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I am 100 percent behind the First Amendment. People have the right in this country to voice their opinions to those who represent them. The demonstration that took place recently outside the courthouse was an example of this. However, though we may have a right to our opinions, we do not have a right to alter facts to fit our political narratives. The demonstration that was held was in protest of the (potential) loss of services for veterans through cuts in staffing, etc. However, if you read the rest of the article from the March 29 edition of the Tribune, VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz makes the following statement in regards to the protest: “The VA will run through a deliberative process and find ways to improve care and benefits for veterans without cutting care and benefits for veterans. We are not talking about reducing medical staff or claims processors, we’re talking about reducing bureaucracy and inefficiencies that are getting in the way of customer convenience and service to our veterans. Meanwhile, all VA mission critical positions are exempt from cuts, and hiring continues for more than 300,000 essential positions.”

In my opinion, we should not resort to fear-mongering and ad hominem attacks without knowing all the facts. Many of our former presidents have made the point that it is critical to eliminate the size of government, and the massive waste, fraud and abuse that goes on daily within it. This would include the likes of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The difference in the approaches that these men took is that Trump alone is actually following through with his promises. I don’t believe for a second that he will leave our vets out in the cold. Our government has to run more honestly and efficiently if we hope to have a country at all. There will be mistakes made along the way, but if we all pull together, we can live in a country with the hope of a bright future for our children and grandchildren.

Scott Bute
Alden