I am often saddened and even upset by The Union Opinion page, yet it gives me an opportunity to see how many fear-based conspiracy theories exist to support truly extreme, absurd, oppositional political positions not based on facts. As an American, I think there is a legitimate, necessary place for government in our lives that citizens should support so long as it functions to address the needs of the people in ways only it can manage (i.e., national security, public health, education and transportation, infrastructure, regulation of industry and trade, monetary policy, systems of justice and law enforcement, international relations …