I have been blessed to travel to many different countries around the world and also to serve an LDS mission in Italy for 16 months. I have been very grateful to be a citizen of this country where we have so much and a system of government that allows for many privileges that many in other countries do not have. I have voted in every election since I was 18. I have tried to teach my children and grandchildren to be patriotic and to realize the power they hold to effect change in their world.

Recently, however, I must say I am not pleased with what is going on in our country. Not only are we not united as our country’s name suggests, but our elected officials on both sides of the aisle actively promote division by their words, actions and lack of actions.

You have been elected by the people of Utah to represent us, the people. You have not been elected to hold your party line. Both parties of our government have positive and negative sides to them, but neither is evil, and both are needed. We cannot grow if we do not allow people to have differing opinions. There were and are very good reasons the Constitution and Bill of Rights were enacted. Those reasons still exist today! I am greatly concerned about the civil rights and constitutional rights that are being violated by the government at this time. I am greatly concerned about the checks and balances that are essential for us to remain a free republic being ignored, stepped on and in some cases promoted as needing to be abolished or diminished in order for a political party to maintain its stance.

As I read news stories on FOX, CNN, NBC, KSL, the BBC, social media and many others (I do look at them all to try and get a more accurate picture of what is happening), I am greatly unsettled to hear of people’s right to free speech, to protection from unreasonable search and seizure, to due process of law, to public trial, impartial jury, right to counsel, and to equal protection under the law all being ignored.

Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident and husband of a U.S. citizen, was arrested for protesting against Israel. Even though I disagree with his ideas, he had the right to voice them. He has been accused of no crime but was arrested and faces deportation because his views were different from the president’s.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh was here legally on a work visa. She was deported because she had photos on her phone which “proved” she “supported” Hezbollah and Iran’s supreme leader. I do not support Hezbollah. I believe them to be a terrorist organization that uses their own people as a shield. BUT, she has the right to her own opinion and she provided no material aid to Hezbollah, so no crime was committed. But she disagreed with the current administration. The White House in a social media post set a photo of Alawieh next to a photo of Republican President Donald Trump waving, with the statement, “Bye-bye Rasha.” A federal judge issued an order that she was not to be deported. This order was completely ignored. The government can’t just ignore court orders it doesn’t like! It can appeal them all the way to the Supreme Court, but it can’t just ignore them.

Supposed members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were arrested and deported to a high security prison in El Salvador. Again, a court order was issued that they not be deported, and again, it was completely ignored. Even if all of these men are members of this gang, there was no due process of law, no presentation of evidence. Information that has come out since seems to prove that some of the men deported into what amounts to slave labor had no relationship with the gang at all. The government must present the evidence for such deportations before deporting them.

As our elected representatives, you have a duty to uphold our Constitution. Your party affiliation should not and morally cannot allow you to ignore these instances of repression. I cannot honorably defend my country or be patriotic when it is taking away guaranteed freedoms in order to control differing views from the current political party in control.

I feel I have to write this letter. If I do not express my dismay with the current situation, I will be no better than those citizens in Germany during World War II who ignored what was happening to the Jewish people because it did not personally affect their lives. Eventually it will, and I will not be one of those that simply went along. I may be safe in Morgan County in my relatively easy life for now, but what happens if I decide to become a vocal opponent of the current administration? Will my rights be squelched if my publicly stated opinion is not in accordance with the current administration’s? I would like to answer “no way!” but truthfully, I am not sure I can. If it can happen to others, even those I disagree with, it can happen to me!

It is up to you to use your position to support our freedoms. I pray and hope that we can rely on you to diligently do so.