Republicans and right-wing violence equals "tyranny"

Echo opinion published in the News and Advance, a Virginia newspaper published in Lynchburg, VA.

Tyranny and extremism

Tyrants might claim different philosophies but tyranny is tyranny. Displaying the same glaring personality flaws, dictators manipulate the same way. Hitler vs. Stalin? Communist left? Fascist right? Same real-world consequences.

Americans have never experienced true tyranny, however our wanna-be and shouting far-right appeasers brazenly twist reality. Dictating rigid fact-starved dogmatic beliefs, simplistic answers to complex issues, nonsensical conspiracies and fueling ignorance, they aid our enemies.

“Can’t happen here!” Really? Trump built his private army. Predictable weak responses to ongoing right-wing violence sent subtle nods of approval. Violence at Michigan’s state capital? A dress rehearsal. January 6? Dereliction of duty, deliberately violating his presidential oath.

"Unethical Planet Trump"

Toxic reactionaries and unethical talking heads orbit Planet Trump, touting “freedom” (for themselves). They push censorship, restrict rights of others, stoke fear and division, whitewash history, claim “oppression” but become oppressors, and savage those with real patriotic integrity while seeking to elevate Trumpism above the law.

Tryanny!

Familiar with religious persecutions, our Founders outlined a stronger, rational, secular Constitution in an already diversifying society. They debated prayer to open the sessions but never approved doing so. A rigidly intolerant Puritan theocracy, our weak states-rights confederation and divine right of kings all failed. Now false, hypocritical right-wing “patriots” obscure the Founders’ real vision becoming a reactionary, subversive, lockstep, aggressive Thought Police.

January 6, 2021, insurrection

Our own classic tyrant, warning flags flying, hides in plain sight peddling lies while seeking power. Some are either still blindsided or can’t believe that extremism can also come from the Right.

From E A Paull, in Amherst, Virginia

President Zelenskyy is Winston Churchill 2022: Glory to Ukraine

President Zelenskyy in 2022 is to Ukraine what Winston Churchill was to England in World War II:  

Support for Zelenskyy: Echo opinion letter published in the Lynchburg News and Advance newspaper, in Virginia. 

He was a comedian, an actor. His campaign started out as a practical joke. He had no prior political experience. Many in the West didn’t back him. Many were skeptical of this young, charismatic man. I didn’t align politically with him. I questioned his sincerity, his ability to rule, and his intentions.

President Volodymyr  Zelenskyy implores the world to "wake up" as Russia attacks Europe's largest nuclear plant, addressing "everyone who knows the word Chernobyl".

Now, he is my hero. Hero of a country, the prime example of leadership for the world. A demonstrator of sacrificial love. The image of strength and determination. 

He is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rightful president and ruler of Ukraine. I watch him from afar, questioning whether he will live through the night. He is the prime target of Russia, and yet he fights willingly on the front lines of his beloved country. Refusing to accept the United States’ offer to evacuate him from almost certain death, he rallies his people to defend their freedom. Dirt on his face with a weapon in his hands, his fate lays directly in front of him; he will either lead his people to victory, or he will lead his people to an honorable death.

His declaration to the U.S., “I need ammunition, not a ride out.” His declaration to Russia, “By attacking, you will see our faces, not our backs, but our faces.” He does not say this in hopes of war. He made his stance on war clear, “People lose money, reputation, quality of life, they lose freedom, but the main thing is that people lose their loved ones, they lose themselves.” Despite these dangers, he chose to remain with his people. Not just as president, but as a leader. He recently stated, “This may be the last time you will see me alive.” I hope not; no one wants to see their hero die.

From Ethan Vickery, Bedford, Virginia 

Glory to Ukraine

💛💙

Vaccinate to protect those you love! Vaccinations are not only about "you"!

Get vaccinated! For the common good! Protect your family!

How to talk about vaccines - check this World Health Organization poster series here.

Echo plea published in the News Advance a Virginia newspaper.

Many people, including me, got vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect our whole community against illness, hospitalization and death and to stop the virus from multiplying and mutating into a more infectious or more deadly form. Getting vaccinated prevented us from causing someone else to become sick. While I am protected against hospitalization and death, I could still be a spreader.

Now we have the delta variant which spreads much more easily. So we who are vaccinated wear masks to protect those who are not vaccinated.

There is still time for everyone to do their part. If you are not yet vaccinated, please consider getting vaccinated to protect others and reduce that chances of another more deadly variant from emerging. Working together we can make our community safer, allow schools to operate in-person, support the full reopening of businesses and to put the pandemic behind us. But everyone needs to pitch in.

To all who are vaccinated or soon will be vaccinated, thank you.

To others, please consider - and receive a vaccine- for the health of your neighbors. Thank you.

Molly McClenon, Lynchburg Virginia

John Bolton is not elected and he's a terrible National Security Advisor

Echo opinion published in the The News Advance, a Virginia newspaper reporting from Lynchburg and community.

In my opinion John Bolton is an idiot!

Bolton's ill-advised saber-rattling

National Security Advisor John Bolton continues to threaten Iran with the use of U.S. military force. He tells the American public that diplomacy is still an option on Iran.

Who is John Bolton, and what is the job of National Security Advisor?

The National Security Advisor is someone hired to give the president advice on foreign policy. The job is not elected. Candidates for the job do not require Senate confirmation If the president and NSA disagree on policy, the NSA should remain silent, while the president issues his policy. A National Security Advisor has no standing to threaten foreign nations with U.S. military force, on behalf of the citizens of the United States.

Bolton supported the Vietnam War but used his student deferments and got an enlistment in the National Guard (at a time when only George W. Bush and Bolton could get into the Guard), to avoid serving in Vietnam.

Now he is a “hawk,” promoting opportunities for America’s children to enjoy the activity of combat. He should promote those activities on his own time, and on his own dime.

And a P.S. to Bolton: Russia says it has information showing the Navy drone which was shot down near the Gulf of Oman was in Iranian air space when it was attacked by Iran. Well, it fell into Iranian territory, didn’t it?

It’s a sad day in American history when you have to rely on representatives of foreign nations for the truth, because you can’t get it from your own elected officials.

From William Miller, Forest Virginia

Echo from Virginia - Donald Trump is pathetic

This echo letter to the editor was published in the News Advance, a newspaper reporting in Lynchburg Virginia.

A president in love with authoritarians....immature behavior and very odd actions concerning foreign leaders....

Donald Trump obviously is infected with dictator envy

America's Founding Fathers risked everything to overthrow tyranny, giving important powers to the emerging idea of elected legislatures to check misuse of power.

Donald Trump clearly wants to be dictator. He coyly hints at a third term which would break his oath to defend the Constitution but then his word means nothing. He cannot grasp compromise and power sharing and rages against Congress and other “enemies” because they aren’t his Big Rubber Stamp. He openly envies and praises the powers held by foreign dictators, obviously jealous.

The American public employs Trump, and the American public has every right to know all about him. His whole life is a cover up where, for years, armies of lawyers weaseled him out of contracts, loans and other personal and financial obligations, Financial records would indicate with whom he is still entwined, some being foreign entities.

He cannot effectively separate the presidency from his own self interests and shuns transparency. But the public has a right to know this information and the powers of Congress exist for that purpose. He has never had a meaningful acquaintance with responsibility, truth, respect, honor, morality, integrity, philanthropy, dignity, statesmanship or ethics. To him, that is for weak sissies. 

Trump will lie and cheat to get his way.

His staunchest apologists continue to twist logic, reason and reality to defend him. Trump uses lies and cheap carnival tactics because it plays to the ignorant and fires up the unthinking. No meaningful leadership, just ongoing nasty, petty, vindictive, confrontational temper tantrums. No stable person has to act so relentlessly childish to convince others of their worth. Pathetic.

He turns events which should unite people into self promotions with distorted views to feed his corrosive ego, which hides a profoundly insecure being who bolsters himself with constant “look at me” stunts.
His latest contamination turned the Washington area’s nonpartisan Fourth of July festivities into a political and very partisan rally illegally paid for, in part, with public money diverted from more pressing public needs and not even part of his fake national emergency.Why aren’t Republicans protecting the taxpayer? If a Democrat in that office did this they would scream to high heaven. Hypocrisy, pure and simple. German politicians thought they could control Hitler. Blind partisanship never ends well.

Trump’s lack of transparency, immature behavior and very odd actions concerning foreign leaders clearly suggest something amiss, which the public, as represented by Congress, has every right to investigate. He just cannot grasp that he is a public servant ... an employee and not a private citizen. He puts this nation at risk every single day and then just tells selected audiences what they wish to hear. That, in this hair trigger world, is dangerous.
 

From Elizabeth Paull, Amherst Virginia