Letters to the Editor: Feb. 7, 2025

Save our democracy

Most of the world, like me, was shocked when Trump won the election. I hoped he would be a better president this time, but that hope was soon dashed.

He is the same arrogant, vindictive bully as then. His goal is to be a dictator, surrounded by sycophants to head important and necessary federal agencies in order to implement his edicts.

These recent developments in our nation’s leadership have raised serious concerns about the future of our democracy. His first few weeks in office have been marked by a series of executive orders that have caused widespread confusion, anxiety and fear, both domestically and internationally.

Our nation’s standing on the global stage is at risk.

Trump’s policies threaten our commitments to climate change, strain relationships and trust with allies, and would turn us into imperialists. His ill-conceived tariffs can seriously harm both domestic and international economies. Intimidation, instead of negotiation is his preferred way of governing.

The appointment of billionaire Elon Musk to a position of significant governmental influence raises serious questions about conflict of interest. Who voted for Musk to be a co-president anyway?

Both Trump and Musk seem to want to follow the Project 2025 blueprint. This plan appears designed to concentrate power in the hands of the wealthy while dismantling crucial federal agencies.

Two years from now, when we approach the mid-terms, it is crucial for voters to critically evaluate the impact of Trump’s edicts. We all should support candidates who prioritize the well-being of all Americans, not just a select wealthy few.

Our democracy depends on informed civic participation and a commitment to our nation’s foundational principles. Your intelligent vote does count.

Patricia Rickert

McMinnville

Books for kids

I was fortunate to be volunteering in the Memorial School Library when a librarian from the public library’s children’s section came to meet with first grade classes.

Thanks to an inspired partnership among the McMinnville Kiwanis Club, McMinnville Public Library and McMinnville School District, all first grade students receive free books three times a year, funded through Kiwanis. In the spring, they get to go on a field trip to the public library.

What a marvelous gift to the children of our community!

First graders also take home information about how to get a library card. Those who come with a parent and sign up receive a little bonus with their card as well.

The students were so excited. They were able to select the book they wanted from a wonderful assortment and write their name on a special book label.

One child asked, “Do I get to keep this forever?” Another announced, “I always wanted this book.”

Two boys who selected the same title read out loud side by side. The first graders smiled, showing each other their new treasures.

Students in the last class of the day put their new books in their backpacks to keep them safe on the way home. I left grateful to live in a community that finds creative ways to work together and support our children.

Deborah Weiner

McMinnville

White males win again

Whew. I’m relieved. President Trump has identified America’s No. 1 enemy!

Having grown up in the “Better dead than Red” era, I believed our prime enemy was Russia. In recent years, I joined millions of other Americans in pivoting to China.

But now we know the truth: America’s actual No. 1 enemy is DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion.

DEI, we’re told, has taken root in countless American corporations, public agencies, and non-governmental organizations. This insidious worm must be obliterated by any means necessary, we’re told, including the withholding of federal funds domestically from every government, school and NGO in the country, and internationally from every humanitarian and military aid program.

Never mind that Americans might starve or freeze or lose their jobs, or that China might swoop in to fill the funding gaps we’ve left in foreign lands. Our supreme leader tells us he won’t rest until DEI is dead.

I guess our congressional representatives had no idea, when they passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, what a monster it had unleashed in America. If only they had realized that Black, Brown, Asian and Native Americans — and gasp, even women! — might someday out-compete white men for jobs, take their place at the most coveted colleges, maybe even get elected!

Those congressmen should be ashamed of themselves. If any of them are still working in the U.S. government, they can count on being fired.

In less than three weeks, President Trump has, it seems, already tamed the mighty DEI beast. At last, America is safe — at least the white male part, anyway.

Susan Watkins

McMinnville