Dear editor:

From Donald Trump’s own admissions and from vetted jurors deliberating with sworn testimony, we know that Trump abuses women; that his business operates unlawfully and corruptly; that he trusts Putin more than American intelligence officers; that he favors Russia over Ukraine; and that he uses words and slogans as weapons. Nearly all Republicans fully support him.

Trump’s words raise emotions while hiding truths. A “communist” or “socialist” seems to be any non-Republican. But Trump labels reporters critical of him as “enemies of the people” — a core communistic slogan. “Patriots” are those who support him, not the Constitution, even to the point of insurrection.

The fictitious “deep state” supposedly targeted Trump. But before he replaced them with his lackeys, civil servants ran our government. They were generally loyal to the Constitution and American values, working for decades under many administrations.

The “stolen election” was not stolen. In 2020 people from many faiths and backgrounds became poll workers to ensure a fair election. All boots-on-the-ground reports, audits, recounts and court actions reveal no massive fraud, only normal flaws not affecting the outcome. Republicans have used this false slogan to undermine faith in our fellow citizens, and elections in general. Pardons were given to those “patriots” trying to stop the still-unproven “stolen election.”

Republicans enacted excessive hurdles to citizen voting to support this scripted lie.

Trump’s renaming the Gulf of Mexico (EO 14172) and Lake Ontario (EO 14422) shows an immature, expensive, wasteful need to control citizens and the words we use. These executive orders require government employees to spend time, effort and money to change all U.S. federal maps, documents and information systems. Yet they carry no legal authority over international bodies or other countries, and can be undone by Congress or a new president. Now add Artificial Intelligence (EO 14434).

Republicans chant “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” as a justification for the needless Trump-Iran war with its worldwide chaos, financial damage and human suffering. Politicians use that composed slogan to spend billions on war rather than our needs at home and abroad. There is no danger to America by Iran’s wish for civilian nuclear power. Oversight by multiple nations could assure compliance — similar to the successful 2015 international agreement Trump recklessly ended.

Actions speak louder than words. Stay alert. 

Dennis Reuter

Powell