I have read the recent letters from Mr. Frank Daniels (“Am I a danger to our democratic constitutional republic?” Sept. 22) and Ms. Beverly Monahan (“Clarifying definitions regarding Mar-a-Lago raid,” Oct. 5) and can no longer stay silent.
Let’s address inflation. If Joe Biden is the cause of inflation, then why is the entire world in the same position? Both our Federal Reserve and the financial leaders of the world were late in addressing this issue. Interest rates around the world, and especially in the United States, should have started rising no later than September of 2021, as the world came out of the worst of the pandemic and people started buying like crazy.
Food prices are going to go even higher. The hurricane in Florida has virtually destroyed the agricultural community, and this is one state we depend on for fruits and vegetables in the winter. The drought in California has withered the tomato and onion crops and many of the greens we cherish. This has resulted in a nearly 25% increase in the cost to processors. These droughts have also affected the growing of cattle, with feed being severely impacted, and many ranchers drawing down their herds.
Our borders are not open. The Congress has not enacted many reforms to immigration laws since the Reagan administration. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both introduced bills for immigration reform, and they were shot down by Republicans with no negotiations. As employers in both Texas and Florida complain about a shortage of workers, particularly in agriculture, the governors of these states are shipping people away. Those looking at numbers do not realize that these numbers represent people coming to our border two, three, four times after being sent back.
Many of these immigrants are tradespeople, nurses and professionals. Think about the people who cared for you at the height of the pandemic. And let’s not forget the many immigrants who have made this country great. Nikola Tesla, without whom you would not have modern electricity. Wernher von Braun, Albert Einstein, Elon Musk, Maria Goeppert Mayer, Enrico Fermi, Luis Alvarez, Bernardo Alberto, and the list goes on.
As you rail against high gas prices, look at the exorbitant profits being made by oil companies. Look at the failure of these companies to even bid on new leases. The new exploration has fallen worldwide. The sale of leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge only had three bids, and two of them canceled their bids this year.
Then, you rail about the investigations of Donald Trump and Hunter Biden. If Hunter Biden has lied on his taxes and a gun permit, then, by all means, bring him to trial. If Trump is not indicted, then our democracy if done. As I see it, the Espionage Act and sections 402, 1001 and 641 of the U.S. Code’s Title 18 have all been violated by Trump, several of these endangering our national security and putting the lives of members of our intelligence community at risk. These are the same crimes that Julian Assange and Edward Snowden committed and that Trump said they should be executed for committing. We will not even go into the possibility of treason charges for his actions on Jan. 6. And let’s not forget that there is no accounting under the foreign emoluments clause, as the law requires, for gifts he took. Or for his actions in August of 2019, when he tweeted a classified image of Iran. So where are the documents that should be in the empty classified folders found at Mar-a-Lago? Could these be the reason that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, against the advice of the screening committee, gave Jared Kushner $2 billion from the Saudi wealth fund six months after he left the White House?
Let’s look at some quotes from Republicans to see where our country is headed:
Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said, “Liberals, Democrats and anyone on the left do not have an inherent right to participate in American life on an equal footing as Republicans.” He also wants Social Security and Medicare to be decided year to year as discretionary spending. He voted to slash corporate taxes, sucking an estimated $2.3 trillion out of the Treasury over 10 years.
Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas: “Trump should be deemed MAGA King.”
Oklahoma House of Representatives candidate Scott Esk: “It would be totally in the right” to execute gay people.
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida: “The GOP could shut down the government next year, unless President Joe Biden walks back components of his signature climate change, tax and health legislation.”
These people are threatening to shut down the government by refusing to raise the debt ceiling in a scheme to force Democrats to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid if they win the House.
Vote in November! The future of our country depends on working together, not authoritarian rule by the minority. Racism, antisemitism, homophobia and book banning have no place in America!
Doris W. Draper
Houston
