Dear Editor,
I find it astonishing that those who once fought passionately to preserve Confederate statues in the name of “history” now remain silent as an actual piece of our nation’s living history, the East Wing of the White House, is being demolished before our eyes.
For more than a century, the East Wing has been the people’s entrance to the nation’s home, where millions of Americans began their visits to see democracy up close. Now that entire wing has been razed for a 90,000-square-foot gilded ballroom that will dwarf the main residence and serve as a billionaires-only playground. In other words, neither you nor I will ever be welcome there.
Some of Trump’s supporters will shrug and say, “Don’t worry, he and his donors are paying for it.” We all know government projects never go over budget, right?
Especially ones led by a man whose history includes half-finished casinos and bankrupt hotels. And those donors will certainly not expect special favors, right?
We’ve seen this movie before.
While American families debate which bills they can afford to pay, and farmers struggle with crops rotting in their fields due to failed trade policies, the man entrusted with the people’s house is obsessed with tiny models and renderings of his future golden playpen.
The truth is clear: he just doesn’t care about you.
Patriotism isn’t blind loyalty; it’s the courage to speak up when something sacred is being lost. Where will Trump take his golden wrecking ball next?
Ace Jones, Greensboro