Letter to the editor: Grieving for America

Who died?

As I was driving the other day, I noticed an American flag at half-mast at a university. I asked myself, “Who died?” I thought, “If I had a flagpole, I’d fly the flag at half-mast.”

Who died? I grieve and mourn the death of many of the values we hold dear in the United States of America. Values like “Our word is our bond.” Values like “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses … .”

I mourn and grieve at the decision to stop sending even 0.5% of our budget to provide life-saving humanitarian aid to our brothers and sisters overseas. Humanitarian aid had bipartisan support, until now. I mourn and grieve at the decision to tax imports from our two closest neighbors. I mourn and grieve at the decision to stop aiding our neighbor whose sovereign territory has been invaded by Russia. I mourn and grieve at the decision to fire without cause so many public servants. These policies have led to suffering and death abroad, and they have caused thousands of aid workers to lose their jobs.

As a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church, I do not speak for all Catholics, nor do I dare to speak for all people of faith. I know many people who pray and advocate for policies consistent with those found in their sacred texts. I urge our members of Congress to do the same.

Who died? We know.

Thomas J. Berna

Greenfield