Voting helps bring universal freedom
Voters at Levittown Hall in Hicksville in 2025. Credit: Morgan Campbell
Voting helps bring universal freedom
I’m accustomed to today’s atmosphere of war creeping closer to threaten my safety. After reading “American dream has always been a myth” [Letters, March 24], I’m suddenly dismayed that sentiment once considerable in my childhood is surfacing for air again.
I have not seen these words from the reader in a long time: “. . . the true ugliness of the ‘American dream’ is . . . xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and exploitation.”
America’s history cannot be accurately summed up without clear reference to slavery and women’s long fight for suffrage.
However, the reader never acknowledges that the world has been much slower than we have been to correct hateful bias. Even Britain passed its Equal Franchise Act in 1928 giving women the right to vote well after our 19th Amendment was passed in 1920.
I’m proud of our heritage and its insistent climb toward universal freedom.
— Hank Cierski, Port Jefferson Station
The system was broken, and President Donald Trump said he was the only person who could fix it. Many people believed him. Well, he’s looking to replace it rather than fix it [“Justices hear late-ballot case,” Nation & World, March 24].
We the people can save democracy. Former President Dwight Eisenhower said: “There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens cannot cure.”
We’ve been given the power by the Founding Fathers, but we have to vote as if we care about proper representation. We must convince Congress to represent us. The members have to understand that lobbyists and corporations didn’t elect them. If they’re not representing the people, they’re not doing their jobs.
People typically vote according to party philosophies, but Congress has abandoned those philosophies, focusing on job security. We must show them that the people determine their job security.
In 2026, we need to restore the system of checks and balances, which is critical to the survival of our democracy. We can’t be complacent. Voting matters. We should look into the candidates’ policies. Our children and grandchildren are depending on us.
— Charles Gueli, Laurel
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