People, like myself, who lived through World War II remember when this country had to fend for itself, with no imports.

For four years, we could buy items only made in the USA, and the factories were making only items for the war.

Ration stamps were required to buy only the basic items to get by on. We had to have ration stickers on our vehicles’ windshield, stickers that limited us to just enough gas to get to work.

Families’ youngest children got hand-me-down clothes. Grain companies sold their grain in fancy print cloth bags so the women could make dresses out of them.

If we saw a plane fly over, we looked up to see if it was one of ours. In 1942, we were losing the war. At night, we had to cover the windows so no light could be seen. There were no street lights, and most stores closed when it got dark.

The average family had just one person in the family who had to work.

Back then, children played ball, rode bicycles and other outside things. Now they get on their computer or cell phone as soon as they get home.

We have become a nation of the got-to-have that cell phone, iPad. The national debt has gotten our children and grandchildren in so deep that there’s no way out.

We are losing our status as the most powerful nation in the world to China. We are losing this country because of our greed. Buy American and save a job.

Philip Woodworth

Whitefield