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This July 4th I thought about what we were celebrating. What does it mean to be an American? What do we stand for? Do we stand for “justice and liberty for all?"

Are we a country defined not by our race, religion or ethnicity but by our shared values and beliefs as written in the Constitution’s First Amendment? That amendment guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.

Are we a country ruled by laws or by an individual? Do we want other countries to see us as the “shining city on a hill” as Ronald Reagan so proudly said?

President Donald Trump now has his own seemingly legal militia in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is apprehending and sending to prison people in ways that flout the Constitution. This puts our country on a stairway headed down toward the level of Russia, China, and North Korea, where criticism of the government will get you imprisoned or killed.

If we accept the tactics of ICE, expect Trump to keep his promise to go after his critics, political opponents and........

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