Letter to Editor: We must be united by what is right

By Rose Reeder

Dear Clinton County residents, we recently held a peaceful, respectful rally at our new Veterans Park. We as the Clinton County Democrats did this because of our great respect for our Veterans and their ongoing sacrifices. Those sacrifices may peak in war situations, but they also sacrifice in their everyday lives. They have put their personal lives on hold and have given years of their lives in dedication and service to America and to Democracy. Their families also sacrifice when their Vet is away, when they have low income, and they lack the support of the other parent. They, too, are sacrificing for America. Democrats want to celebrate that.

The Veterans Park is a beautiful example of our skilled community volunteers and generous donors coming together to create a new memorial to honor all our veterans. Hard work and generosity are what made this local monument move from a dream to a reality. We are grateful for all their efforts! What better place for us to continue honoring our military? Unfortunately, we were confronted by an angry individual telling us that we did not belong there, that we had no right to be there. What in our message was so offensive to this citizen? We were there to honor and defend Veterans; to encourage better services, and to make known our gratitude. They have always been there for us, sacrificing personal time, energy, and, at times, their lives. We felt we needed to unite and defend our military at this time of economic turmoil. We were also exercising what our Vets have fought for, the right to Free Speech and to peacefully assemble. We did have a formal permit to be in the park. There was no sign of us after we had gone.

Today, there is another battle being waged. It is new to Americans and is now on American soil. A battle that demands the vigilance and participation of every one of us, just as our Vets have always done. Now it must come from you and me! We must be outspoken in the style of our heroes in history, Patrick Henry, JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr, and many others. We must be united by what is right, by fairness, by justice so we can maintain the principles of Democracy.

We will continue to hold peaceful rallies to stand up for our precious Constitution, for our sacred rights, for those more vulnerable, for the care of our children, for adequate healthcare for all, for all those American principles and services that we may have taken for granted in the past. Such things are threatened today by an unelected manager and the current administration. Checks and balances and the Rule of Law are being ignored. This cannot be allowed and we will be there to defend people over money. As long as we unite and speak up, billionaires should not and will not rule.

This poem, one of my favorites, is more timely than ever:

“I am only one,
But still, I am one,
I cannot do everything,
But still, I can do Something,
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the
Something that I can do.”

— Edward Everett Hale