To the Editor:
I am a Hispanic American and a United States citizen by birth who believes deeply in the foundational tenets of this nation. But for the first time in my 42 years, I live in fear.
Fear that I’ll be stopped because I look the way I look or because I was overheard speaking Spanish to my wife or son — both American citizens.
Fear that I looked at an agent the wrong way or that we won’t have our passports on us — because, why would we?
Fear that I’ll say the wrong thing, and that even if my words are justified, I’ll be beaten and taken or, worse, that my family will be.
Fear that my son will witness it and have to live with that memory. Fear of ultimately being disappeared.
What a wild thing to write.
I live in fear in my own country despite having worked my way into senior roles at Fortune 50 companies. Despite having paid my dues. Despite having taken nothing from anyone. Despite doing things the right way.
I live in fear, and there is little else I can do but write letters like this one because I have dwindling faith that my representatives in Congress have either the willingness or the ability to help.
Yet my family and I remain here for the promise this nation made to us and we fight every day to ensure that promise is kept.
Please — fight harder for us. Show what door-to-door searches look like. Show what it means when humans are abducted, citizen and noncitizen alike. Chase down and name the people responsible. Hold them to account. Wave the flag before we no longer have one.
Isaac Pagán Celina, Texas
To the Editor:
The last time I felt afraid of my own government was when I was 12 and watched news coverage of the Kent State shooting. I’ll never forget what it was like to listen to then-president Richard Nixon’s vitriol against those he deemed enemies of his view of America.
Nothing has been as chilling, though, as seeing footage of ICE agents shooting and killing Renee Good in Minneapolis. The current president clearly has no intention of representing all Americans. He sees the world as a Manichaean universe where either you support him or you are an enemy target.
If my own government thinks I and others like me who don’t fall in line with the president are the enemy, how can I not be afraid?
Poor us.
Merri Rosenberg Ardsley, N.Y.
Risks of Investigating the Fed Chair
To the Editor:
Re “Federal Prosecutors Open Criminal Investigation Into the Fed Chair” (news article, Jan. 13):
The Department of Justice’s investigation of Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, is not a routine oversight issue. It is an intimidation tactic that threatens the independence of the Fed to set interest rates — an independence that has kept markets stable and borrowing costs predictable. Until now, businesses have taken it for granted.
This isn’t about a building renovation. The Fed disclosed the project, answered Congress’s questions and updated the public. The department is pursuing a criminal case against a Fed chair over policy disagreements, as explained clearly by Mr. Powell in a video statement on the matter released Sunday.
If interest rate decisions can trigger political retaliation, markets will assume future rate setting is politically influenced. That raises risk, increases volatility and ultimately leads to higher long-term borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.
Independent institutions are a cornerstone of both democracy and markets. When regulators are pressured or intimidated, decisions shift from data driven to politically safe — and markets price that risk immediately.
This isn’t about defending one person. It’s about ensuring that American businesses can borrow, plan and invest with the confidence that rates are set based on evidence, not political interference.
Audrey Roofeh Washington The writer is the executive director of Integrity Matters.
My Own Trump Quiz
To the Editor:
Re “Not Your Last Trump Quiz,” by Gail Collins (Opinion, Dec. 27):
Which of the following are true of the presidency of Donald Trump?
A. He has appointed the most qualified individuals for judicial and cabinet positions.
B. He has enacted economic policies that are supported by the most respected authorities.
C. He has conducted himself with dignity and integrity.
D. In his dealings with those who oppose him, he has set aside personal animus and been evenhanded and fair.
E. He has set aside personal gain for the good the country.
F. He has personally ended eight wars.
G. None of the above.
Stanley Woll Lake Forest, Calif.
The post American Citizens Are Living in Fear appeared first on New York Times.
