Dear editor,

This letter is in response to the article by Reed Harris in the Rochelle News-Leader on Aug. 27, 2024, entitled “Consider this: Only with Democracy can we be free.” Mr. Harris (no relation to the current Democrat presidential candidate) states, “I was a Republican,” suggesting that he is no longer a Republican. He states, “Only with Democracy can we be equal.” His support for democracy is commendable, and I also endorse democracy. However, let’s look at how we arrived with the current Democrat ticket.

You did not have to be a genius to observe that President Biden was in cognitive decline over the past few years despite statements by supporters that he was sharp as a tack with a mental ability equivalent to that of Albert Einstein. Biden was elected (democracy) as the Democrat candidate for the upcoming presidential election. His nomination fell apart after Biden’s poor debate with the former president when his poll numbers took a dive. Assessing that Biden could not win, the Democrat elites pressured him to drop out (not democracy), and he did. Kamala Harris was then appointed (not democracy) to be the Democrat candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Mrs. Harris has received zero votes in any primary election but is now the candidate (not democracy). Reed Harris seems to support the undemocratically chosen Democrat ticket, which contradicts his assertion that “Only with democracy can we be free.”

Reed Harris is critical of Project 2025, despite the fact that the Trump candidacy has not adopted it. Project 2025 is a document that puts forth the ideas of the Heritage Foundation, a think tank. Here is a brief rundown of Project 2025 as described by project2025.org:

Secure the border, finish building the wall, and deport illegal aliens.

De-weaponize the Federal Government by increasing accountability and oversight of the FBI and DOJ.

Unleash American energy production to reduce energy prices.

Cut the growth of government spending to reduce inflation.

Make federal bureaucrats more accountable to the democratically-elected President and Congress.

Improve education by moving control and funding of education from DC bureaucrats directly to parents and state and local governments.

Ban biological males from competing in women's sports.

Reed Harris supports open borders: “After all, we were a nation of immigrants.” A correction is needed here. We were a nation of legal immigrants, not illegal immigrants.

Reed Harris suggests that some long-term Republicans are supporting the Harris ticket. Let me remind Mr. Harris that long-term Democrats Robert Kennedy, Jr. and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives Democrat Tulsi Gabbard are now supporting the Trump ticket.

From my experience, the leftists often preach democracy, but few practice it.

-Chuck Roberts, Rochelle