Gov. Branstad betrayed his mentor

To the editor:

What has gone wrong with the Republican Party?

Iowa Republican Gov. Robert D. Ray made me proud to be an Iowan when he opened our state up to Southeast Asian refugees after the Vietnam War. Ray's protégé, Republican governor Terry Branstad, betrayed his mentor by telling state agencies to refuse assistance to Syrian refugees. He has been joined by 29 other GOP governors.

The Republicans running for their party's presidential nomination have joined in, with Jeb Bush promoting illegal, unconstitutional religious discrimination by advocating refusing sanctuary to Syrian Muslims. President Barack Obama was right, if too restrained, to condemn Bush's proposal as 'shameful.” Arguing that any and all Muslims are suspected terrorists is a betrayal of humane values.

Then Chris Christie wants to break teachers' unions. I have to ask how Christie plans on expelling the NEA and AFT from American schools if teachers choose to not dissolve their unions? Would he use force to break those unions?

I challenge every registered Republican who reads this to reflect on his or her values.

Jeff Klinzman

Coralville