To the Editor:

Donald Trump’s only redeeming value may be that he is the shock to the system the U.S. needs to force some serious self-reflection. We have been living the American Dream for so long we forgot what it is to be awake to what is really going on in our society, especially in the sordid political arena and in the imbalance of wealth accumulation. We Americans need to take stock of the values we want to live by and act accordingly. 

The notion of justice, fairness and compassion for all has been dashed by the craven greed which now fuels our society. Current overblown military budgets came about because we lost track of what our real strengths were: a strong economy, assimilation of immigrants, a desire to live up to the cornerstone of the formation of our nation, liberty and justice for all. 

Blind ambition for wealth and the twisted idea that military strength protects us from foreign influence — along with our overblown national ego — have perverted the character of the nation such that our founding fathers would be shocked at what we have done to our country. Nosce te ipsum, America.

John Barry

Franklin