Editor:
A heart felt "thank you" Mary Thibodeaux Lentz for writing the magnificent, poignant poem entitled "Dear Mr. Biden" that appeared in the July 11 edition. And, thank you NCJ for printing it. The poem represents the highest, purest form of political expression, in my opinion. It was doubly powerful for me because the Hope Creek/Ten Taypo loop trail is my favorite in Redwood National and State Parks.
Miraculously, without saying a single word, other than invoking President Biden's name, Mary was able to alert us to the dangers of a Trump victory and the onslaught of Project 2025, which will replace our democracy with fascist Christian nationalism. One of the many dystopian agendas proposed in Project 2025 is the sell-off of federally protected, public land to the highest bidder. Our national parks represent some of the most valuable public land in the nation and will be the first to go. I believe this is what she was implying with the sentence: "A league of people preserved this sliver of coastline, wrested woods from those wanting only profits." We as a nation must rise up and vote like never before to prevent a Republican victory. Otherwise, democracy, freedom, planet Earth, and everything else we love so much and that made this a great nation will be lost!
Martin Smukler, McKinleyville