Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Do you ever wonder what has happened to this country? Really happened? Who is responsible for this nightmare taking place in Washington, D.C.? Is there any way to fix it? Does it even need fixing?

Since the November elections and the change in the balance of power in the House of Representatives, I’ve heard commentators on TV and radio try to explain the message sent by voters to Washington.

Some say it is to fix the economy. That’s part of the message. We have the obligation to pay our debts and spend only what we have to spend. Spending what does not belong to us is, at best, akin to thievery. As a nation, we are indeed stealing from our children and grandchildren.

Some say the message is to repeal the health care act. That too is part of the message. There are shocking provisions hidden in the sweeping law. Did you know that under this law, the government will set all doctors’ fees and will impose a prohibition on hospital expansion? The government will have real-time access to individuals’ bank accounts and will have authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts?

Did you know that the plan will be subsidized by the government for union members, union retirees and community organizations? And that members of Congress are exempt from this plan, just as they are exempt from the Social Security system? How could our lawmakers vote for such a bill? This invasive law should be repealed or reformed as quickly as possible.

Yes, the economy and the health care law are part of it, but the message is so much more. We are watching our republic being fundamentally dismantled before our eyes. It is being replaced by regulations and intrusions into every area of our lives. That spells the end of individual freedoms and the growth of governmental control over every decision of our lives.

The message is that we want the America our forefathers gave us and that generations of Americans were willing to shed their blood in order to preserve.

Jonnie Adams

Cardinal, Va.