To the Editor:

I had planned to address, in similar word count, most of the apologies for Trump and arguments against Biden, but recognized it will have no effect on the people who are most invested. There is one obvious thing that the author does not realize. Republicans hawk small government while they - in fact - strive to increase corporate rights, all the while diminishing people’s personal rights (women’s reproductive rights, what can be read and taught in schools, whose parental rights will be honored, who you can love, and what they think God wants them to impose on you despite the Bill of Rights), and Republicans have regularly lapped it up. The two examples of success in inhabiting government to control and shrink it happened only in the French and Russian Revolutions.

Different presidents have different policies; it’s why we have elections. If their vision for the future conflicts with a given SCOTUS, presidents will try to pass legislation or rely on executive orders. Or find another way. It’s not “lawless,” it’s finding ways to effectuate policy when a particular SCOTUS does not agree with you. Sometimes, success.
President Biden is attempting to lift a lifetime financial burden of student debt and stimulate the economy by enabling young people to buy a house, a car, and care for their children, not a significant concern of the Judicial Branch. He is trying to make the foot fit the shoe. I hope he succeeds.

The time to confront January 6 will come unless a Republican wins and pardons Trump. It is not within First Amendment rights to yell Fire!” in a crowd or solicit and encourage a mob to subvert a constitutional process by obstructing the rights of American citizens to have their votes counted. The courts have denied MAGA complaints of significant fraud, and future courts will, I hope, determine the extent to which Trump exceeded his First Amendment rights.

Governmental attempts to prevent social media from repeating lies regarding public health issues is a worthy cause requiring constitutional scrutiny and consideration before the Courts. But note, MAGA accepts if not applauds Trump’s threats of “dictatorship,” “retribution,” and “bloodbath,” or threats to jail and even execute people who exercise their First Amendment rights against him. If you think he’s “kidding,” I have some history books for you.

Since conclusions are not argument, I decline to address final assertions of Trump’s “virtues.” Instead, is time to review “Project 2025”, a Republican “blueprint” for the first year of Trump’s “next term as president” prepared by the Heritage Foundation. It plans for the Executive Branch to assume control over Civil Service and the DOJ and FBI, legislation to impose military law on American citizens, and a host of other MAGA dreams to redefine our government and society. It may explain to the author the Democratic concerns of the future of our constitutional republic under MAGA.

Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore, Ca.