RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2025|A6
OPINION
Evil is eroding America. Will this be our requiem?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In Earl Swift’s book, “Chesapeake Requiem,” he writes about the watermen of Tangier Island, and their shrinking precious land. On Jan. 8, 1964, Tangierman Asbury Pruitt started to measure the disappearance of his beloved island.
Every Jan. 8, Mr. Pruitt returned to the same spot on the island and took a measurement to learn how much of the shoreline disappeared each year. From his first seven years of recording the measurements, Mr. Pruitt learned that “the Chesapeake tore away, on average, twelve feet of shoreline.”
I am an imperfect American. For many years, I have felt America has been slowly eroding just like Tangier Island. However, this erosion is different from the relentless pounding of America’s shorelines from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
No, this internal erosion is of our own doing. It is as if we are afflicted with an internal cancer. A cancer so vile and divisive that we are unable to find a cure.
No matter how horrific the loss of life is from gun violence, we point accusatory fingers of blame at each other. In that wasteful burn of energy, we are unable and unwilling to find any common ground that might lead to a solution.
Our cancer thrives on incivility, disrespect, selfishness and discrediting the truth.
Immunity from this cancer appears to favor those who are loyal to its incivility, disrespect, selfishness and discrediting the truth.
Even though it’s been 33 years, I still despise the cancer that robbed my mother’s life.
Yet, I detest even more this internal evil cancer that is eroding and robbing America because it has seized our hearts.
William Shakespeare wrote: “My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.”
America, do we really want this to be our requiem?
Bill Pike Henrico
Note from the author: I’m honored that my letter to the editor was published today in the Thursday, October 2 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
might be baloney 
Thanks, as always, for your wise words.
CAROL
Carol C. Wampler
1636 Fox Downs Lane
Oilville, Virginia 23129
From: might be baloney comment-reply@wordpress.com
Sent: Thursday, October 2, 2025 5:40 AM
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Subject: Evil is eroding America. Will this be our requiem?
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2025|A6 OPINION Evil is eroding America. Will this be our requiem? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In Earl Swift’s book, “Chesapeake Requiem,” he writes about the watermen of Tangier Island, and their s…
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By Bill Pike on October 2, 2025
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2025|A6
OPINION
Evil is eroding America. Will this be our requiem?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In Earl Swift’s book, “Chesapeake Requiem,” he writes about the watermen of Tangier Island, and their shrinking precious land. On Jan. 8, 1964, Tangierman Asbury Pruitt started to measure the disappearance of his beloved island.
Every Jan. 8, Mr. Pruitt returned to the same spot on the island and took a measurement to learn how much of the shoreline disappeared each year. From his first seven years of recording the measurements, Mr. Pruitt learned that “the Chesapeake tore away, on average, twelve feet of shoreline.”
I am an imperfect American. For many years, I have felt America has been slowly eroding just like Tangier Island. However, this erosion is different from the relentless pounding of America’s shorelines from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
No, this internal erosion is of our own doing. It is as if we are afflicted with an internal cancer. A cancer so vile and divisive that we are unable to find a cure.
No matter how horrific the loss of life is from gun violence, we point accusatory fingers of blame at each other. In that wasteful burn of energy, we are unable and unwilling to find any common ground that might lead to a solution.
Our cancer thrives on incivility, disrespect, selfishness and discrediting the truth.
Immunity from this cancer appears to favor those who are loyal to its incivility, disrespect, selfishness and discrediting the truth.
Even though it’s been 33 years, I still despise the cancer that robbed my mother’s life.
Yet, I detest even more this internal evil cancer that is eroding and robbing America because it has seized our hearts.
Willi
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Carol, appreciate your kind words, lots to think about out there. Be safe, Bill
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