To the editor,

Our country was never perfect, but it was good, and now it isn’t. Our president has used his power and influence to mock our country and its citizens, to identify and eliminate cherished ideals, traditions and institutions, and to laugh while he plays with us. It feels like the ranks of those who could save the soul of this precious country have shrunk. Some of us who still have a conscience have no power. Some of us who do have power seem to have no conscience. We need more people with integrity to step forward, like Pamela Hemphill (the 71-year-old Idaho resident who refused the pardon she received for her role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot). We need people willing to stand in front of the tank, personal risk be damned. We need more people willing to wrestle with their conscience and let their conscience win, and fewer people watching wrestling on the White House lawn. Many of us are tired and yearn to breathe free.

Cathy Molineux,

Lawrence