People are losing their authority to decide future of country

As Jewish families around the world sit down to their Passover dinner they are reminded to “go out of Egypt.” That is, they must consider what it was like to flee bondage and find a new place to live in freedom.

It also means that they must think about others who face a similar trial as they leave their home in search of a better life.

All Americans should join in this process. For decades we have taken in millions of refugees from Asia and the Balkans, but today that flow has become a trickle and that trickle may be stopped entirely even though the need is greater than ever. Let us all “go out of Egypt” in the days ahead.

— Michael Morris, Scottsdale

When does a democracy stop being democratic? Is it when partisan gerrymandering becomes the rule rather than the exception?

Is it when an outdated Electoral College system is manipulated to overrule a simple majority in a presidential election? Is it when the majority party in Congress ignores their duty give a president’s choice for the Supreme Court hearings until they have a president of their choosing?

Is it when the Citizens United decision gives the wealthiest Americans the power to finance the candidates of their choice? Is it when congressmen pay more attention to the lobbyists who wine and dine them than their constituents back home?

Is it when the rules involving things like blind trusts and income tax disclosure are blatantly ignored?

At what point does the will of the people fade and become replaced by forces counter to the best interests of most Americans?

As I look at the current American political process I wonder if we haven’t reached a tipping point where our individual votes are meaningless in determining the future of the country. — Bob Ellis,

Phoenix