Community Commentary:

Patricia Harris wrote in the Oct. 7 edition that she “knew she had to go” to the Sept. 12 gathering in Washington, D.C., because never before in her life has she ever been afraid for America (Community Commentary, “Marching to reclaim country”).

Well, Harris, perhaps that was because, by your own admission, you were never “a political activist” until Sept. 12, when you suddenly felt fear for our country because you were manipulated by the conservative agenda, and most likely, Fox News’ resident fear monger Glenn Beck.

Harris said she is a naturalized citizen, and is to be congratulated for making this land her home.

I, on the other hand, am a first-generation, born-in-America, 1949 baby boomer child of Armenians who left their homeland to escape the massacre taking place there. I can tell you that as a citizen who has been politically aware and somewhat politically active since the ’60s, I have been afraid for my country ever since Richard Nixon was elected.

You see, there are administrations that are good for ordinary Americans, and others that are really good only for, let’s say, the moneyed elite, for whom they work hard to ensure that their share of the American pie gets bigger, while the rest of us get less pie — and the bill for the entire pie.

Beginning with Nixon, conservatives in America have been slowly but surely undermining the protections and regulations that were painstakingly put into place by previous administrations, in response to horrible events that they hoped to avoid.

Conservatives, on the other hand (and with the collusion of some progressives, to be sure) have steadily been seduced by the siren song of rich campaign contributions, and have sold the American nation, and the American people down the river (except for the rich ones).

The most insidious part of the conservative campaign is their use of marketing and ad techniques to turn things upside down; President Bill Clinton was hounded virtually every day while in office because of conservatives’ need to demonize a progressive, centrist president. The same is now happening to our first-ever black president, Barack Obama.