I am so sorry.

I am sorry that you will grow up in a country that no longer holds freedom and democracy as its guiding stars — a country where the promise of liberty, once cherished, has been traded for fear, control, and blind allegiance.

Back in 2024, we tried to save it. Many of us stood up, spoke out, and fought for the ideals that made America a beacon of hope for the world. But too many others fell under the spell of a con man — a false prophet who convinced them that only he alone could save them. They gave away their power without even knowing it. They handed the keys of our democracy to the first truly anti-American president — a man who cared nothing for freedom, justice, or the greater good.

With the stroke of a pen and the roar of cheering crowds, he began dismantling everything that had been built over 248 years — everything generations before him had fought, bled, and died to protect. The vision that President Abraham Lincoln so beautifully articulated at Gettysburg — “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth” — was betrayed.

Greatest Speech in American History (Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address)

I don’t know how it happened. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was ignorance. Maybe it was simply too many people who had forgotten what it means to be truly free. But what breaks my heart most is how few even noticed what they were losing — or how willingly they traded liberty for the illusion of safety.

I wish I could tell you that there’s still hope — that a great underground resistance is rising to take it all back. But I don’t know if that’s true. So many seem more concerned with their screens and distractions than with the games being played on them. They are losing their jobs, their rights, and their futures — and yet they barely look up.

You, my dear grandchildren, are the ones who will pay the highest price. You will inherit a nation where speaking your mind may be dangerous… where justice bends to power… where the idea of freedom exists only in history books — if they even allow you to read those books at all.

I wanted to protect you. I wanted to leave you a country where you could dream without limits, speak without fear, and live without chains. But we failed — I failed. And for that, I am so deeply sorry.

President Kennedy’s Final Address to the United Nations General Assembly – YouTube

But if there is one lesson I learned in my lifetime, it’s this: Freedom is never truly lost — as long as even one person is willing to fight for it.

I remember what it felt like to be free — to stand in the sunshine and know that I could say whatever was in my heart without fear. I remember traveling the world, meeting people from different cultures, and sharing ideas without borders or walls between us. I remember music that spoke truth to power, art that challenged the system, and conversations that sparked revolutions — even in small ways.

That spirit — the spirit of rebellion, the spirit of truth — is buried deep in our bones. They can silence voices, but they can never silence the human heart.

If you ever feel the weight of oppression pressing down on your spirit, remember this: they can only win if you let them. The spark of freedom lives within you. Keep it alive. Nurture it. Pass it on.

I believe in you — more than I ever believed in any politician, any leader, or any nation. You are the future. You are the revolution waiting to be born.

And maybe — just maybe — one day you’ll forgive us… and finish what we couldn’t.

With all my love, deepest regrets, and unwavering hope,

Grandpa