Letters to the Editor: June 20, 2025

Who will be next?

I attended the McMinnville “No Kings” protest on June 14. I was happy to see so many people standing up against tyranny.

Now what? We have so much more to do.

We can start by helping Moises Sotelo, who operates a vineyard management company based in Newberg. He was detained Thursday morning by ICE agents, and his detainment casts a dark shadow over our community.

We depend on our immigrant workers for our economic survival. In addition to economics, they are our friends and neighbors, and are integrated into our community.

It is outrageous and heartbreaking that a man who has given so much can be picked up, detained and taken away. He is not a criminal, and he has legal rights.

The fear in our community is palpable. I encourage everyone to donate money to the GoFundMe to assist with his legal expenses.

Let’s continue to work together to reclaim our democracy. Who will they pick up next?

Kris Bledsoe

Dayton

Let’s do better

I am deeply disappointed that the mayor declined to designate June as Pride Month.

This is a tradition that the last two mayors gladly endorsed. They also allowed the Pride flag to be flown over our city.

Let’s start with just basic human rights for individuals to choose who they are. Let’s add that many of our LGBTQ citizens are successful business owners, providing services and jobs adding to the success of our community. Then add on the huge number of us who are allies of these individuals — and that many residents took the time to sign a petition in support.

I am baffled as to why this was a consideration at all. The flimsy excuse that it is a burden on staff seems not very credible.

Let’s do better next year. Submitted with respect.

Beth Caster

McMinnville

Blatant violation

I want to encourage all of us, but especially my fellow elected officials, to exercise due care and caution in their personal and professional lives.

The calculated political assassination of an elected official and her husband in Minnesota, and the brutal wounding of two others, is the direct result of the rhetoric coming from this White House — that and the talking heads and elected officials of the political right.

For the first time in American history, active-duty Marines have detained a U.S. citizen — a blatant violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

The president of the United States is defying the Constitution and the laws of the United States every single day. He should resign or be removed from office by congressional action or via the 25th Amendment.

Of course, we all know that neither the majority in this Congress nor POTUS’ cabinet of sycophants have the intestinal fortitude to be on the right side of history.

I truly feel that national party politics have no place in local government.

This is different. I’m concerned that we no longer live in a functional democracy.

For the first time in our shared history, an American president has turned the U.S. military against its own citizens. These are the types of actions the founders abhorred, thus specifically wished to disallow in the United States of America.

The only way to restore the rule of law in America is for this president to resign. In the meantime, please be safe and report suspicious activity.

Jim Maguire

Dayton

Where’s the outrage?

Imagine if:

A Democratic president posted on social media: “We know exactly where Iran’s supreme leader is. But we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.” A Democratic president assumed the United Kingdom and the European Union were one and the same.

A Democratic speaker of the House called for a Republican governor to be “tarred and feathered.” A Democratic senator mocked the politically motivated assassination of a Republican state legislator and her spouse.

A Democratic secretary of homeland security was holding a press conference when a Republican senator attempting to ask a question was shoved out of the room, pushed to the ground and handcuffed by the agents who escorted conference goers into the room. A Democratic secretary of homeland security described all inhabitants of a large red-state city, such as Houston, as “criminals.”

I expect we would see breathless, around-the-clock coverage by the legacy media, speculating about the president’s mental acuity and calling for impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment. I expect we would also see books by mainstream journalists purporting to expose a “worse-than-Watergate” cover-up of the president’s fitness for his job.

I expect we would see the House speaker and senator censured for inciting violence with their inflammatory remarks. I expect we would the secretary of homeland security conducting contrite interviews full of apologies for the treatment of the opposing party senator and the incendiary remarks about millions of American citizens.

But given how Congress and the media have responded to commission of such actions when committed by Republican officials, the Republican officials will be getting a pass.

Adrianne Santina

McMinnville

Standing together

Trump, you may know, claimed that last week’s protesters in L.A. were paid. Again, he lies, he twists, he distorts, he deflects.

How would Trump explain that on June 14, in Newberg, Oregon, hundreds of locals stood near the town flagpole taking part in the nationwide protest against this his chaotic agenda? We Newberg locals were among millions of citizens across the country protesting corruption, confusion, and blatant disregard for the Constitution and rule of law.

No one ordered me — let alone paid me — to show up, stand up and speak out against the Trump team’s every attempt to tear the country apart. Though I was not paid, I will say there was a huge payoff for me in being among my fellow patriots Saturday.

The payoff? Knowing that I am not alone. Knowing that I was not the only one seeing, with my own eyes, Trump’s deliberate attempts to tear down the government, hobble businesses, indiscriminately fire needed workers, destroy families. And all of that is being done with a level of meanness and incivility not seen before.

The payoff is knowing that we must and we can come together, stand together and call out what we see for what it is. This is no time to look the other way.

Linda Budan

Newberg

Criminal in chief

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking for the president, contends all undocumented immigrants have a criminal record. The administration asserts, “Someone who breaks our immigration laws is a criminal.”

This is actually not true. Physical presence in the United States without proper authorization is a civil violation, not a criminal offense.

It’s much like people who have gotten parking or speeding tickets, or committed other civil violations. They are not criminals under the law.

It is pretty rich for the first convicted felon to ever hold the office of the presidency to call civil violators criminals. The criminal in chief should not be throwing any stones, though consistency has never been his strong suit.

John Linder

McMinnville

Prayer for grads

What prayers go out with the next generations as they leave their nests.

Oh Lord, lead and protect them as they look for their niche in this world.

Help them to learn and to share.

May they find good friends.

May they see beauty in their surroundings.

May our love and prayers insulate and guide them.

Nancy Thornton

Yamhill