Dear Congress: I have held my opinion of our 45th president to myself until now. Although I did not vote for the man, I was hopeful that he might bring a new order to our political system.

I no longer can remain silent on this president’s obvious inability to lead. He is destroying our credibility with the rest of the world. He has made the United States a joke internationally. He has brought us to the brink of a nuclear war with his unedited, thoughtless rhetoric.

His lack of respect for this country’s foundation of equality and justice for all is evidenced every day, but particularly when he could not bring himself to denounce the alt-right, neo-Nazis who came to Charlottesville to stir up trouble.

He hasn’t even had the decency or leadership to contact the victim’s mother to express his condolences. That is not a leader. That is a small, ignorant child, playing at being president, pandering to the lowest common denominator, afraid of ruffling the feathers of hateful, evil people who voted for him.

Republicans, if every member of your party does not stand up against this man now, you are no better than him. You held your noses and closed your eyes, allowing him to be nominated. Yes, he won. Now the entire country has to suffer.

Democrats, if you do not also stand up publicly against this man, you are equally responsible.

To all of you: Be heroes. Stand up for the principles on which this country was formed. It is time for the entire Congress to join together to remove this ignorant man from office before he winds up killing us all. Your actions will be rewarded by history. Failure to act will also be remembered by history.

— Audrey Knall

Salisbury