Jimmy Kimmel is the latest sign of a dark, dangerous effort in US | Opinion

Free speech

This Jimmy Kimmel thing is the last straw for me. I have gritted my teeth and kept my head down, thinking that standing up and protesting might invite repercussions from the crazies out there. I used to feel that we might un-elect President Donald Trump’s most virulent supporters in the next election, and that Trump himself would be gone in 2028. But now I am afraid that Trump and his supporters won’t let us have a real election anymore. If they keep up their repressive tactics, who will be left to protest? Violence is not a solution to our differences, but repression of free thought and —God help us — comedy, isn’t either. Get a grip, MAGA faithful. Criticism is not hate speech. Patrick Henry must be rotating in his grave.

Patricia Coe, Lexington

Jimmy Kimmel

I feel like I’m living in Russia, North Korea, or China.

In response to the Jimmy Kimmel show shut down, Jake Tapper said, “If we do not have the ability to criticize, mock, investigate our leaders, we are no longer the United States of America.” Forcing comedians off the air is yet another step in President Donald Trump’s rapid, and so far successful, authoritarian takeover: militarizing cities, brutal ICE terror, and absolute destructive control of all governing agencies, as well as the takeover of the Kennedy Center, museums, libraries, law firms, universities, judges, national parks, agriculture, news outlets, and more.

How did this happen in the United States of America? Unimagined horror! Twenty plus years of Fox propaganda plus gutless unprincipled GOP Congress members have ‘majorly’ enabled the dangerously incompetent, profoundly corrupt, grossly immoral, semi-literate, and fraudulent narcissist to seize, and so far, maintain control of the United States. No matter how disheartening, we must NOT give in or give up the fight to restore and protect our Constitutional governance. Our ancestors paid a big price for those freedoms.

Beverly C. Johnson-Miller, Lexington

Vengeance presidency

The revenge-minded President Donald Trump uses his power to get even with his critics by punishing them in some way.

Trump and his evangelical supporters should read a chapter from Holy Scripture’s New Testament. From the book of Romans, read Romans 12, the whole chapter.

Verse 19 — “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ “

Verse 20 — No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.

Verse 21 — “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I pray Trump and I will leave vengeance to God. If we do, LOVE wins.

Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville

Country or party

How far down the stupid road can we go before we can’t get back? Unfortunately, it’s not a dead end or a cul de sac that will spit us back out. The stupid road is a long and winding path to nowhere. The only way out is to stop, turn around and drive back to the main road. What does that mean in our real-world context? It means the GOP has to put on their “big boy pants,” put their country ahead of their party and their jobs, and impeach this moron before it is too late. Lord knows they have no shortage of legitimate charges to choose from, sufficient proof of which is sitting in black and white in his own words and texts. I fear, however, they lost the courage for that long ago. I guess we’ll see where we end up… and what form the tow truck will take.

Dan Berry, Stamping Ground

Exorbitant fine

The $25,000 fine for Oasis for turning away a person with a service dog was completely incommensurate and outrageous. I’m allergic to dogs, and I have to leave when dogs enter a restaurant. Dogs have bitten people including children in places of business, and some customers are, for good reason, afraid of all dogs. It’s impossible to set a policy that fairly guarantees access to everyone.

Oasis offers affordable delivery through DoorDash, so no one is being denied service if they can’t come inside a location where food is served with a dog. Moreover, as Janet Patterson wrote, this event happened before the current owners acquired Oasis. The City of Lexington should not engage in what appears to be a blatant cash grab for $25,000. Instead use this as an opportunity for education.

Elizabeth Fels-McDowell, Lexington

Kirk memorial

From what I’ve read about Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, it seems our President’s remarks stood out like a sore thumb. Among heartfelt tributes and calls for peace, unity and forgiveness, President Donald Trump delivered, quite literally, a message of hate. He’s sorry, but he hates and can’t forgive his opponent. He doesn’t want the best for them. He said this at a memorial service for his friend. There’s your President, MAGA America.

Kirk’s wife announced she would continue her slain husbands’ work and assume leadership of Turning Point USA. At times, I find myself wondering if we’d be better off if Erika Kirk assumed leadership of our country. If she is half as effective in organizing, communicating and motivating young people has her husband was, the GOP might want to think seriously about Erika Kirk as a potential candidate in 2028.

Ross DeAeth, Lexington

FCPS resignations

Liggins and Murphy need to go and the sooner the better. I agree with the three elected leaders from Frankfort calling for the resignation of both. As a former FCPS employee I have seen the over-spending that has been reported and some other questionable spending in my opinion. For the life of me, I cannot figure that out

James Coleman, Lexington

Biblical immigration

I can never understand how those who calls themselves immigrants can lash out at immigrants.

Tell me you never crack a Bible without telling me you never crack a Bible.

The Bible is rife with references to welcoming the stranger, including the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Jesus, as He so often does, weaves a story that doesn’t give the listener an “out.” In this parable, a Jew is beaten, robbed and left for dead by robbers. Two fellow countrymen pass without a thought to help him.

But then comes the Samaritan. To the Samaritan, the Jew isn’t just a foreigner; he’s the member of a tribe that is the sworn enemy of the Samaritans. But the Samaritan doesn’t pay any attention to the enmity between the two peoples. Not only does the Good Samaritan rescue the Jew, he pays for the man’s lodging and health care.

Luke ends thusly:

Verse 36: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

Verse 37: The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Pretty clear, huh?

Ivonne Rovira, Lexington

Trump’s promises

The Bible advocates removing the beam from your own eye before you try to remove the mote from your brother’s eye. Perhaps Americans need to look more carefully at this admonition.

President Donald Trump’s gift of clarity for any issue, as well as his ability in recognizing the faults and weaknesses of others to the exclusion of himself, may be unappreciated. He sees wars only he can end; economics only he can fix; health issues only he can cure; education only he can reform; negotiations only he can resolve. He works to distribute benefits of our society only to those he feels really deserve them, and banishes those dark forces plaguing our country that only he can conquer and deliver us from. If he can’t do it, then it can’t be done.

Trump continues to maintain he has fulfilled his promises to resolve these issues and now with fewer restrictions on his actions combined with the beams falling from our eyes we can actually see how shortsighted so many of us were to not have recognized his brilliance initially and praised his leadership.

Now, how could you ever see he has not fulfilled his promises and under delivered?

Myers, Lexington

Feel-good stories

I generally read mysteries or feel-good stories about average people doing extraordinary things.

Obviously, I can’t read the daily news because there is no mystery about what is happening to Americans as they attempt to live ordinary or heroic lives. The truth of our politics, when actually reported as such, has a cadre of actors with such obvious contempt for its citizens that they mouth the mean things aloud, state their criminal intent, and exalt double standards with no fear of being unmasked or held accountable. It reads like science fiction, except, science is now passé.

I never believed half the electorate would go for a flawed anti-hero as their star. But President Donald Trump has proven that he possesses something quite rare: a super-con’s ability to talk his party into lockstep with his Pied Piper tunes, his Republican Congress into kneel in total obedience, and his Supreme Court into giving him a get-out-of-jail “golden” pass.

He has extended his reign over most every aspect of American life, gilding every sin in our collective past with history-lite stylistics. His public discourse is heavy on four-letter words, unrepentant hate, and bloated ego.

You see why I read fiction! Reality scares me.

Janice Russell, Lexington

Commodore proud

As an alumni of Tates Creek High School, I attended Tates Creek’s game with Bryan Station.

I would like to compliment the school district for the facilities and the Tates Creek Band for its half-time performance. I’m wondering if the school has considered allowing the band to play in the stands at the beginning of a game and when the team scores??

Also, I saw about six plus police personnel in the parking lot talking, which is good. However, have the police considered walking through the stands and talking with students in an effort to meet these young citizens of the community and to put local law enforcement in a positive light as well as a proactive safety checks during these events???

Paul L Whalen, Fort Thomas

Edited by Liz Carey