To the editor,

I write this letter as a lifelong registered Democrat. It has not always been easy, given where I live, in the heart of Kansas, but I love this place and the people in it. I believe America needs a functioning Republican party to balance the scale (and vice versa); that our democracy has survived because we have always worked it out, as adults, side by side. The solution is not in some mindless lockstep mob but in people realizing we are each a critical part of team “USA”; each bringing different views and perspectives but always moving toward the goal of a better life for everyone. The current dysfunction within the Republican party is not only embarrassing, but also counterproductive. The sandcastles erected by the extremes (in both parties) will not stand the test of time or the tide of common sense but, until then, I believe most of us feel incredibly frustrated and impotent by what we witness from our “leadership”. We are better than this.

Because I am reasonably sure they will not listen to me, I ask that you please speak out, make your voices heard and demand more of those entrusted with our future. We need you. We need each other.

Mark Rondeau

Great Bend