The last line of Francis Scott Key’s poem is “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Little did he know in 1916 that his poem would become our national anthem. His words express a message of hope for the continuance of individual freedoms and the triumph over tyranny. What has made America the strongest and the most envied country in the world is its freedom and tenacity when faced with adversity. Unfortunately, freedom and bravery are being challenged like we have never seen before. We have elected a president who disregards the Constitution and the law, specifically violating Habeas Corpus and due process. He has deceived the voters by not addressing his campaign promises in lieu of his personal agenda. Instead, he has gutted the federal government workforce, alienated our allies with his tariffs, desecrated our healthcare program, and worst of all has created a police state in our nation. The president has tripled the size of the ICE police force. The rush to expand the number of officers has resulted in many of them being inadequately trained in police protocol and the law. For example, they do not have the constitutional right to stop a car, pull out the driver or passengers just because they have brown or black skin. That is racial profiling, and yet we hear many instances in which this tactic occurs on a regular basis. Never in our history have Americans experienced such an overwhelming presence of federal men and women wearing masks to hide their identity, dressed in military gear and carrying firearms. Many of the officers have exhibited a heartless attitude and lack compassion when arresting a suspect. The lack of compassion is best described by a situation that recently occurred when a federal officer approached a 5-year-old boy, arrested him, and placed in a detention facility along with his father. Is he the worst of the suspected illegal immigrants? Does the boy pose a threat to society? If so, this country is in real trouble! So much for the land of the free. America, built on individual rights and freedoms, was founded by immigrants. Our diverse population draws talented people from around the world to attend our universities, fueling leadership in technology, medicine and economics, to name a few. Most undocumented immigrants are not criminals and do not threaten society. Most contribute expertise and labor and should be treated fairly before facing arrest, incarceration or deportation. There are ongoing discussions regarding increasing division in the United States and concerns about potential authoritarian tendencies. Some individuals have also raised questions about possible human rights issues in relation to current administrative policies. If these topics are of importance to you, I urge you to participate in congressional town hall meetings and exercise your right to vote in the upcoming mid-term election. John White Midway The post Land of the free? appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less