‘No love in their hearts.’ Kentucky General Assembly session characterized by cruelty | Opinion

Ky’s Legislature

The recent blitz of bills passed by the Republican supermajority in Frankfort can only be described in one word: Cruel.

I look and see so many of our elected Kentucky officials wearing crosses and professing their love and devotion to their Christian faith yet, they are the first to line their pockets with 30 pieces of silver. They would pollute the Jordan river with John the Baptist standing knee deep in it, as they have done to our beloved waterways. They would side with Pharaoh, cracking the whip on the Hebrew people to work ceaselessly and without safety, as they have done with putting Kentucky workers at increased risk. They go to the broken and battered, not with good news and healing, but with forms to prove they are worthy of any help at all.

There is no love in their hearts. You know this by their hatred of our Trans siblings and their ignorant protection of crackpot conversion therapy. They say they are for women and children, but women must go across state lines for care and children are forgotten once born.

Woe to you, elected officials! May the people hold you accountable for the evil you wantonly legislate.

Rev. Dr. Brian Chenowith, Lexington

Conversion Therapy Law

A man owned a cat which had been playful as a kitten, but after the kitten stage, it acted like a cat. The cat slept and did not want to be bothered. The man was sad that his cat no longer wanted to play. A friend suggested an animal therapist to change the cat’s behavior. After weeks of sessions and money spent, the cat still behaved like a cat.

This is an analogy to show the absurdity of the Kentucky General Assembly passing the Conversion Therapy Law. Conversion therapy has been debunked as ineffective. Not only that it doesn’t work, but it is harmful to the emotional well-being of the person undergoing treatment.

Why is the General Assembly obsessed with gender identity? There are real issues which should be addressed such as potable water, raising the minimum wage, and increasing our teachers’ salaries.

Frankfort, do the real work of governing and stay out of people’s personal lives.

Cheryl Keenan, Lexington

Believe Trump

“When they tell you who they are, believe them.”

Let me make this short. According to Donald Trump, Jr.’s interview with Nate Morris, the GOP Senate primary in Kentucky will be between a puppet of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and a puppet of President Donald Trump.

I love the Muppets, but I don’t want one representing me in Congress. I sure hope the Democrats run a strong candidate.

Bob Crovo, Lexington

Deaf ears

Almost all Kentucky legislators, the governor and, probably, judges can’t hear the people!

It’s because “they have money stuck in every portal they have.”

Don Pratt, Lexington

ACLU actions

Well, the Anti-Christian Lunatics Unity (ACLU) are at it again as they lobby, and sue, to keep the most hideous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, here in America. This criminal element, thanks to former President Joe Biden’s open border policy, has established itself in numerous America cities to commit crimes too monstrous to discuss. They have been designated as a terrorist organization by President Donald Trump administration and are, based on the crimes they’ve committed, worse than Al-Qaeda and ISIS regarding the personal tortures they inflict.

Who would try to keep them in our country? Who would sue to keep them here? And even worse yet, what kind of federal judge would fight to keep foreign terrorists here to savage U.S. citizens? I’ll tell you what type of judge, a liberal NINCOMPOOP who hates his country. Isn’t there some type of judicial malfeasance to correct this renegade judge and those like him?

Fortunately, for our citizens’ safety Trump sent the criminals back to prisons in Latin America where they belong. A deeper question is the intent and purpose of the ACLU, an organization that’s always on the side of evil. It would be interesting to see who finances these immoralists. We’d be shocked!

Robert Adams, Lexington

Name calling

Few remember when presidential candidate George Wallace smeared liberal Democrats as “pointy-headed intellectuals” in the 60s. But sadly, we’ve heard many more epithets since then.

For another example, cynical Republicans have been calling us the Democrat Party instead of the Democratic Party for decades because that disjointed name rhymes with autocrat, plutocrat, and bureaucrat.

Let’s not forget President Ronald Reagan’s catchy attack lines. One was his faked lament that “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic Party left me.” Another of his attack lines charged, “The national Democratic leadership is going so far left, they’ve left America.”

So, Reagan smeared us as the party that cares about its ideology more than it cares about people. The rise of the pejorative “political correctness” a decade later revived Reagan’s smear.

Before long, U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., began using words like “decay,” “traitors,” “radical,” “sick,” “destroy,” “pathetic,” “corruption,” and “shame” when referring to Democrats. He set the stage for the politics of vulgar name calling which continues today.

Thanks to Gingrich, we are being assaulted by President Donald Trump’s demonization of Democrats as “radical left lunatics.”

Somehow, our party needs to dig its way out from the under this high mountain of defamation.

Tom Louderback, Louisville

EPA findings

A proposal from President Donald Trump’s administration to reconsider the EPA’s endangerment finding is reckless, anti-science, and a huge step backward for climate action. This decision isn’t just about politics—it puts our health, environment, and future on the line.

The endangerment finding, established in 2009, is based on clear scientific evidence that greenhouse gases harm public health and the planet. It’s been the legal backbone for policies that reduce emissions from cars, power plants, and industry. Without it, we lose a key tool for fighting climate change—and that’s exactly what polluters want.

The reality is climate change isn’t some distant threat. It’s here. We’re seeing record-breaking heat, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes that devastate communities. Our state is not immune from these catastrophes and the Trump Administration’s actions would reverse progress. Gutting this policy ignores science and common sense at a time when we need stronger action, not more rollbacks.

This also sends a terrible message to the rest of the world. While other countries are working toward clean energy solutions, the U.S. risks becoming a climate laggard instead of a leader.

We can’t let this happen. We need to push back against this dangerous move and demand real climate solutions. The health of our planet—and future generations—depends on it. The EPA should scrap its plan to undo this regulation and maintain the rules that are protecting all of us and the air and water we rely on.

Final thought – the proposal is very short-sighted for anyone who has grandchildren and does care to protect the planet for them.

Diana Leigh, Paris

Edited by Liz Carey