I worried. But never like this.
Rachael Booth
April 16, 2026
I have never feared for my country as much as I do today.
That is not a statement I make lightly. I have lived through some of the darkest chapters of modern American history: the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the Watts riots; the Edmund Pettus Bridge; the Oklahoma City bombing; 9/11; and the long, painful list of mass shootings that now define our national landscape. I watched the fall of Richard Nixon and the unraveling of public trust in the presidency. I saw our nation enter undeclared wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—conflicts that cost countless lives and left deep scars on our national conscience.
Through all of it, I worried. But never like this.
Today, the United States is once again led by a man most believe to be unhinged, unqualified, and dangerously impulsive—someone who has already ordered unauthorized military strikes against Venezuela and Iran. His increasingly erratic rhetoric is pushing us toward a precipice. And yet, our elected leaders in both parties remain largely silent, watching events unfold as if they are powerless bystanders rather than guardians of our democracy.
I served this nation for nine years in military intelligence during the Vietnam War. I believed in the country I was defending. But the America I see now is one I barely recognize. A toxic “us vs. them” mentality has seeped into every corner of public life. Racism is resurging. Christian Nationalism, anti‑Semitism, and rabid anti‑LGBTQ+ sentiment are rising at alarming rates. These forces are not fringe—they are reshaping our politics and eroding the democratic norms that once held us together.
And at the center of this storm is a president whose behavior grows more erratic by the day. He hurls obscenities at foreign leaders, threatens actions that could constitute war crimes, and indulges every impulse with no regard for consequences. In doing so, he endangers not only the citizens of other nations but our own service members—and the very stability of the United States.
So, I ask: Will anyone in our government step forward to stop this before everything we know is gone? Nikita Khruschev said our nation will be destroyed from within. We’re watching it happen.
What will it take for our leaders to act?
Rachael Booth
177 Cemetery Road
Landaff, NH 03585
(603) 991-8609
That is not a statement I make lightly. I have lived through some of the darkest chapters of modern American history: the assassinations of JFK, RFK, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the Watts riots; the Edmund Pettus Bridge; the Oklahoma City bombing; 9/11; and the long, painful list of mass shootings that now define our national landscape. I watched the fall of Richard Nixon and the unraveling of public trust in the presidency. I saw our nation enter undeclared wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—conflicts that cost countless lives and left deep scars on our national conscience.
Through all of it, I worried. But never like this.
Today, the United States is once again led by a man most believe to be unhinged, unqualified, and dangerously impulsive—someone who has already ordered unauthorized military strikes against Venezuela and Iran. His increasingly erratic rhetoric is pushing us toward a precipice. And yet, our elected leaders in both parties remain largely silent, watching events unfold as if they are powerless bystanders rather than guardians of our democracy.
I served this nation for nine years in military intelligence during the Vietnam War. I believed in the country I was defending. But the America I see now is one I barely recognize. A toxic “us vs. them” mentality has seeped into every corner of public life. Racism is resurging. Christian Nationalism, anti‑Semitism, and rabid anti‑LGBTQ+ sentiment are rising at alarming rates. These forces are not fringe—they are reshaping our politics and eroding the democratic norms that once held us together.
And at the center of this storm is a president whose behavior grows more erratic by the day. He hurls obscenities at foreign leaders, threatens actions that could constitute war crimes, and indulges every impulse with no regard for consequences. In doing so, he endangers not only the citizens of other nations but our own service members—and the very stability of the United States.
So, I ask: Will anyone in our government step forward to stop this before everything we know is gone? Nikita Khruschev said our nation will be destroyed from within. We’re watching it happen.
What will it take for our leaders to act?
Rachael Booth
177 Cemetery Road
Landaff, NH 03585
(603) 991-8609
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