Editor, Gazette-Journal:
Last Saturday at the Symphony under the Stars concert in Gloucester, as we stood for the Star-Spangled Banner, I wondered how long we will be able to call ourselves the “land of the free.”
As we enjoyed music, Californians were protesting cruel and unjust immigration policies threatening their neighbors or themselves, and now, by order of the president, the National Guard is in the streets of Los Angeles, and the Marines are scheduled to join them. These measures are extreme, unnecessary, and probably illegal.
This happens during Pride Month, first recognized by the federal government in 1999. But this administration has stripped the name of a gay rights activist from a Navy ship, removed all transgender references from a national monument, banned transgender people from military service, and imposed other discriminatory measures. Given all that, how long will Americans of alternate gender preference or identity be free to celebrate with joy and pride what they...