Since I was very young, my view of our federal government has changed considerably.
When I was a child, the government seemed like some distant, detached entity that had nothing to do with our lives. Because Alaska wasn't yet a state, my parents didn't vote in national elections. This made us seem even more separate.
As a young man I learned about our unique form of government, with its three branches that ensure checks and balances. I felt that with our powerful democracy and Constitution-based government, we could accomplish anything. In 1969 we did — sending human beings to the moon.
Advancing into middle-age, I became cynical about the immense size of our government, how it overreached into our lives; and how it became controlled by banks and other big-money interests.
I've been alive for 12 U.S. presidencies. I'm saddened by how the genius of our founding fathers in establishing a durable governing system has been corrupted by power hungry, narrow-minded politicians. Mostly, I'm saddened that we allowed it to happen.
— Frank E. Baker
Eagle River
Anchorage Daily News