Citizens must educate themselves to protect freedoms

To the editor:

I am just your run-of-the-mill average citizen and lately, I have found a need to be more informed about my country; past, present, and its possible future. I guess my grandchildren have something to do with it. I want them to grow up in a free and prosperous America, with all its advantages and individual freedoms, as I did.

Whether Democrat or Republican, all citizens must start taking a more active interest in the affairs of the United States. We must use the common sense God gave us to look at what is happening in Washington and do what we can to learn about policies and actions being taken. We are fortunate to be citizens of the greatest and most free country on earth, but sadly, we have abdicated our responsibility as citizens to those who are often not interested in what is best for us, but are instead driven by the fight for power, wealth, and acclaim. Slowly, we have let our rights be diminished or stripped away.

Many believe this country is at a crossroads. What happens over the next decade will determine whether this country returns to it’s founding fathers’ beliefs, (which have served the U.S. well for over 200 years), or becomes like the failing countries that have taken the wrong path of socialism and “cradle to grave” entitlements. We must think of what is best for the country and the generations to come.

We should all strive to know what is happening in Washington D.C. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.” We can not afford to take our freedom and rights for granted. To do so could mean the loss of both.

Jennifer Harper

Cynthiana