To the Editor:

Unfortunately, I think it has come down to this. If middle-class, work-a-day, family-oriented, patriotic Americans are not out there regularly manning the barricades to stop America’s great slide into oblivion, then guess who the real problem is in America?

Not Democrats, not Republicans, not the far right or the far left, not climate or abortion activists, not immigrants, not racism, sexism, not church-going people or atheists, not the homeless, not liars, cheats, and thieves, but YOU, the one sitting on your hands in a democracy.

And by manning the barricades I mean that figuratively. Violence is not the solution. Public safety, health, and education are the solutions.

The first problem that needs to be dealt with aside from so-called good people doing nothing while the nation burns, is bad behavior in the neighborhood and the city. Every adult citizen needs to get educated about crime, including the things that factor into criminal behavior, like disintegrating families and poorly performing educational programs.

Every citizen needs to be a part of the crime prevention effort.

And if you folks in the silent majority don’t see that as part of your responsibility then maybe it is time for YOU to find a new flag to fly and let immigrants and minorities and activists hungry for health and happiness take your place.

Kimball Shinkoskey

Woods Cross, Utah