Government overreach is very real, dangerous

I am 90 years old. I was born and raised here by a father who was in World War I who brought me up to respect our flag and our constitution. I have lived through the best of times and can say unequivocally that those days are gone. As Jeanine Betsher stated (Bonners Ferry Herald, April 29), our constitutional rights are in jeopardy from government overreach, unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime. Mr. Strayer challenges us to demonstrate one freedom that has been lost. Well, I can list many more than this space permits.

Speech is being suppressed. News organizations are actively trying to shut down programs or networks simply because they don’t agree with them. Social media groups are censoring views that contradict their ideology. Publishers are refusing to print books by authors with whom they disagree.  

Religion is being threatened. Religious freedom means the freedom to worship, yet churches were closed due to unconstitutional mandates. Religious freedom means people shouldn’t have to go against their core values and beliefs in order to conform to culture or government, yet a Christian baker who denied baking a custom cake for a gay wedding was sued. 

Our basic rights and civil liberties are being infringed upon. The government is talking about mandatory vaccines! Vaccine passports! What next?   

This is not ‘fanatical right-wing news’ as claimed by Strayer, but reality. Wake up, do the research, and make informed decisions. Don’t just blindly accept media lies and talking points. 

BILL FLOREA

Bonners Ferry