Letter to the Editor

The painful truth is that global warming is already impacting us and it will just get worse as Republicans push for Americans to accept fossil fuels as panacea for economic problems they created by giving tax breaks to the very rich. Droughts are already impacting lakes across the country. Harmful algal blooms that erupt in very warm water can be dangerous to humans and animals, causing illness and even death. These blooms used to appear for short times in the middle of August.

If the immigrant working in the fields or the activist protesting in the streets or the governor of a state can be used as pawns in this autocratic take-over of democracy, then even citizens like you or me can be denied rights.

The pledge of allegiance ends with “liberty and justice for all”. Not anymore.

Liberties are being denied to the non-white, the Muslim, the immigrant, the protestor. Due process is too often denied just because Trump doesn’t like some group or person.

Be afraid, America. Be very afraid. This is not law and order. It’s denying rights and due process to ALL the people.

An important question.

IS TRUMP A DICTATOR?

To answer that important question let’s first consider some common characteristics of dictators.

Dictators malign the free press. Trump has done more to undermine the press than most dictators. He drummed into his followers that ABC, CBS, NBC and NPR were “fake news”. When news sources called out his lies and actions, he responded with “Crazed and Dishonest” and “Enemy of the people”. Now, as president he has attacked reputable news organizations like ABC and CBS with lawsuits and threats to take away their licenses.

Representative Claudia Tenney (24th District, Republican) has asserted she is in favor of preserving Western civilization, but her Defund Government Sponsored Propaganda Act to withdraw federal support for National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service’s television (PBS) gives the lie to her stance.