Letters to the editor

Raise your hand

To the editor:

So, how many people reading this are still supporters of Donald Trump? Raise your hands, arms at a 45-degree angle, hands in line with your arms and fingers straight out and together. It seems to me that if you are listening to what this guy is saying and you still support him, you’re either an idiot, a fascist, or both. Perhaps, idiot fascist is a little strong. Maybe you're just idiot fascist curious.

Anyway, now that I’ve lost most of the idiot fascists reading this, let’s take a look at what inspired the bluntness. On Tuesday, December 5, Trump tells Sean Hannity that he will be a dictator if re-elected. The exact exchange goes like this: Hannity asks former President Trump to reassure the American people that he would not abuse the power of his office to seek retribution against political enemies. He asks Trump: “Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” Trump immediately responds with: “Except for day one, I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill.” That Trump is such a kidder. Anyone can see that he was joking. He was joking; wasn’t he?

This exchange tells us two things. Trump, kidding or not, is perfectly willing to smash through the constitutional guardrails of the presidency to get what he wants. Make no mistake. Trump was deadly serious about doing whatever he wants to do without the checks and balance meddling of those other two branches of government. After all, he is the CEO (Chief Executive Overlord). Right? That’s the way we do it in the business world. The boss gets to do what the boss gets to do.

His answer also tells us that Trump doesn’t understand the word “retribution”. Hannity is trying to assuage the concerns of some viewers that Trump is going to retaliate against political opponents. His response is, I’ll close the boarders and drill for oil. What? It's like me asking you what the time is and you saing, it’s $12.99 a pound. If you still support this guy, you’re an idiot.

Now, let’s talk about vermin. You know; those creepy little critters that scurry around in dark places and disagree with the grand and glorious Donald. On November 11th (Veterans Day) Trump posted on Truth Social that he promised to: “root out the Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs, that live like vermin within the confines of our Country…” Soooo… political dissidence is no longer tolerated in Trump's America?

Let me state right here, that contrary to what some might think, I’m not a Communist, Marxist, Fascist, or Thug. I do, however, believe that those with different and even radical points of view have a right to their particular point of view. Now when those thoughts become actions that threaten the well-being of my community, the law steps in. It’s the old saying: Your right to swing your fist ends at my nose.” Actually, I’d prefer it ended an inch from my nose, but who am I to argue with an old saying.

The term vermin is particularly unsettling in that it was an oft used noun in 1930’s Germany. If you can present your opponents as something less than human, it’s much easier to send them off to concentration camps where “Work Will Make You Free”. Look it up. If you still support Trump, you are a fascist.

Finally, on December 16th at a rally in New Hampshire, Trump said immigrants coming across the border are; “poisoning the blood of our country”. It doesn’t get more blatant than that. Our blood is becoming tainted by those unclean lesser beings from the South. Can you say Heinrich Himmler?

Actually, it’s much easier to say Steven Miller. There is no way to sugarcoat this. The dividing and dehumanizing of people is straight out of the Nazi playbook. Create an enemy, an other, that’s coming to get you. Sew distrust in the institutions that guide your nation. Divide the country into waring factions, and you have a situation rife with possibilities for a strongman.

The preceding quotes are not the interpretations of some pundit. They are not political spin. These are dead on quotes from the presidential front runner in the United States of America. This is what we’ve allowed ourselves to come to. If you hear what this man has said. If you read the text of his speeches. If you still agree with what Trump has told you he will do, in his own words, then you are a fascist. If you think that ignoring, reworking, or outright changing, the Constitution will somehow make things better, you’re an idiot.

I’d like to close with a well-known quote from Benjamin Franklin. When asked what kind of government we have, he said: “A republic, if you can keep it.” Let’s do our damnedest to keep it.

Chuck Legge,

Palmer

Why voting to override the Governor’s education funding veto is a smart choice for Alaska’s legislature

To the editor:

This past session (2023), the Alaska legislature approved a one-time funding boost to K-12 public schools for $175 million. The last time the state added money to K-12 schools was in 2017.

In June, the Governor vetoed half the money that was to go to the schools. ($87.4 million)

The Governor’s 2024-25 budget currently has no money directed towards public education and has a billion-dollar deficit.

Why an override of the Governor’s education funding veto makes sense:

1. The money is available now.

2. School districts need this money now.

3. The legislative branch implemented the Alaska Reads Act in 2023 and many schools need a smaller teacher-student ratio to implement this program.

4. A shortage of paraprofessionals and special education teachers for students who need more individualized attention is occurring. Currently in the state, there are 36 openings for K-12 special education teachers. (https://www.alaskateacher.org/jobs/)

5. Schools provide food programs, availability of medical attention, counseling for various issues, continuing education pursuits, ability to assess child abuse and more. How a school functions has a huge impact on the health of its community.

6. Alaskans have been persistent/consistent with testimony in favor of funding education appropriately. Alaskans seem to be looking for more candidates who can find compromises.

7. School staff/students/communities would be overjoyed to get any support.

8. A vote to override the veto would show that all sides are willing to listen to each other. This could lead to more open discussions on the various ideas each party has in how to fund education.

9. With all the hardships in this world, can’t we be more helpful to one another? We need more love and understanding, rather than policies that restrict growth. Adding more money to education this month speaks to our commitment to support this message.

Let your representatives know that you are in favor of a vote to override the Governor’s education veto!

Alex Koplin,

Homer