Republicans failed their own fundamental political principles

An echo opinion published in the Indiana Star Press newspaper:

Republican party must return to its principles! Restore dignity.

GOP, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Your corrosive agendas and constant villainizing of the “other side” have led us to this horrible chapter in our nation’s history. The terrorist attacks of 9/11, as shocking as they were, pale in comparison to the damage Trump has inflicted on our democracy during his four years.

On Jan. 6, anarchists, encouraged by their fallen idol, invaded and desecrated our U.S. Capitol. Their mission was to intimidate Congress and assassinate Mike Pence and Nancy Peloski.

The House has impeached Trump for a second time. The number should be five. Trump’s first impeachment dealt with his blackmailing of the Ukraine and, of course, Senate Republicans acquitted him, disallowing witnesses or evidence.

Contrary to William Barr’s interpretation, the Mueller report called for further investigation by Congress, a request that the GOP refused. Trump’s efforts to strong arm Georgia officials into committing election fraud should be considered an impeachment offense. The fifth instance is his selfish mishandling of COVID-19, resulting in over 400,000 (update, now 500,000!) deaths and trillions of lost dollars.

GOP politicians have stubbornly enabled this spoiled child for fear of being “primaried” in their next elections. It's past time for the Republican Party to return to their principles and part ways with this would-be dictator. You may lose the radical elements who blindly worship the Trumpian charlatan, but that’s a small price to pay for preserving our democracy and restoring your dignity.

Bill Grobey,  Muncie Indiana

Trump conspiracies are bunk!

Our democracy is consumed by misinformation

An echo opinion letter published in the Star Press, a Muncie, Indiana newspaper. 

https://www.thestarpress.com/story/opinion/readers/2021/01/23/muncie-letters-editor-jan-24/4238815001/

As a young boy back in the '70s, I remember standing in line at the grocery store with mom and noticing The National Enquirer, The Globe and other scandalous magazines. No words were exchanged but I remember Mom rolling her eyes as we both snickered. It’s surreal in today’s world where the internet and social media has become a dirt rag.

It amazes me otherwise intelligent people in every aspect of their lives believing misinformation that is obvious bunk. Maybe it’s just where we are in our evolutionary journey that our brains tend to gravitate toward stories rather than cold hard facts. 

We know that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West or that gravity is real and the Earth is not flat. There are no alternative facts to those conclusions.

Companies now exist to perpetuate false information for profit and manipulate public policy. The statement that former president Trump was an excellent businessman prior to the 2016, election after six bankruptcies (soon to be seven) is an example. Or that Bill and Hilary Clinton were running a pizza parlor pedophilia ring or that a doctor's report from Britain claiming Immunizations cause autism. 

It seems to me that our democracy is being consumed by misinformation and social media and how it all washes out is to be seen.

Our founders could never envision such threatening things to our republic; and if they could, I’m almost sure their mouths would be hanging open, in a state of (disappointing) bewilderment.

Rich Stahl  Muncie, Indiana

When will Mexico pay for the border wall?

Indiana Star Press echo opinion letter

Who will pay for the wall? Who?

Trump's results don't match his claims

Trump claims he has accomplished more than any other POTUS. 

Ha! Trump is long on rhetoric but he is short on results. This is over and above his (treasonous!) conspiracy with Russia.

Mexico was to pay for the wall — not. Health care for all — waiting. Lower drug prices —waiting.

Trump's anti-nuke deal with North Korea was a bust. 

Li'l Kim handed him his hat and is building more nukes. 

Intel tells Trump this, but he is smarter.

Trump is threatening to pull out of NATO and Syria. 

Trump has pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Accord. Only Vladimir Putin, in Russia, wants this. It is so obvious, Trump has been compromised by Russia.

His tax cut was extremely weighted towards the mega-rich. 

So much for his promise to help the middle class.

He announced a company, Foxcomm, would bring 13,000 jobs to Wisconsin. But, they are now reneging after receiving $4.1 billion in subsidies. This is bad enough, but this company pulled the same scam on Harrisburg, Penn., in 2013. Trump has scammed so many people that he should have seen this coming. Of course, he might have received money under the table. It wouldn't be the first time.

Les Marsh  Muncie Indiana