The Gift of History editorial in the Nov. 22-28 issue of the Sun is an excellent summary of two important turning points in the history of the United States: Dec. 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; and Dec. 1, 1955, the day Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, refused to give up her bus seat to a white person even under the threat of arrest.
Then a Canadian, I had yet to meet the American I married in 1959. Nevertheless, I paid attention to the news from across the border. Young as I was in 1941, that date remained engraved in my memory. That Sunday, we were visiting my grandmother when we heard the news broadcast on her Marconi radio.
For a time that felt like an eternity, we all sat still, taking it in. Then my grandmother exclaimed, “Now the Americans will join the war and we will win!” The war touched us directly: One of my young uncles had joined the armed forces as a volunteer.
Rosa Parks’ act of defiance didn’t go unnoticed either. As a young woman, I was inspired by this simple act of bravery that helped to ignite the civil rights movement. It made me want to stand up for my beliefs and principles, no matter what resistance I faced.
And now, I feel that it’s about time to voice my opinion about the danger of a new turning point that the United States faces. Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term as president of the United States, has no respect for the truth, no respect for the rule of law, and no respect for the Constitution of the United States. He only cares about one thing, and that is his own personal power. If elected, he would rule as a dictator.
This coming election is not simply a matter of party affiliation. At stake is the preservation of our very democracy from someone who would throw it all away.
If we believe in the core rights and values that we as Americans hold dear, we must stand up and vote to send a resounding message that tyranny has no place in this country.
Monique Begg
Moorestown
