Anonymity! When is it important to remain anonymous? Is it when we are afraid that our lives or the lives of our loved ones are in danger?

Is it a cowardly act or one made truly out of necessity for self-preservation? If the anonymous author of the op-ed that was published in The New York Times has any honor whatsoever, they would come forward. If what was written is true, and I have no doubt that much of it probably is, why not admit to it? If their claim to be one of the “adults in the room” in order to “protect the country” then by coming out in the open with their evidence to prove their claims would be much more convincing.

If there are no realized consequences because the “author” remains anonymous, then one can say anything – the truth be damned! One can throw darts at any target they like and there is nothing anyone can do about it; they remain under cover, hidden, out of sight, safe from any repercussions! All of which make the playing field tilted and removes the element of fairness. This is one of the problems that we have today with much of our social media platforms. People can criticize, accuse, bully and even lie all the while claiming protection under the First Amendment of “free speech” — is this where we are as a country today? Is all honor and integrity gone from what we once knew as societal norms? Aren’t we better than this?

In reading the Times anonymous op-ed, I found myself asking why? Why go to the trouble to write such a scathing commentary about someone for whom one works? If I ever get to the point when I can’t trust my boss, when I don’t feel like a part of his team, when I don’t feel that my opinion is valued causing me to hide information, remove documents, tell him what he wants to hear rather than what I believe, or when the tension is so great that I must remain anonymous in what I write, then I’ll quit! And that is what I believe the anonymous author of the piece, “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration” ought to do. The op-ed begins with, “I work for the president but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.”

The integrity of not only the “anonymous” writer, but the Times as well has been damaged and appears somewhat suspect and disturbing. If ever there was a reason to be concerned about what is happening inside the White House, this article certainly should give us pause. If things are as bad as the anonymous author states, then come out with full disclosure and let’s allow the “real” adults to do whatever needs to be done to correct the situation(s).

The “anonymous” writer says, “It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room. We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t,” writes Anonymop-ed.

And we are now hearing talk about invoking the 25th Amendment, and the word of “impeachment” is once again making its presence front and center. What are we as Americans to think? What is the rest of the world thinking? And, of course, we can’t rule out President Putin who is licking his chops and relishing in the chaos that he and his Russian oligarchs created during the 2016 Presidential election.

We must find a way to stop the craziness that is happening to this country. I do believe that President Trump is “out there” and his actions and reactions are certainly not typical of what one might expect of the President of the United States, but enough already.

Enough of the tell all books, the desperate attempts to continue to diminish his persona and moral character (although he has done enough of that on his own). Like it or not, President Trump is doing what he said he would do, sans the wall on the Mexico-United States border. The economy has improved, interest rates have risen, the unemployment rate is at the lowest point it has been in years, more companies are downsizing and some are even closing their doors, trade agreements are being renegotiated, farmers are seeing their crops rot in the fields and are worried about their futures, other leaders throughout the world are somewhat apprehensive and anxious about what to expect from this “say it as he means it” president, we see pictures of Putin laughing and joining forces with Syria — there is no longer a red line. While all of this may be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, there are definite reactions to every action taken, and that is my point! It ain’t all bad, and like it or not, there may be even a little good mixed in. But if one is going to say something, they should at least have the intestinal fortitude to admit to it! Stop hiding, step up and if there is truly a danger, and you are aware of it, then you have the responsibility to come forward.

This is a crucial time in the history of our country. It is encumbent upon each of us to do what is morally right, even if it hurts a little. Our elected officials are in office because we put them there; our vote counts. We may not always get the outcomes that we wanted when we went into the voting booth, but we will have another shot at it. If you don’t like the individuals in office today, work to vote them out. But don’t be a sore loser. Step up! Speak out! Work hard! Vote! But don’t be anonymous – it smacks of cowardice, and it is truly unbecoming.

I will leave you with a passage from Matthew 10:27-27 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

Speak up! Speak Out! And . . . have a great day.

Vicki Westling is a Dunkirk resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com