I took an oath to support and defend against all enemies foreign and domestic would be ignored and superseded.
I am deeply ashamed of being conned into believing that all humans are created in the image of God. That each person has intrinsic value.
I was hoodwinked believing that everyone deserves access to health care. Even though the wealthiest nation on earth has the highest infant mortality rate in the developed world. Also, the maternal mortality rate is three times that of France which is second in the world. This rate is exacerbated in Black and Latino women.
I am ashamed of believing that we should care for God’s creation. That I contemplated protecting the air and water so graciously provided. I dreamed that reclaiming an area of our country known as Cancer Alley is possible.
Where did I go wrong to believe that everyone is entitled to due process and justice? That I lived in a nation of laws and equal standing before the court. I stand amazed that I oppose having the highest incarceration rate in the free world. A system that is skewed to imprison Black, Latino, and poor.
How could I dream of living wages, stable housing, an education not based on a mythic past but critical thinking, and adequate food for every inhabitant? The opportunity to build sustainable wealth.
Finally, I was bamboozled into believing the American people would even contemplate electing a demagogue as president. Electing a man that purposely rejects the ideas enshrined in the Constitution. Zealously hires Dumb, Egotistical, and Incompetent individuals. Their sole object: create chaos, undermine the credibility of the United States abroad, and enrich “Donnie two dolls.”
For this I offer my heart-felt apology as a retired veteran.
“Dear Neighbor” authors are united in a belief that civility and passion can coexist. We believe curiosity and conversation make us a better community.