Political lies hold back progress

The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech, expression and to be offensive to some people. It does not protect inciting riots. It is about the right to be different and live what one is.

The Second Amendment guarantees the right to have guns. It was intended to support the First Amendment and to oppose the type of oppression of the former British government.

The Founding Fathers, including George Washington, stated clearly that the USA was founded as a democracy with belief in God, but not adherent or subject to any religion. Reasonable logic is over religion. God is above all religions. "Under God" does not mean Christian. Many founding principles were deists.

SThe NRA, some fundamentalist Christian organizations and many Republicans have partnered in a powerful coalition to oppose any reasonable gun controls and to destroy the First Amendment. "You can't say anything that offends me and don't limit my guns because I need them against you." The gun industry is reaping huge profits from the current social instability and violence. The push is to make the USA about guns and distorted Christianity. Rule by guns and force with only one way of thinking or believing and no free speech is fascism. The coalition accuses Democrats of being communist, but they are acting fascist.

The power of the coalition comes from people who do not question, think or ask "Where is the solid proof?" Many people crave lies and ignorance.

Political campaigns are about lies. We have a government "of the people," but too many people are fighting against democracy and pushing for fascism without realizing what they are doing. Democracy relies upon intelligence, reasonable logic, good philosophy, humanitarianism and a healthy amount of selflessness. These things seem to have disappeared. If nothing changes, democracy will collapse.

Rich Lorimer

Streamwood