As I write this column, I have reservations. Several years ago while employed at The Ironton Tribune, I recall the newsroom staff discussing anonymous phone calls they would regularly receive from a citizen who was absolutely convinced that the Illuminati had operatives imbedded not only in state and federal government, but right here in Lawrence County.

This person would not leave his name out of fear of retribution. But he supposedly had evidence to support his claims.

I remember that his phone calls were dismissed and the reporters were convinced that he was simply a conspiracy theorist.

At the time, I was writing weekly conservative columns for the newspaper and still had faith in our government or that at least one side of the political aisle was right and had our best interests in mind.

I knew of all sorts of conspiracy theories but had never heard of the Illuminati, so I dismissed this caller as probably a little crazy.

But I went home and typed the word “Illuminati” into the search engine of my computer and hundreds, if not thousands, of entries popped up on the screen.

I immediately began sifting through the results to determine a history of the Illuminati and to try to separate fact from legend, or fiction.

I also began talking with others and found that many people know of and have opinions concerning the Illuminati that you would never expect, often remaining silent out of fear of being labeled “crazy,” thus the reason for my reservations about writing this column as well.

I spoke to one gentleman who began to open up to me after he knew I was genuinely interested in the subject. He gave me a book to read titled, “America Sold Out” by Ray Hope.

I suggest it as required reading for anyone concerned about the formation of a One World Government.

With the collapse of our economy and my new lack of confidence in the ability of either political party to fix the problems plaguing our government, I have recently been taking greater stock in the things I’ve read and studied about the Illuminati.

I am thoroughly convinced that the direction our country is headed is not by accident, but by the design of evil people setting in positions of wealth, high power, and influence outside of our great land.

Progressives have invaded both political parties and their desire for money and power have made them puppets of those who desire to change the political make-up of the entire world.

They’ve sold out themselves and our nation to those who want to control the governments of the world by creating a one-world government, economy, currency, religion, and all policed by their own army. This is what we’re headed for and I know it sounds crazy to some.

To those who read their Bible and know the system of government that will be established on the Earth in those last days, it plays right into the scenario described in the book of Revelation.

If you don’t read your Bible or don’t subscribe to religion of any kind, then I’d suggest that you find some faith quickly because soon, very soon, you’re going to need it!

I don’t know about the Illuminati infiltrating local politics here in Lawrence County, but I’m sure that state and federal branches of government have been.

Quite simply, you can write this letter off as the ranting of another lunatic or do as I did and study the subject and draw conclusions for yourself.

I can assure you that this is not something to scoff at, dismissing it as the fictitious subject matter of a Dan Brown novel.

There is simply too much information for me to go into detail here in this column but here are some key words to search: Illuminate, The Bilderbergs, Rothschilds Family, and One World Government.

I pray that I’m wrong about the conclusions I’ve drawn. But the evidence is all around us that a one-world government is headed this way.

Richard Duvendeck II

Chesapeake