Trump counting on silence of the people

The nation-wide protests against Trump on June 14, No Kings Day, provided him with a wake-up call of sorts. It will motivate him to provoke more violence both at home and abroad to better enable and secure his tyranny. It is a proven tactic tyrants have used for centuries, millennia. He will be working overtime between now and November 2026 to ensure that public resistance does not upset his apple cart. American military service members, law enforcement and regulatory agencies will be doubling down at his behest to instill fear and suppress voter turnout. If Americans want to thwart the thugocracy Trump has planned for them, they will have to double their efforts to stop him.

First, they came for immigrant criminals and people did not speak out. Next, they came for illegal immigrants and people did not speak out. Then they came for legal immigrants and people did not speak out. Finally, they came for citizens, and it was too late to speak out. Trump’s tyranny was firmly in place.

If the preceding sounds a little familiar, it should; read Martin Niemoller’s poem, “First They Came.” His poem followed the devastation of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Today it serves as a poignant reminder of what can happen when people remain silent in the face of tyranny. Trump is counting on the silence of the people. His success will come only with their silence.

Jerry Marsh Ellsworth

Marshall making things worse Last week I wrote about the dangers of the “big beautiful bill” and pointed out that our Senator Marshall is on the committee drafting the Senate version of the bill. They have managed to make it worse! Dr. Marshall’s senate version increases by millions the number of people who will be thrown off of medicaid! Dr. Marshall’s senate bill increases the deficit provisions that trigger the defunding of medicare! Dr. Marshall’s senate bill increases by 100 million acres the amount of federal land to be sold! Dr. Marshall’s senate bill will lead to the closing of rural hospitals. Also watch for multi-million bonuses paid to multimillionaires, billionaires quietly be transformed into tips by tax lawyers if the no-tax-on-tips provision passes further exacerbating the deficit. One comment I saw this week was calling this legislation a big beautiful bill is like calling Hannibal Lector a big beautiful guy. And all this is being done to give huge tax breaks to the ultra-rich. One observer this week said that the senate bill only has a net benefit for the top 10 percent.

And aren’t we proud as a country to be having masked men snatching people off the street doing so while saying they do not need to show any kind of identification, or give any reasons for the snatching, or tell anybody where the snatched people are taken and while threatening people who try to take their pictures or pictures of the tags of the vehicles. How do we know that the proud boys are not doing the snatching? Homeland Security says they do not have to tell anybody who they have in custody or where they are. By law congresspeople are to be able to show up at any kind of detention center and be immediately admitted to view the conditions and talk to the detainees. They have been refused this access to the detention centers that they know about. Now the administration says a congressperson must give 72 hours notice to be admitted to a detention center. The press secretary says former detained people are liars in talking about the conditions in detention. Who do you think is telling the truth with this new 72 hours notice requirement?

Ron Svaty Ellsworth