Opinion: Trump thinks he can change centuries-old American values. He should think again.

To the editor: “I’m American” — that’s how I usually respond when asked of my heritage. Most of my ancestors emigrated to North America from England, Scotland and Ireland more than 300 years ago. I am a son of the Revolutionary War several times over. (“How Trump created chaos at the airport with his unfair and inhumane order,” editorial, Jan. 30)

On Dec. 31, I married an American woman who was born in Teheran during the Iran-Iraq war. Her mother brought her to Sweden at the age of five; she studied in England and eventually moved to the United States, having attained U.S. citizenship through her family here.

Our plan has been to have a wedding reception here. But now, as a result of President Trump’s executive order banning people in seven predominantly Muslims countries from entering the U.S., our family cannot join us.

When we have children, what will happen? Can my wife’s family not meet them?

This is not what my ancestors fought and died for, and I am not going to turn my back on them now. Don’t tread on us, President Trump.

Eric Watson, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Now that our government is reverting to an immigration policy typically exercised by sovereign nations, it is nonsensically characterized as draconian and unconstitutional.

There is no constitutional right to emigrate to America. We are now at the mercy of immigrants, dependent on their good intentions without knowledge of whether they intend us good or ill. Many do not wish to assimilate. How ludicrous it is that we reportedly spend more than $60,000 to resettle just one refugee to this country, yet our government allows wounded veterans to live on the street.

Political hacks will reliably seek to stoke anger at the new administration. And, of course, we can depend on an uproar from the beneficiaries of our ridiculous lack of enforcement of immigration laws already on the books. But something had to give in the face of the Obama administration’s ludicrous immigration policies.

It appears the time for that is now.

Laurella A. Cross, Irvine

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To the editor: The day after 9/11, the following happened in several of the middle school history classes I was teaching:

Two or three students of Middle Eastern background walked up to me at the beginning of class, clutching each other for courage. They said that their parents had told them to say they would never do anything like what had happened, and they were sad about the attacks.

Each time I hugged those sweet children, reassuring them that we loved them and never for a moment thought they would support the evildoers.

How might children like these feel nowadays watching the actions of our current president?

Ann Bourman, Los Angeles

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