Letters: Unfair crackdown on citizens; Trump enabler no resister

They come for citizens now

Everyone should be greatly disturbed by the Sept. 2 article about people with American birth certificates, who have lived their entire lives in the United States, yet are having their citizenship called into question based on suspicions about 40- and 50-year-old documents. Some have previously held passports and served in the U.S. armed forces.

What could possibly justify this abuse? Even supposing some tiny percentage of the people did have their documents altered by a midwife half a century ago, how could that possibly justify stripping away citizenship now?

Some of these Americans are being sent to immigration detention. If people can have their rights violated this way, who is safe in America? What group will next be denied their passports, voting rights and freedom to live in the country?

President Donald Trump spent years denying the validity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and citizenship. It seems that the idea that only certain kinds of people are truly American has become official policy.

This calls to mind the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, and policies paving the way for the Holocaust. Our congressmen need to address this outrage.

No help from Barr

An Hispanic woman in Madison County learned that her mother in Mexico was dying. The woman, married to an American citizen, had not yet been able to obtain citizenship. She was otherwise in full compliance with the law. She reported regularly to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and her only “work” was at a church.

She reported to ICE upon returning from seeing her mother for the last time and was arrested as a repeat offender and deported, despite efforts to seek compassion, understanding and mercy.

I met with Rep. Andy Barr to appeal for help. He voiced concern. He gave me the name of a staff member and we exchanged phone calls and emails — to no avail.

Barr did nothing and claimed he was powerless to intervene. He had no answer when I asked what would have happened if the woman involved were a member of his own family.

Strange bedfellows

President Donald Trump threw a state dinner for evangelical leaders, who presented him with a Bible signed by 100 of them. According to the White House, the Bible inscription read in part: “Thank you for your courageous and bold stand for religious liberty, and for your timeless service to all Americans. We appreciate the price that you have paid to walk in the high calling.”

Interesting praise for a president known for habitually lying even when clearly known facts reveal the truth.

Younger Christians question their faith when they observe the hypocrisy of the political partnership between “Trumpism” and evangelicals. Their generation holds on to their faith’s foundations, which include, in part, that valuing human life requires support for Black Lives Matter, immigration reform and universal health care.

They see the greater promise in reducing abortions as opposed to ending Roe v. Wade.

Enabler not a resister

The anonymous Trumpite’s milquetoast in The New York Times will not give Vladimir Putin sleepless nights nor save America.

The cowardly “resister” dares not publicly resign for moral principle. This semi-minion is partly proud of some Trump “accomplishments.” Hello? And why did it take forever to realize that something was terribly wrong with Trump long ago? This “resistance” nonsense is a dire flashing warning of America’s critical condition.

Why are Americans passively accepting this deplorable Republican era? Why has not a single U.S. Senate Republican sided with the Democrats to stop Trump? “Treason” is what complicit Congress Republicans are committing daily, in the light of day. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan should resign in disgrace.

Voters in November must solidly defeat House and Senate Republicans to save our nation.

Op-ed exposed the truth

Kudos to the person who wrote the op-ed published in the New York Times. I have no doubt there are many in the administration concerned about the antics of a president who is not presidential in his ways and actions.

Similarly, kudos to the senators pushing back on the “confidential” Brett Kavanaugh information that the committee evaluators and the American people cannot see. Why isn’t Kavanaugh saying all his files should be released for review?

Similarly, it’s time for some of those senators to go. While there is nothing wrong with age and experience, clearly many have stayed too long and are out of touch with the American people. It’s time to vote in quality people to run our government.

I am a registered Republican and am fed up with what I see. “Make America Great Again?” This administration and the Republican Party have only blemished us in the eyes of the world. Canada, Mexico and NATO are our friends and not the pariahs painted by the Trump administration.

My parents’ generation (the one that saved the world) must be rolling in their graves seeing what is going on today. Clearly, John McCain left us too soon.