September 1, 2024
Dear editor;
This concerns thoughts to consider before I vote for Donald Trump.
Before I vote for Trump, I must consider whether he supports the 1873 Comstock Act mentioned by Justice Alito in the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal Roe v Wade. With the repeal of “Roe” already severely limiting a woman’s reproductive rights in a third of the country, the Comstock Act has potential to limit those rights nationally as well as criminalizing contraception. One might call this a giant step backwards.
Before I vote for Trump, I must consider his pledge to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; his earlier attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act fortunately failed for millions of Americans. Drastic cuts without equitable replacements would be unconscionable, even for a would-be king!
Vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance recently quipped that he did not care what happened in Ukraine; Trump said earlier that Russian president Vladimir Putin “can do whatever he wants in Eastern Europe”. My concern, before I vote for Trump is whether he supports Article 5 of the NATO Treaty which states: “… an armed attack against one or more of them in North America or Europe would be considered an attack against them all”.
Writer Anne Applebaum suggests that what Russia fears most is the collective force led by the U.S. against any Russian provocations. Trump’s disdain for NATO, he threatened to leave the alliance several times during his term, and his affinity for Putin would threaten U.S. positions around the world. Not supporting Article 5 would be tantamount to withdrawing from NATO the easy way, giving Putin the greenlight to “do whatever he wants” without Trump having to appeal to Congress as the law requires for an official withdrawal.
The “immunity ruling” by the Supreme Court places the president virtually above the law. Think about that…above the law! As president, twice impeached, four times indicted Trump, with his thirty-four felony counts becomes the chief law enforcement officer in the land! He has stated plans to restructure the Department of Justice; he also intends to fire 10,000 to 30,000 civil-service employees in other sectors, replacing them with Trump loyalists, many of whom will be headed for the F.B.I. and other D.O.J. positions. His weird chants of “I am your retribution!” take-on new meaning when one considers he would then be able to investigate and charge anyone without cause, and with no fear of legal reprisals.
Given these concerns and others, such as Trump’s proposed “greatest mass deportation ever”, the elimination of the Department of Education and the E.P.A., his attempt to overturn an election he lost and his attempt at disrupting the peaceful transfer of power causing death, destruction, and the arrests of hundreds of supporters who believed his big lie, his prediction of a “bloodbath” if he loses again, and without enumerating Trump’s (and Vance’s’) personality, issues, before I vote for Trump, I would need to have my head examined!
Please go in peace.
Dave Hoehne, Aurora