To the Journal editor:

My parents’ moral foundation superseded loyalty to their son after I pocketed a chocolate bar when I was 6 years old.

I confessed to the crime after I was cross-examined in my family’s court of law, I was convicted and sentenced. I had to apologize to the store owner in person and was grounded with extra duties.

What if your brother committed a crime, would you turn him in? I bring this up because while on a solo cross country bike ride in the 1990’s, I unknowing met Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, on the road as I was heading out of Lincoln, Montana.

Although I only talked with him for a few minutes, this chance encounter stuck with me. Not long after this encounter, Ted’s brother read the Unabomber’s manifesto and connected his brother to it. Ted’s brother struggled for a time, but called the authorities and turned Ted in.

I started thinking about my parents, Ted Kaczynski’s brother, our country’s loyalty and moral struggles with politicians, and the current legal turmoil our 45th president has been going through.

I have my own opinions on likely innocence or guilt of the 45th president, just as you do. But this letter isn’t about opinions. Instead, it is our willingness to look at the facts and judge whether our personal moral code was violated or not by the 45th’s actions.

Firehose of attacks are taking place to strengthen the loyalty card and lobbing against indictments or attacks on justice to expedite indictments.

Temperatures are rising and battle lines are being drawn. Believe me, I played all my loyalty cards to avoid my chocolate bar indictment, but in the end I told the truth and let the chips fall where they may.

Only in the court of law do we have a level playing field, shielded from the noise. If indictments do happen, the plaintiff and defendant will have the same rules and protections. Witnesses and defendants will place their hand on the Bible to tell the truth, so help me God.

I’m not comparing the severity of crimes by myself or the Unabomber with what the 45th was indicted for, but only highlight the internal struggle many of us will have should guilty verdict(s) be handed down. The internal struggle of deciding if our moral foundation supersedes loyalty.

Our country’s moral fabric is woven with each of our moral threads.