Allowing this to happen?

Listening for the umpteenth time to one of my favorite songs, Arlo singing, “You can get anything that you want at Alice’s restaurant,” and realizing how simple life seemed then.

I was sucked in thinking John Kennedy was the savior of mankind only to decide later, not at all! Jimmy Carter is the only real president since Abe I would support with what I know now.

Now we have an imbecilic, illiterate dictator wannabe for president.

Looking like he will be dictator as he uses troops against the people.

Really, we are allowing this to happen?

Roger Castle Newport

Smartest people in the room

Let’s examine that belief. Possibly it is that they have mastered the art of bloviation, exaggeration, embellishment, hyperbole and poetic license.

Could be they are entertainers at heart or just skillful spinners of yarns.

That is all well and good, everyone is entitled to their opinion. My bone to pick is their source of information. When they hear of government proposals or rumors thereof they take it as truth even if it is still only in discussion.

An aphorism they bandy about is verification is not necessary. An honest conversation doesn’t get very far. Their skill set on negotiation with hostel countries is appeasement, how much should we pay them. When addressing the $37 trillion in National debt and budget cuts that are needed including waste and fraud, they claim there is nothing that can be done. Incredibly, when new spending is proposed they are Gungho! Problem is that government has no money unless they confiscate it from taxpayers or print it, causing inflation and more National debt. Explain that to the younger generations trying to buy a home and pay their bills. Well, I believe that the room just got smaller.

K.C. Hunt Newport

‘Good trouble’

As we recently honored John Lewis with nation- wide rallies/protests the fifth anniversary of his death July 17, and local rallies/protests July 18, we have nine good examples of the “Good Trouble” he advocated — that is, nine Spokanites who were part of the June 11 protest at Spokane’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement office were charged on July 15 for their acts of non-violent civil disobedience that was the story of John Lewis’s life.

Will the actions of the “Spokane Nine” become the national model for what’s necessary to stop President Donald Trump’s extremely cruel, hateful and racist deportation agenda?

Such selfless, dedicated action as non-violent civil disobedience, possibly leading to jail time, may be necessary because this horrible Trump deportation agenda is illegal (lacking due process); loyally supported by most congressional Republicans, particularly our US “Representative” Michael Baumgartner; very costly (e.g., $170.7 billion added by the misnomer “One Big Beautiful Bill” for deportation purposes); and brutally executed by Trump’s masked secret police force (ICE).

Norm Luther Spokane

Our elections are fair, don’t fall for lies

Amid the onslaught of executive actions based on lies, here is one outrageous, illegal, issue. Washington is a mail-in ballot state, and the constitution gives states the responsibility to conduct and verify elections. That has not stopped Mr. Trump from declaring mail-in ballots to be fraud-infested and that they should be eliminated.

In Pend Oreille County we have an Auditor and, in her office, an Election Officer who are second to none. I have participated in the ballot count as an election observer and I know the extent to which our county employees do all they can to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to cast their ballot, whether they mail it in or drop it in a drop box.

And their count is correct. Last year there was a statewide recount because one contest was within the margin of error. In the entire state there were only six miss-counted ballots and 0 in Pend Oreille County.

Mail-in ballots work, and they leave a paper trail to verify that they work.

With all the attempts to limit voting or gerrymander districts, Washington state proves that mail-in voting works.

Please don’t fall for another of the presidents lies.

Martha Nichols Newport

Obama made no peace deals, still got Nobel Peace Prize

Trump recently met with Putin in Alaska and Zelensky in D.C. to begin a peace negotiation. Melania had a personal letter for Putin about securing peace, especially for the children. Trump didn’t get a cease-fire from Putin but expressed progress towards total peace.

Putin agreed with Trump that there wouldn’t have been a war with a Trump Presidency. Putin also made another interesting comment. He said Trump would have won 2020 had it not been for mail-in voting. We know there were documented problems with ballot box stuffing (2,000 Mules, etc.) but how much?

Trump met with Zelensky in D.C. along with other European leaders.

The other leaders were probably there to keep Zelensky in line. Remember the last meeting where Zelensky popped off at Trump and was escorted from the White House?

Zelensky wore a suit this time however.

Trump also mentioned that there wouldn’t have been a war if he was President. Zelensky agreed.

Trump then made an interesting comment. He said there is an executive order in progress that would eliminate mailin voting in all Federal elections.

Trump currently has made six peace deals around the world. Obama made zero. Obama has the Nobel Peace Prize.

Hmmm.

Glen Pierce Spokane/Cusick

People need pain relief

Let’s invite our congressman to come to the Rodeo Grounds with a shovel and scoop up manure like his political BS article published in The Miner last week. The drug problem isn’t going to be fixed by better law enforcement and task forces. The drugs are here because people want them and need them to fill the void created by our medical system.

Almost everyone I know is dealing with some level of pain.

The congressman voted to cut the comprehensive medical care that addresses pain. If you can’t get pain meds, PT or surgery, the congressman will drive people in pain to use street drugs and alcohol so the government can arrest and put them in prison.

Anyone is just an overdose away from dying from drugs that weren’t available medically. The drug cartels decried by the congressman would be gone overnight if people could get legal pain relief.

We knew one young farmer who couldn’t get medical pain relief and used a dangerous street drug. The government crackdown on legal medical drugs has pushed many people to illicit drugs distributed by criminals.

The congressman voted for the government to punish you for being old, sick and in pain.

Pete Scobby Newport

Advice to ICE

When I was a foreman in construction my boss told me, “Keep a journal of everything important that happens every day — log everything important that anyone did or said. Keep it private but be sure to keep it.

Then if you need to you will have a record you can refer to. This is much better in court than just your say-so.”

This came in handy when disagreements over “change orders” were made and we never needed to go to court.

I think ICE agents would do well to keep a log of their activities and especially what orders were given, when they were given and who gave them.

ICE agents are doing unconstitutional things these days and while, “I was just following orders,” is never a great defense, it will be better than nothing.

To go a little deeper, about 17 to 18 veterans commit suicide every day. I suspect that much of this self-murder stems from unhealed trauma suffered as a result of following immoral orders.

Please take care of your soul.

Jeremy Street Cheney