Hoping for protections in new administration

For those who voted for Donald Trump: I imagine that you believe that your personal finances will improve. I hope you are right.

I also hope we’ll have clean air and water, in spite of the prevailing anti-regulatory sentiment.

I hope Congress will remember why we have three branches of government and that senators will refuse to confirm any candidate who is not qualified.

Given the Republican majority in Congress and a conservative Supreme Court, I hope that red state laws that severely restrict reproductive health care and ban appropriate health care for transgender minors do not become federal law.

Finally, I hope that all of us will defend the First Amendment as vigorously as some defend the Second Amendment.

The first of the important rights listed is freedom of religion. Many of our ancestors had firsthand experience with the religious persecution that resulted from the establishment of state churches in their home countries, yet some states want to make laws requiring Bibles in public school classrooms and lessons about them.

The First Amendment also guarantees freedom of speech, but if any of the talk we’ve heard about plans for revenge and retribution against anyone who dares to oppose the president-elect becomes more than talk, we all need to worry.

Freedom of the Press is another threatened First Amendment right. The nominee for director of the FBI has vowed to go after the media, but he hasn’t stated the crime they have committed. I suspect he will concentrate on outlets that ask questions and tell the truth about the president’s statements and actions.

It remains to be seen whether the rights to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances will be threatened, but we all must remain vigilant to be sure that all of our First Amendment rights remain strong.

Kathy Sutton

Elgin