To the editor:

Recently, a letter writer stated that Democrats hate America because they favor socialism. “Socialism” being the new bogeyman for the far right – and I doubt that this letter writer or many others even knows what it means.  President Trump doesn’t know what socialism is – he has not even read the U.S. Constitution that he has sworn to uphold.  If you are so worried about socialism, then send back your Social Security checks.  If you are on Medicare, refuse it.  Don’t send your children to public schools, and pay someone to fix your roads and highways.  Do you think taking care of veterans is socialist?  Or taking care of the elderly is socialist? Probably not.

Not all Democrats support free healthcare or free tuition, but we believe that healthcare costs and college tuition could be more affordable.  Our government is of, by and for the people, and the government has an obligation to help the most vulnerable among us.  And we do not believe in “open borders” – another lie from the right.  But we also don’t believe that children should be taken away from their parents and put in cages.

Our country was founded on dissent.  If the early Americans had been good little obedient citizens, we’d still be under British rule.  Patriotism and love of country demand that we work hard to fix the problems in our communities.  Hate and intolerance have no place here.  So please stop the “hate America” rhetoric.  It is wrong, dishonest, and does no good.