Letters: Don’t allow our democracy to be undermined

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The Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Before the distressing shock of this 2016 presidential election wears off, let us ponder what exactly is happening in our country.

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Are we going to allow this undermining of democracy, of a just and compassionate society, of our precious constitutional guarantees, including the separation of powers? Will we succumb to a new authoritarianism, “reality” hero-worship, another Il Duce? Dare we, rather, resist this evil with every thought, word and deed we can muster, committing ourselves to defend our beloved nation with liberty and justice and decency for all?

Martin Deppe, Ravenswood Manor

Wise regulations

The incoming Republican president and Congress have been unfairly maligning President Barack Obama’s regulations. Many of his regulations have protected endangered species, wildlife habitats, forests, marine havens, wetlands, ecosystems and biodiversity as a means to protect nature and to reduce global warming. These laudable conservation and environmentally friendly policies merit commendation and long overdue bipartisan appreciation!

Brien Comerford, Glenview

Problem solved

In a recent interview U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said it will take “a while” for Republicans to come up with something better than the Affordable Care Act. I don’t understand the difficulty. Just start calling it “Trumpcare.” Problem solved.

Thomas W. Evans, Mundelein

Moral monster

The Electoral College, not the American people, is poised to elect a moral monster president-elect. Donald Trump was trounced by Hillary Clinton by near 2 million votes and two percentage points; numbers sufficient to elect her in any other democracy on Earth.

Trump ignited his campaign of fear and loathing. He campaigned using many fascist tactics; stoking xenophobic fears of Mexican rapists, deporting the undocumented whose slave wages pump up affluent wealth, demanding a ban on Muslims; indeed even creating a Muslim registry. His vulgarity is breathtaking; egging on his supporters to beat protesters with promises to pay their legal bills; unconscionably referring to a hated reporter’s menstrual cycle. He claimed the election was rigged against him, refusing to abide by the most sacred American tenant of honoring the result should he lose; indeed promising to jail his opponent if victorious. On foreign affairs he’s promised to bomb imagined bad guys. At his first rally as President-elect, Trump tore into his bete noir, the media, as the “extremely dishonest press,” lambasting an unnamed female anchor.

Trump will fail; but he won’t fail with a whimper. We should have no illusions he won’t resort to an incident, be it massive civil disobedience or a terrorist attack, to abrogate the dwindling civil and political liberties left after the Bush administration began America’s descent from freedom with the Patriot Act after 911. Tyrants and wannabe tyrants have been doing that throughout history, the most famous example being Hitler’s use of the Reichstag fire of Feb. 27, 1933, to spiral Germany into tyranny just 28 days after being appointed chancellor.

Trump supporters poo-poo these warnings, claiming Trump just used hyperbole and clever marketing to prevail in the Electoral College. But they along with us who comprehend his mendacity, ignore at our peril the ravings of a clearly disturbed, undemocratic, conscienceless charlatan who exploited our human and electoral weakness to gain the presidency. It may not be engulfed in a conflagration yet, but Trump’s America is smoldering; and the heat is becoming insufferable.

Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn

Strange days

Odd. I don’t disagree with Mona Charen’s column about media coverage of Castro’s Cuba. Something’s different…oh, I see – she didn’t blame anything on the Clintons, President Obama, or or any other powerful Democrat. Strange days, indeed.

Tony Galati, Lemont

Bad policy

While the word of president elect Donald Trump’s “deal” to save about 40 percent of the manufacturing jobs at the two carrier plants in Indiana may be good news to those particular workers, it is horrible economic policy and sets an even worse precedent.

Now, how many other corporate CEOs will simply threaten to pack up and leave for Mexico, expecting huge taxpayer incentives to stay? Jobs that were actually not in jeopardy now very well may be. Sen. Bernie Sanders understands this and has put forth an actual piece of well-thought-out legislation that would bar any company that has contracts with the U.S .government from moving jobs overseas. This would of clearly covered all of the Carrier jobs in Indiana as Carrier’s parent company, United Technologies, does billions of dollars with the U.S. Defense Department.

Furthermore, does anyone recall the auto bailout that saved the American auto industry? The people on the right all jumped up and down screaming about how the free market should take care of everything. They all nicknamed GM, “Government Motors.” Would it not be fair to ask them how they feel about calling Carrier “Government Air Conditioning”?

Dave Adkins, Lake View

Use the NRA

New York officials want the feds to pay the costs of security for Donald Trump. Why don’t they get the NRA to guard him?

Cheryl Ahner, Oak Lawn

Billionaire leaders

It used to be that billionaires had to bribe the government to get what they wanted. But Donald Trump has cut out the middlemen! Thanks to his Cabinet picks, now the billionaires are the government!

Daniel Welch, Glen Ellyn

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