Americans must stand up for democracy in the face of an authoritarian threat | Opinion

Coming for who?

“First They Came” is the poetic form of a 1946 post-war confessional prose by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller. The original poem explained how Hitler and the Nazis came to power.

“First They Came (Updated 2025)”

First, they came for the immigrants, and I said nothing, because I was not an immigrant.

Then they came for LBTQ+, and I said nothing, because I was not LBTQ+.

Then they came for the 14th Amendment, and I said nothing, because the 14th Amendment did not affect my citizenship.

Then they came for the 1st Amendment, and I said nothing, because I was not allowed to speak.

Then President Trump came for the rule of law, and I said nothing, because I was afraid I would be arrested.

Finally, the United States became an autocracy. Democracy died, and “we the people” had no one left to speak for us.

Trump is already talking about pursuing an 3rd term as President which is prohibited by our Constitution. Stand up and speak up to save democracy!

Marilyn Barnes, Lexington

Blue party aims

The aim of the Blue party is to change America into a “Nation of Confusion.” The Blue party devotee, whether an educator or dignified by a Law degree, who supports the Blue party’s political position and rhetoric, which post-election is especially backward, brings into question the excellence of educators and lawyers who have confidence in that political party.

Post-election, the Blue party intelligentsia will not submit to a vote of “no confidence” by an attentive and dissatisfied electorate. The loss of the presidency is the occasion for the Blue party to injure any action pursued by America’s elected Executive by using partisan Blue party Judges as shadow Executives, only prepared with the intent to interfere at the undertaking of presidential-level decisions.

Defective Blue party politicians haughtily attack Elon Musk and Tesla in the media and express glee on stage at the idea of Tesla’s collapse. Odd Blue party politicians regard Tesla, an American company that employs Americans, as the enemy. The Blue party proves its oddity by calling President Donald Trump a tyrant after his signaling the necessity to downsize the federal government and the desire to decentralize the U.S. Department of Education, rather than consolidating and centralizing power in the president’s office.

Gary Ward, Lexington

Ashland script

Recently, I visited the Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate. The docent delivered the most insincere and biased presentation.

In a message to the executive director, I wrote: “I was disappointed with the docent’s presentation. I realize the docent is a volunteer, but so many times the word “enslaved” was used. Nothing was said about Clay other than he was wrong so often. He was aware of the injustices, but abolition required preservation of the union. Without consensus violence would follow. He could not alienate the South. If the republic split, Europe would press slave holding states, thus continuing slavery. Only a union could abolish slavery. Lincoln waited until after Antietam to proclaim emancipation. He required this victory for political capital, which Clay did not have.”

I received this response: “Thanks for sharing. Our goal is to present an honest account. It is a challenge to monitor the presentations. I will discuss with our staff. Signed, Jim Clark

Later, I received this: “I have re-read the script, and I see how easily one could slant the narrative in a way that stresses negative aspects of Clay’s actions without proper context. I will meet with our committee to discuss how we can stress the great things he did while providing an honest accounting of the issues. Jim Clark”

David Hafer, Mechanicsville, Md.

Looking back

One day years from now, we’ll look back to the time when America voted for a cutthroat business tycoon who had no political experience whatsoever to be our president, and what an enormous disaster it turned out to be!

We will recall all of the ignorant and ridiculous things he said on international television, and the equally insane actions he took against his own people, our country’s closest allies, and the world. Americans aren’t laughing at our unimaginable situation right now, but years from now when we are enjoying our time off with friends and family, somebody is going to mention President Donald Trump and talk about the things he did and said during his presidency, and we will laugh our asses off!

“Remember when Trump said (Yada Yada Yada)?”

“That was hilarious!”

“And everybody was saying, ‘Oh My God! What have we done?’”

“Elon Musk’s crazy ass was firing everybody, and people were panicking!”

“Trump made history all right… History as American’s worst president ever!”

“And you know he’s gonna hate it and try to change what history books say about him”

“It was an absolute disaster!”

“No more psycho presidents after Trump!”

We will never make this mistake again.

Yolanda Averette, Lexington

Small business support

With the closing of Joann stores, there are many people who are now (frantically) looking for a source for their craft and sewing supplies. This is the perfect time to seek out local, small businesses who provide these items. Doing an internet search for “quilt shop near me” or “craft supplies near me” can provide listings for stores that you may not know exist. It’s hard running a small business and any/all support that former Joann shoppers can provide may very well be what allows a local store to stay afloat a little longer. Before shopping online for the items that Joann used to provide, try to see if there’s a local-ish option available. You might just make a small business owner’s day!

Mona Phelps, Versailles

Law & Order

Due to President Donald Trump’s criminal acts, past and present, he has NOTHING to say to me or anyone else in this country about law and order. If violating the law is okay for him then it must be okay for everyone else. Since GOP Congress members are endorsing, defending, and actively participating in Trump’s crimes, they no longer have anything to say to me or anyone else in this country about law and order. Nothing! Absolutely nothing!

The refusal of Trump and his cohorts in crime to abide by the orders of federal judges is especially egregious, extremely dangerous, and clearly threatens the downfall of our Constitutional Republic.

Who will stop Trump’s assaults on our federal judges? Who will hold Trump accountable to the law? Who will ensure that Trump supports and defends the Constitution? What will you do to end this crime-and-destruction nightmare in our country?

It seems to me that all involved in these heinous crimes should be removed from office, immediately. Please stop Trump from destroying our country. If you fail to act, our Republic is doomed.

Beverly C. Johnson-Miller, Lexington

Choices

The administration of President Donald Trump, in alignment with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, is systematically destroying the people and processes that make our nation function. The Republicans have:

▪ taken food away from the starving, canceled nutrition assistance for mothers and children, eliminated meals for seniors, and stop schools from buying food from local farmers

▪ allowed toxic pollution of water (and air) by firing researchers and cancelling oversight

▪ sent unrecognizable police in unmarked cars to kidnap innocent “strangers” off the street and incarcerate them

▪ prevented the homeless from getting help and ignored all duty of care

▪ eliminated health care, Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran’s mental and physical care, vaccines, and cancer research

▪ increase for-profit prisons and imprisoned people without charge or proper investigation

How do these “accomplishments” stand up to your ethical judgment?

“I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me… Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:42,43,45)

Phyllis Ballata, St. Paul

Golf trips

It was reported recently that President Donald Trump’s golf outings have already cost the taxpayers $26 million. He has been in office for two months, so if you calculate the cost of these trips over four years, you come up with a hefty sum. Now this is an area that Elon Musk and his DOGE boys could investigate to save us some money.

Rene Payne, Stanford

Liberation Day

When a person in my rural Kansas hometown got “too big for their britches,” it wouldn’t be long for the cure to be spoken: “tar and feather them and run them out of town on the rail.”

I never saw it happen, but the townspeople back then had all the materials to make good.

What’s the modern equivalent today for those who act like a mule kicked them in head, like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and their buddy billionaire MAGA supporters?

Well, Musk has millions of taxpayer dollars in federal contracts for his space work, and he and Trump are ripping apart anything American so they can get trillions in tax cuts to fill/spill out of their shrinking britches.

Musk reportedly bragged he could send his spacecraft to rescue the months-delayed astronauts. How about he, Trump and his cabinet/White House staff, Project 2025 authors, Faux News entertainers, etc. load onto Elon’s spacecraft with a couple years of supplies for a view of Earth from the moon?

As on Earth, we can’t expect them to think, contemplate, or feel but the weightlessness might convince them they’d lost their fortunes and needed to share.

It can be called “Liberation Day.”

Ramona Rush, Lexington

Edited by Liz Carey