Growing up in the shadow of the Cold War, there was a clear sense of who the “good guys” were and who the “bad guys” were. But we lived under the illusion that we were exceptional. We had the Constitution, the law and the free press on our side. It was the other side that suppressed the free press, that did not follow the rule of law and that depended on nepotism and inside favorites. Now it is the U.S. president and his staff who suppress the free press. It is the U.S. president and his judicial department who allow convicted felons to be released. It is the U.S. president who welcomes people to this country based on wealth, prestige and online presence. It is at the direction of the U.S. president that an unelected wealthy entrepreneur has the power to fire hundreds of thousands of Americans without due process. Oh, America, we have become them!

James Stauffer, Lebanon, Pa.