Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

American leadership then and now

It seems that American leadership is in question, a leadership that in 1776 refused to obey the laws of inherited authority and began a successful revolution. It is a leadership that would, after the defeat of the Axis powers in 1945, refuse to accept the dogma of communism. Americans fought and died to stem its progress.

The roots of American leadership are embedded in common sense, the foundation of our Constitution, the antidote for totalitarianism. Ralph Waldo Emerson defined common sense as, “Genius dressed in its working clothes.”

The present administration seems to be following the aspirations of our Founding Fathers — helping those oppressed in Cuba rather than the communist regime.

Robert Pielli

Hilton Head Island

This story was originally published June 30, 2017 at 6:00 AM with the headline "American leadership then and now."

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