Lawfare leads to tyranny
Following up on Ryan Urie’s call for all of us to manifest grace to those we disagree with, can we agree that lawfare is unjust and should not occur in this country?
We sadly have many ongoing examples of lawfare. There is clearly lawfare in much of what is going on in the prosecutions of President Trump. The Clintons, Bidens and others did similar or even worse and there has been no prosecution. The Jan. 6 prosecution is especially heinous compared to the consequences to protesters in the streets that did millions to billions of dollars in damages, destroying some people’s livelihoods, with minimal consequences. Nine anti-abortionists in Washington, D.C., were given multiple-year prison sentences for blocking access to an abortion clinic. Anti-Semitic demonstrators on campuses did huge amounts of damage, shut down universities, inconvenienced tens of thousands of students, told lies about the Jews and flaunted the basic principles of the United State. It is unlikely that any of them will receive the severity of punishment that the anti-abortionists at the Washington, D.C., abortion clinic received. This is lawfare.
If those in power at the moment are allowed to freely practice lawfare to stay in power, then we have already lost this country as a place of the freedoms which we have enjoyed. There is only one real solution to this problem of seismic divisions between worldviews; to pray that God graciously intervenes to restore a genuine desire for truth, mercy and fairness to prevail. When we the governed are willing to allow lawfare, it is only a matter of time before we see tyranny take over.
We are at a tipping point; but as Ryan pointed out to us, the choice is still ours to bring about healing.
Larry Kirkland
Moscow
They just don’t like the verdict
Donald J. Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The prosecution presented detailed evidence that Mr. Trump had concealed payments to a porn star. In addition, the evidence showed that Mr. Trump had an agreement with the National Inquirer to suppress any negative information on Mr. Trump prior to the election. A jury of 12 ordinary United States citizens listened to the testimony and concluded that he was guilty of the charges. That is how our judicial system operates. No one is above the law. The verdict is in. Now you may like the outcome of the trial, or you may not, but that is how our democracy works.
Yet many of our elected officials seem not to understand how democracy works. These individuals swear their allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, yet they do not respect the jurors nor the outcome. Rep. Simpson stated that the “Democrats have weaponized our judicial system.” That is untrue, Representative, you just don’t like the outcome. Sen. Risch called it a “mock trial that made no attempt at even the appearance of fairness. This is what we expect from third world countries.” He didn’t like the outcome either.
But that is not the point. Neither of these politicians respect our judiciary system. Neither of them respects the 12 jurors who worked diligently to come to a unanimous decision. I am ashamed for these officials, and I will remember how they treated our judicial system and our democracy come November.
Heather Stout
Moscow
Betrayal in education
I attended three high schools in Idaho: Donnelly-McCall, Borah and Meridian. I graduated from Meridian High School in 1963. Mr. Claxon was my U.S. government teacher for a year. He used a standard text, Magruders. At 18, I was very proud of being an American. Using student government, I advocated that students at Meridian say the Pledge of Allegiance every day. Years later Meridian students advocated this practice at the State Legislature. It passed to become common practice at schools in Idaho.
By not educating young people about their responsibility as citizens is “Betrayal.” Consider the following truth: Only nine states and the District of Columbia require one year of U.S. government. Thirty-one states only require a half-year of civics or U.S. government and 10 states have no civics requirement.
The part of my year of government demanded that I understood the Constitution and Amendments. If this nation is to endure, each generation must have a clear understanding of how and why our democracy works. Lacking that on this Memorial Day, we will have betrayed the blood sacrifice of the 1.25 million (1776-2024) who have fought and died to protect the United States of American and Constitution.
Now that we are faced with the alternative of autocracy or democracy. If those running for office at the state and federal level in 2024, love this country and its values make a year of government mandatory for every student in high school. The founders understood the necessity of an educated, responsible citizenry as a vital element for the preservation of democracy.
How can we demand that citizens act to save this country by voting when many, given recent polls, clearly have no knowledge of what they are suppose to save?
Stan Smith
Viola
