Dear editor,

For all of my life, I have been proud that my country has been the leader of the free world in its ongoing conflict — sometimes hot and sometimes cold — with nations in which freedom is suppressed and dictatorship reigns. That leadership role has been taken up by every administration — whether Democratic or Republican, conservative or liberal — in this and the previous century, because it represents what America stands for and has stood for since its great principles were enunciated in the Declaration of Independence. Until now.

It is with great sadness that I have watched as the United States has now seemingly chosen to abdicate its long-held role as leader of the free world, leaving less powerful and less wealthy democracies to fend for themselves against increasingly well-armed and dangerous dictators who relish the thought of extinguishing the light of liberty which has shown from America for so long. This cannot be the right thing for America to do. It cannot be the moral thing to do. It cannot be the wise thing to do. I can only hope that enough other Americans will let their views be known — peaceably and without anger — that the force of their voices will prevail in time to reverse this abdication and restore order in the world.

-Alan Cooper, Rochelle