I am encouraged by the recent letters written by many who obviously love our country and recognize that there is peril in the direction we are headed. Where are we going you may ask? Further and furher from where our founding fathers intended is my belief.

Our country was built upon the foundations of the Constitution. I have seen that great document twisted and manipulated over the course of my lifetime. Think of the word “foundation.” Without a firm, unchanging foundation, whatever is built above it is destined to fail.

Think of the foundation beneath your home. Each brick tied in with the other, mortor and steel making it strong. But remove one element, replace a brick with something else, something false or weak, knock a few others out or dig beneath it to undermine the footing and what begins to happen to the house above? Walls begin to crack, windows shatter and systems fail. Pipes bent beyond their limit burst and ultimately the structure collaspes.

Now, take this description and compare it to our country. The same things will occur if the foundation of our country continues to be eroded away by corrupt politicians, activist judges and a apathetic citizenry. We can already see the cracks, the failing systems. How long will we let this go on? What kind of country are we leaving for our kids and grandkids?

When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government we should have, he replied “A republic…if you can keep it.”

My question to you, my fellow Americans, is – can we?

Tim Personius

Buckley