Our family came to the USA in 1992 as immigrants from the U.K., and took the oath to became American citizens in 2003, in part because of the attacks of 9/11.

Part of the oath reads: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America”

We stand by that oath but never thought it would become a terrible issue as our country moved forward as “the leader of the free world.” We are now devastated as our elected leaders and their sycophants now call Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, and the well documented war crimes that followed, an “incursion” or a “conflict.”

This cowardly action destroys an alliance with Europe going back over 100 years between the democratic (free world) countries of Europe and the United States. It demonstrates blatant support for Putin’s Russia and for all totalitarian regimes around the world and gives a green light to the subjugation of foreign lands by war, both militarily and economically.

We stand by that oath but are terrified that all Americans will not do the same and stand up and be counted at this moment of terrible peril for our country.

— Andrew Walker
Salisbury