I have become “the enemy within,” an enemy of the people–at least according to Donald J. Trump, self-anointed Lord Protector of what is American.

Proof of my guilt? My actions don’t convict me. In my youth, I served with honor and some distinction in the U.S. Army. I went where ordered, including into harm’s way, relying on the courage of fellow soldiers, our allies, and a measure of luck to survive.

If not my actions, then what? My beliefs, it seems. The “Most High” calls me a “radical Democrat,” a label used to paint anyone who disagrees with him as extreme. I’ve searched in vain for justification and find only the rhetoric of strongmen–language meant to divide, not define.

In more than seven decades, I’ve read enough history to know that understanding the past helps guide the future. My earliest heroes were the men and women of 1776 who risked everything to establish a democracy grounded in three simple words: “We the People.” From those words flows all legitimate authority–government that serves and is accountable to the people.

I believe in three co-equal branches of government, pledged to uphold the Constitution. Nowhere does that document grant power for “revenge and retribution.” The Bill of Rights limits authority to protect liberty and justice. I believe in honest history, open discussion, and the equality and dignity of every person.

If these convictions make me the enemy within, I’ll bear the title proudly. On July 24, 1975, I swore to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” That oath still binds me. These things I believe. This land I love.

JOSEPH FISCHER

Northumberland

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom