Dear Shelby & Lou–
I know it’s unusual for me to write a letter to you, but we are living in strange times. In fact, the upcoming presidential election is the most consequential in our lifetimes, maybe the most consequential in the history of the nation. Because of that, I think it is important for me to share some thoughts with you.
I will not tell you how to vote. You know my opinion, but you are both adults and you can make up your own minds. What I do want to talk to you about is the idea of ancestors and legacy in relation to the election. Under normal circumstances, you may not even consider your ancestors or your legacy, but in this election, I think you should.
Your great-grandfather (and Louis’ namesake) came to this country when he was just sixteen years old. (That’s right, we are fruit from the immigration tree.) He was poor and didn’t speak English, but he desperately wanted a better life for himself and his future family. He met your great-grandmother on the ship from Romania to the United States, and they went on to have eight children.
Together they faced hardships, but they also realized their dreams in the United States. They moved first to New York, then Grand Rapids, and finally settled for good in Aurora. There was a big Romanian community in Aurora, and there were jobs. Your great-grandfather got a job, first in a factory, and then for the City of Aurora. He was a hard worker and was respected by his fellow employees for his energy and work ethic.
During World War II, my father (your grandfather) and his brothers all served overseas; two in the Pacific and two in Europe. On your grandmother’s side of the family, she had three brothers (all raised by a single mother), who served during the war, two in the Army and one in the Navy. Thankfully, they all survived, and they helped save the world from fascism. They risked their lives to make sure that the United States remained safe and free. They have been called the Greatest Generation. Considering what they accomplished, it’s hard to argue with that description.
The hard work of those that came before us set us up to live safe, comfortable lives in a wonderful, prosperous, and free country. We stand on their shoulders and owe them a huge debt of gratitude. We also owe them our diligence and best efforts to pass on to our children, their children, and their children a country that is every bit as safe and free as they passed on to us.
Today, we take our democracy for granted. But when our country was created, the idea that citizens could decide for themselves who would lead them was revolutionary. And the idea that those leaders could be replaced and they would give up their positions peacefully was unheard of. And for the next 244 years, that’s exactly how our country operated. That is, until 2020 when Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the election he had lost. He encouraged an insurrection of the Capitol and interfered with the peaceful transfer of power that had been a hallmark of our democracy.
Since he was forced to vacate the presidency, Trump has been indicted in four different jurisdictions, has been convicted of 34 felonies, has been found liable for sexual assault and civil fraud, and he has promised to rule the country as a dictator if he is re-elected. He has said he’ll prosecute his enemies, carry out mass deportations, use the military against American citizens, abandon our NATO allies, and play politics with disaster relief funds. Through his rhetoric and actions he has vilified non-Christians, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and women. These are not Christian values. They are not democratic values. They are not American values.
Some day—maybe in five years or in fifty—historians will write about the state of our nation at this moment and the presidential election we are about to experience. They will write about what American citizens did at a time when our democracy and our most sacred freedoms were under attack. They will look at us in the same way we look at German citizens from the 1930s when Adolf Hitler came to power, and they’ll wonder what we did and why we did it. Did we give into the urge to have a strongman run our country and believe his claim that only he could fix our problems, or did we stand on our values and history, and vote to keep and strengthen our democracy? I want you to be aware of what the future holds—the questions that your children and their children will ask—and I encourage you to act in a way that, somewhere down the road, you can look your children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren in the eye and be proud of what you tell them
When I speak of ancestors, I’m talking about the people that came before us and the things they did in their lives to help create the country and the world we live in today. And when I speak of legacy, I’m talking about the things you do that will impact those that come after you. Your decisions and actions are creating the country and the world that your children and grandchildren will inherit. You’re not being asked to emigrate to a new country or fight in a World War. Yet, what is being asked of you is every bit as important and will have as great an impact.
On Tuesday, you have the opportunity to cast your precious vote in a free election. It really is an amazing opportunity and a solemn responsibility. But unlike previous elections, this one is not about Democrat vs Republicans, left vs right, or liberal vs conservative. This election will decide whether we carry on the Great American Experiment in democracy or we give it up for a form of authoritarianism that, in other parts of the world, has kept the trains running on time, but has stripped citizens of their rights.
To steal a line from the musical Hamilton, history has its eyes on you. I am committed to being on the right side of history. I hope you are too.
I raised you both to be strong, kind, and compassionate. And I have always encouraged you to think for yourselves. I am proud of the adults you have become. Whatever you decide, I want you to know that I will always love and respect you. Whatever happens in this election, we are still family. Nothing will ever change that, no matter who you vote for or who wins this election.
Love you always,
Dad
