Americans want moderate policy

I would like to address the lack of patriotism and complete distain for the U.S. Constitution that is prevalent in society today. We should be proud and supportive of our president no matter if that person is a Republican or Democrat. This political rancor that has emerged lately is nothing new. We have seen it with the political clashes of the past, Federalist versus Democratic Republicans, Whigs versus Democrats, Democrats versus Republicans, etc. The difference now is that we should know better than those political divisions of the past. This is the 21st century. We should have a better understanding now of right and wrong and of political and social truths. My parents were both born in 1923 and grew up in very conservative Republican households but they both loved FDR because he was helping the country through two major world catastrophes, the Great Depression and World War II. They did not question what he was doing just because he was a Democrat. They saw him for who he was, a great American leader that the country desperately needed at the time.

What also puzzles me now is this criticism of the military. We should always be proud of the military and supportive of military families whether the Commander-in-Chief is a Republican or a Democrat. The military should be sacrosanct. To criticize the military now and say that our soldiers should be more like Russian soldiers just because the current president is a Democrat is ludicrous. Our military is the greatest fighting force in the world today by far.

Another thing that troubles me that I see even here in Rio Rancho is the outlandish display of support for political leaders. There are homes with several flagpoles showing support for one political leader while showing utter distain for another rightfully elected leader. What kind of Americans are these!?! The answer, people who have lost total trust in the American system of laws and government. You cannot love America but hate Americans. I cannot imagine how embarrassing this must be for these people’s neighbors. Sure you have freedom of speech to do this but you also must be aware of the social contract that we have with those who live around us.

In closing, most Americans are moderates. We want common sense gun reform, common sense immigration reform, and most of all, appreciation for our fellow countrymen no matter who they are or what they believe. If we do not have these common American democratic beliefs, we will surely degrade into a fascist or communist form of government. At that point, your individual political beliefs will be gone forever and the only flag you will be flying over your home is the one the government allows you to fly.

Aristeo Antonio Flores

Rio Rancho