November's election was a day of mourning for nearly half of Americans in this country. I believe it began the official countdown towards becoming a third-rate European nation. What is occurring in western Europe right now will undoubtedly happen here within a decade or so. The past four years have seen our once-great nation sink deeper and deeper into a mire of massive debt, ballooning entitlement programs and the further creation of a generation of people that have become dependent on the government to take care of them. Gone are the days when we admired ingenuity and hard work as the rest of the world looked at us with awe and respect for what America was, that city set on a hill. However, that is no longer the case. The 47 percent that Gov. Romney referred to, along with those that promoted what I believe to be their immoral and ungodly stances, have all dealt a death knell on this once great country of ours. As a result, we will never fully recover as a nation or society. Sadly, I believe America has turned its back on its traditional values and principles and a belief in a God that we are all accountable to. And for the rest of us that still cherish those timeless values and principles bestowed by our creator, be prepared for some real tough social and economic times ahead. But remember, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows that shall he reap and that is why I grieve for this country.

Herbert G. Porter

Ferndale