No one is allowed to speak ill of the dead ... except President Trump | Opinion

Etiquette lesson

Thanks, President Donald Trump! I am never too old to learn from you! When Robert Mueller died last week, you Truthed: “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” This was an important corrective for me! I was paying attention when Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Then, UK employee Brad Van Hook ran into trouble for paraphrasing Clarence Darrow to the effect that he had read Mr. Kirk’s obituary “with great satisfaction.”

You will forgive me for concluding from Van Hook’s experience that we should not speak ill of the dead. As a result, I have refrained from lobbing bombs at Country Joe McDonald, Len Deighton, Chuck Norris, and others who have recently passed.

Now, thanks to you, I have adjusted my behavior. In the future, I will feel free to bad-mouth the dearly departed, no matter the poor taste of my remarks. Country Joe, there were better acts at Woodstock. Len, I prefer 007. Chuck, Bruce Lee could kick your butt any day. That feels great! Thanks again for the etiquette lesson, President Trump!

Thomas Clayton, Lexington

Trump’s War

President Donald Trump’s effort to force obedience on the American people has failed. His use of ICE in ways critics compare to secret-police tactics has already led to the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The public no longer accepts official explanations about the violence that was occurring in their communities. Many believe the administration is allowing violent ICE agents to escape accountability, reinforcing the view that cruelty and disregard for constitutional limits have replaced any pursuit of justice.

Attempts to impose autocracy are faltering, and claims of “exoneration” through the Epstein files are widely seen as another manipulation. Critics argue that the administration’s escalating confrontation with Iran is a reckless distraction that risks igniting the entire region, empowering new extremist factions and creating a power vacuum.

Concerns also extend to political pressure on AI companies. Observers warn that demanding autonomous lethal capabilities from AI would endanger everyone, including those who seek such tools.

The broader fear is that war, manufactured chaos, or even a staged crisis could be used to justify suspending elections, undermining democracy, abandoning Ukraine, and advancing oligarchic rule. Many believe the pattern is visible, and that the strategy depends on the public not noticing it.

Robert Moreland, Lexington

Effects of war

War is not an abstraction. It is death, displacement, and lasting destruction—and it is unfolding now in Iran and across the Middle East.

We are told this war is necessary for security and peace. War primarily serves profit and power, enriching weapons manufacturers and political ambitions while ordinary people pay with their lives.

As of March 18, more than 1,400 people had been killed in Iran, including hundreds of women and children. Hundreds more have died in Lebanon and Iraq, with deaths also reported in Israel. Tens of thousands have been injured across the region. Thirteen U.S. service members were listed as dead, and more than 200 wounded, on that date. These are not statistics — they are families shattered, and futures erased. Two Kentucky families are now mourning children they will never see grow older.

The devastation does not end when the bombs stop. Military operations are major contributors to climate pollution and leave behind poisoned land, contaminated water, and unexploded weapons that endanger civilians for decades. This is long-term human and environmental destruction.

This war began without meaningful consultation with allies, further eroding global trust.

This war is illegal, immoral, and deadly. Call your Senators and Representatives and demand an immediate halt.

Mary Danhauer, Owensboro

No Kings march again

If you’re happy with the way things are going in our country, please enjoy your day at home this Saturday.

If you’re exhausted with the chaos; the incompetence; the lying; the brutality; the hatred; the drama; the racism; the vengeance; the broken international relationships; the constant threats to take over Canada, Greenland and now Cuba; the rising national debt (which has risen from $35.1 trillion to $39 trillion since Jan. 1, 2025); the volatile stock market; the rising cost of living; and the war of choice with Iran (costing more than $1B a day and American lives), then come to the Stephens Courthouse Plaza in downtown Lexington from 1 - 4 p.m. this Saturday and make your voice heard.

We the people can determine what kind of country we want this to be.

Marilyn S. Daniel, Versailles

Senate candidate

It certainly appears each of the Republicans running for the US Senate is only interested in, and intends to do the bidding of, Trump if elected.

The $174,000 plus the generous perks and benefits these officials receive results in a Senator who only seeks to do what he is told to do by Trump. Might that be better spent if we held a lottery for the position? Benefits would include having a Senator who would not be burdened by decision making or meeting constitutional requirements (Kentucky residence a requirement for the winner) or having any excitement for Kentuckians or raising funds for a worthy cause to be determined. It would also eliminate the need for bothersome and endlessly repetitive political campaigns. How could we not be better off?

Charles Myers, Lexington

Goodman impeachment

In Kentucky, duly elected Fayette County Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman is in impeachment struggles. A Kentucky judge has not been impeached in over a century, and yet here we are.

One possibility is that our local judges are suddenly going off the rails with terrible rulings. A far stronger possibility is that Project 2025 has filtered down to the local level, and “activist judges are being reined in.” Shame on our Republican-controlled state legislature for harassing upstanding citizen leaders for trying to make the fairest, best rulings they can in the face of daunting political headwinds.

I stand with our duly elected Judge Goodman.

Kelli Carmean, Lexington

Open Meetings

The LFUCG is violating the Kentucky Open Meetings Act by using working groups to develop laws.

I served on the Henry Clay High School site-based decision-making council for three years. This is an elected position. Just like members of the council, each year I had to complete the required open meetings training.

The Kentucky Open Meetings Act states, “The Act requires that all meetings of a quorum of the members of a public agency where public business is discussed, or action is taken, must occur in meetings open to the public, unless an exemption applies.”

The key phrase is “or action is taken.” It is set off by commas, meaning that it acts independently of the quorum requirement.

The subcommittee meeting regarding solar power on agricultural lands did take a vote to advance regulations. This is the definition of action. So unfortunately, this committee and others continue to act inappropriately regarding our state’s open meeting acts.

The best course of action is to nullify this subcommittee meeting, advertise it to the public, and have it held publicly.

Dr. Margaret Readdy, Lexington

Edited by Liz Carey