From COVID to RFK Jr. nomination, Trump cares nothing for our health | Opinion
No harm
The first rule of medical care is to “First do not Harm.” Everything President Donald Trump has done regarding the health of the citizens of our country will do harm. Nominating Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is beyond ludicrous. He has zero credentials that are needed for this vital post and his views on vaccines will only result in dire outcomes or death for millions.
It was obvious during Trump’s first term that he had no respect for the extremely qualified doctors and scientists who guided us through the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to keep the public notified of potential hazards to our well-being. By cutting off medical research and communications from the CDC and the NIH, and withdrawing from the World Health Organization, he has basically issued a death sentence to the people who rely on their expertise for their very survival.
It is incumbent on any doctor who has taken the Hippocratic Oath to contact their senators and representatives and let them know that what Trump has done is antithetical to what they have chosen as their life’s work and that they will not be bullied into dispensing inadequate care and compassion to their patients!
Sara Wellnitz, Lexington
Abuse protections
In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision ended the warehousing of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) into institutions. This decision led to Medicaid-funded “community” homes — homes scattered throughout middle-class neighborhoods which allow people with I/DD to live in their community with paid caregivers.
Unfortunately, abuse suffered by people in institutions continues in community homes. The Disability and Abuse Project found that over 70 percent of individuals with I/DD in group homes have experienced neglect, assault, or abuse — an alarming reality that is being ignored.
Kentucky regulations intended to prevent abuse seem to be ineffective. According to the Division of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 97 people with I/DD living in community homes suffered substantiated abuse in 2023. This number omits those who fear retaliation and those who can’t communicate what happens to them.
Fourteen states, Republican and Democrat alike, have passed laws upholding the right of people in long-term care to waive privacy and choose a camera for protection — a right freely given to other citizens. In Kentucky, this personal choice to seek safety is unfairly decided by a committee, once again stripping people with I/DD of their dignity in decision-making.
Ky. Sen. Reggie Thomas (D-Lexington) introduced Senate Bill 30 to end this discrimination. Please follow this link (https://www.ncsautism.org/action#/3) to contact your state legislators in support of this bill. Should nursing home residents be included? Yes! Tell them!
Ann Jeannette Pierce, Owensboro
Trump Tariffs
It will be interesting to see when President Donald Trump’s tariffs being imposed on Mexico, Canada and China take effect which is sure to raise cost of such things as cars, TVs, and basically anything imported from these counties will cause as much ire from the American people as now concerning the cost of eggs.
Bob Sutton, Springfield
McConnell’s spine
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, after 40 years in the senate, Kentucky’s senior senator. U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), finally developed the ability to stand up to President Donald Trump and vote against Peter Hegseth, his grossly unqualified nominee for Secretary of Defense.
Perhaps by 2051 Rand Paul will be equally emboldened.
Dylan High, Lexington
Ashland Estates
Recently, on my daily walk near the Ashland Estate, I noticed utility flags on the three grassy islands at the intersection of Woodspoint and Fincastle Roads. A neighbor told me plans are afoot for sidewalks to slice across the islands. I’m gob smacked. Not only are sidewalks unnecessary in this area, but they will permanently change the character Fredrick Law Olmstead, Jr. and John C. Olmstead’s vision.
Lexington is fortunate to have this thoughtfully designed neighborhood with ample sidewalks for pedestrians. The brothers visited the city in 1904, submitted a plan in 1908, and implemented the plan over the next 15 years. Most people, who see their work, would agree the Olmsteads knew what they were doing. The triangles were added later, but they are in keeping with the design harmony.
I do not know if it’s accurate, but I heard the projected cost was around $90,000. If so, what an unnecessary and egregious waste of taxpayers’ money! Those funds might be better spent in a neighborhood that lacks sidewalks altogether. Let’s hope the little flags do not indicate this project is a “done deal.” The Olmstead Brothers would not be pleased.
Margo Miller, Lexington
Christian identities
To understand the “controversy” over Bishop Mariann Budde’s “compassion” remarks to President Donald Trump, one needs to understand the difference between “Political Christians” and “Christian Christians.” Political Christians (e.g., Franklin Graham, President Donald Trump, Jerry Falwell, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky), U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and so on) are about the subjugation of women, opposition to DEI, restriction of medical and legal support for transgender individuals, advocating for restrictive abortion policies, pushing for unconstitutional national Christian faith policies, etc. In past decades, Political Christians have been slave owners, leaders of the Confederacy, KKK members, White Citizen Councils, anti-integration advocates, and so on. In short, they espouse nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ and everything about promoting their own power and white supremacy.
Christian Christians (e.g., Bishop Budde, Martin Luther King, Jr., Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and so on) have been or are struggling to bring to the world the message of “The Sermon on the Mount” that emphasizes Jesus’s moral teachings.
Political Christian have recently declared the evil, decidedly un-Christian Trump to be a gift from God. Christian Christians greatly prefer the gift from God of 2000 years ago.
Michael Kennedy, Lexington
Samaritan’s Purse
The overwhelming generosity of the people of Lexington helped provide joy to children in need through Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts this season. Across the U.S., the Samaritan’s Purse project collected 10.5 million shoebox gifts in 2024. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2024, the ministry is now sending over 11.9 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.
Shoebox packers brought joy and hope to children around the world through fun, full, personalized gifts. For many children, this is the first gift they have ever received. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Across the region, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many become a year-round volunteer. Information about ways to get involved year-round can be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Although local Lexington drop-off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until November, anyone can still participate by packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.
These simple gifts remind children around the world that they are loved and not forgotten.
GreenLee Smith, Samaritan’s Purse, Boone, NC
Criminal treatments
How did almost half the people who bothered to vote in the last election decide that a convicted felon, a sexual abuser, a documented liar, a conspiracy spokesman, and an insurrectionist would be the best option to lead this country? Hardly the treatment given most felons by the so-called party of law and order.
Having devoured the corpus of the Republican Party so easily, he now is sucking the very marrow from its bones. Without a U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to register complaints, the bobble-head Republican sycophants in Congress can’t attend to him quickly enough: “Yes, Sir.”, “Thank you, Sir,” “Can we get you anything else, Sir?”
We are witnessing the unbelievable: a felon releasing onto American streets some 1,500 criminals who assaulted police officers, threatened legislators, and defiled our Capital. He called them “patriots” for defending his lies about a lost election. He urgently called for deporting migrant criminals en masse who are “infecting” and “tainting” America. No process documenting criminality has been established.
Apparently, striking fear into the hearts of the vulnerable, scaring young and old, belittling people, and carrying a “big stick” equate to strength, manliness and leadership for him.
God help us all!
Janice Russell, Lexington
Abortion fatalities
Steve Pruitt’s letter about abortion hit the nail on the head: “Every abortion, without exception, has a fatal result.”
When an egg and sperm meet, the entire genetic panel of that human being is laid down and will not change. Everything that makes that person unique is included at the moment of conception. Who that child will be at birth, at 7 years old, at 50, at 98 is and remains the same. It is a living breathing human and just needs time to develop. It wants to live.
This is an inconvenient truth which abortion embracers like to shove out of their consciousness. They don’t want to consider themselves as being or supporting murderers so they couch the procedure in terms of “choice” or the “rights” of women, which are much more palatable concepts. However, as Mr. Pruitt pointed out so well, millions of babies have died since abortion was legalized.
Familiarize yourself with the procedure: toxic drugs injected into the baby, limbs torn from its body, a painful death. It is a macabre, evil system. What kind of country have we become?
Dorothy Kline, Lexington
Come together
Our country is at a crossroads, but rather than focusing on division, we must find common ground. Real change doesn’t just come from policy shifts—it starts with us. Instead of waiting for political leaders, we can take meaningful steps toward a stronger, more united nation.
One way to foster unity is through a national dividend, ensuring that every American benefits from the nation’s prosperity. Alaska has long distributed oil revenues to residents, and a similar approach could provide financial stability, strengthen local economies, and empower individuals.
Beyond policy, small acts of solidarity matter. Help a veteran transition to civilian life, support local food banks, or connect someone facing hardship with resources. Simple gestures create stronger communities and embody the spirit of American resilience.
We may not always agree, but we can all support dignity, opportunity, and mutual care. A national dividend is one idea, but the most immediate step is within our reach—choosing to build rather than divide. That is how we move forward, not as partisans, but as Americans.
Kelley Hood, Lexington
Edited by Liz Carey