To my fellow Americans,

The country is fast approaching a crossroads. Division brewed by years of merciless and petty partisanship has led to the situation we find ourselves in today, and if we continue on this path we may be forced to test our republican values and the most essential beliefs that provide the foundations of the nation. In this country we believe that all opinions are valid and are protected by our constitution. We believe in representation instead of one single figure of authority. And we believe in liberty and justice for all.

In 1776 the thirteen original colonies declared independence from the tyranny of King George the III and routed the world's greatest power. From that rebellion spawned the first truly democratic nation on Earth, a nation that with all it's flaws still represents the greatest attributes that humanity has to offer. A nation who sent her sons to die on foreign soil to preserve democracy, and have fought valiantly against radicalism from within. A nation who stands as a city on the hill, even if the light may dim or flicker occasionally.

But the light is dimming again.

Donald Trump is dimming that flame. He represents the worst aspects of America and aims to exploit this nation for his own personal benefit and gain. As more and more comes to light with each passing day it becomes clear that his intentions have been anything but pure. The cries of fake news call back to the rise of fascism in Germany where the term was "Lügenpresse", or lying press. In the days of Watergate the journalists of this nation were able to remove a President who tried to assume unsubstantiated power not fit for a representative democracy. But now as the press tries to do the same a significant portion of us choose to side with a President who is undeniably a serial liar. Why?

This man is not your friend, he is not a defender of the everyday American. He is a snake oil salesman who came into town promising a return to the "glory days" of America. But we were never not in those times, the country has only ever ascended. But in his mind the country has been falling and cascading downwards. And his answer or remedy is to weaken the standing of the United States globally, to play second fiddle to the Russian government, to sow division in our allies, to remove years of progress that has only unified our nation and to allow the rich and corrupt to run amok in the highest echelons of our government. He is not a patriot, he is not a righteous civil servant here to clean the gutters of bureaucracy and government over expansion. He is attempting to strip mine us.

This is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue, nor liberal vs. conservative. This is the people of the United States vs. Donald J. Trump.

I consider myself a centrist, and nothing makes me happier than a healthy and functioning democracy in which all different types of political ideologies coexist and find a balance. This balance is what makes our country so strong and allows us not to fall in the pitfalls of extremist politics. But the President is attempting to make extremist politics the norm by only increasing the partisanship and attempting to make one half of the country hate the other half. When we are divided we are weak, and when we are weak the enemies of democracy move in to take advantage.

So I say to anyone who still sees Donald Trump as some sort of ally or hero, please think about the country. Do not let petty politics destroy the essential principles that make us the greatest nation in the world and refuse to listen to any opposing opinions. We are all Americans, and we all need to recognize that this is not okay.