Dear Editor,
As cynical as we have become in these times of political unrest, we are still shocked that the Supreme Court granted Donald Trump (if he’s president again) the power to kill people, take bribes, overthrow elections, and otherwise break the law, as long as it is in his “official capacity.”
Does it not alarm you that any president would have a free pass to break the law to keep power, particularly one who keeps saying the words “retribution” and “dictator for a day?”
The other SCOTUS decision that was under most folks’ radar this week was that the court reversed what’s been known as Chevron's deference. In the 1984 case, the courts said judges should generally defer to federal agencies when rules they make are reasonable and while the supporting law is unclear. Last week’s decision reverses that idea. The courts no longer have to defer to the experts to run federal agencies. Instead, “science” and “medicine” are whatever right-wing judges say.
Pundits are right that Trump will embrace these rulings as part of the Project 2025 manifesto. Trump resented all those irritating scientists speaking about facts and public health. And his corporate pals hate the regulators, saying they can’t lie to customers when packaging medicines, or when polluting our air and water, or when letting us fly on unsafe airplanes.
Everyone might get tired of hearing it, but here it is one more time: to save our system of government, our well-being, and our environment from dystopia, please do NOT let Trump anywhere near the presidency again. We deserve a leader with character, with clear policy ideas that help all Americans, and who will surround themselves with intelligent and committed public servants.
Clearly, judicial opinions and an off-the-rails Supreme Court will not save us. The voter has to do it in November.
Valerie Johnson, for Lake Country Democrats Greene, Putnam, and Morgan counties