Letters to the Editor
March 1, 2023

To the Editor:
While you and I share views about the importance of the Russian War against Ukraine, I disagree that the conflict supersedes the home-grown threats to our democracy. The pressure and conflict in Europe and Asia are world-wide and inevitable, and not just to military interests. The economy and power of China has been snapping at our heels, and our voracious appetite for plentiful and cheap goods has helped fuel that. Russia is at the mercy of a bitter and possibly deranged dictator. You want to weapon-up rather than give diplomacy a shot at avoiding an immediate horrific world war. I think our first responsibility is to confront the “loaded and locked” battle we have going on now in our own country. Only we can solve this conflict.
I understand that you and others want to avert your eyes from those who have contributed so mightily to our present political threat, and Fox is one of the chief architects though they doll it up as a “cultural conflict” to capture the alarm of religious and racial interests. But the country is about to reckon with the fact that “fair and balanced” and “News” are oxymorons when used to describe Fox.
“Wokeness” is vilified as a liberal scourge. A lot of it is ridiculous, e.g., re-writing Raoul Dahl’s books eliminating words like “fat” so as not to offend anyone. However, the Right in this country is doing the very same thing under a different principle. They are replacing “wokeness” with “autocratic government control” of the culture: ban books, allow only government- approved books, rewrite history for a “feel good” experience, refuse to admit the humanity of LBGTQ persons, assert ownership of a female’s pregnant uterus, propose balancing the budget on the backs of the poor, reward the morbidly rich, accept no responsibility for failure, and attack opponents as morally repugnant or criminal (truth optional). I’d say that’s a significant national threat.
It is absolutely no surprise that management has ordered Fox hosts not to reveal or mention the fact of the Dominion lawsuit on-air. They do not want to spread the truth. Their viewers will not stand for it.
Even Fox hosts have admitted privately that Dominion did not commit election fraud. The legal questions you anticipate will occur in a court of law where the concept of “actual malice” is understood and mere assertions of guilt or innocence are worthless.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
This past week we’ve heard a lot about East Palestine Ohio. A train carrying cancer causing vinyl chloride derailed. Under fear the chemical would cause an explosion, it was determined by authorities it would be best to release it into a trench and burn it off. Residents within a one-mile distance were told to evacuate. Most have returned home to find problems with the water in the creeks and a host of health issues relating to air safety. The EPA and FEMA, as well of other entities, have come to the city and have offered help and testing to address the residents’ concerns. I’m sure it will be years before problems come to light and the matters are rectified as we’ve seen in response to other disasters like Love Canal, Camp Lejeune, and Hinkley.
Regardless, many got on the wagon pointing a finger at the previous administration. Joy Behar on the View stated, referring to Trump, “It’s his fault . . . “. She also indicated that it was East Palestine’s fault by saying, “That’s who you voted for . . . “, referring to Trump. Prior to his visit 20 days after the accident, Pete Buttigieg, the famous Secretary of Transportation had the audacity to weigh in stating, “We’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation,” and cited “the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015.”
Under Obama it was required to restudy the efficacy and costs regarding the brake system requirements and to repeal the requirement if there wasn’t going to be any benefit. As a result, Trump was obligated to repeal it when it was confirmed those factors applied.
Actually, what caused the derailment was an ungreased wheel bearing and the axle broke. Even NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy put to rest the misinformation and untruths by pointing out if Trump upheld the rule, the rule would not have applied as the train did not carry material classified as high-hazard flammable.
Even after the truth was disclosed, misinformation, disinformation and lies about Trump and East Palestine continue to be spread on the internet, Twitter, and throughout mainstream media. Truth and reality are relevant.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 


 
Letters to the Editor
February 25, 2023

To the Editor:
Fox News has been sued in federal court by Dominion Voting Systems (DVS) for defamation. The lawsuit alleges the "fair and balanced" network actively lied to its viewers about purported DVS "fraud" in the 2020 presidential election. It reveals that Fox News personalities are play-acting. They tell their audience what it wants to hear though they don’t believe it themselves and gin up conspiracies and false narratives to keep ratings up.
The controlling law on defamation is New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), a unanimous SCOTUS decision that held inaccuracies in reporting are protected by the First Amendment unless the plaintiff can prove “actual malice,” that is, publication with “reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.”
Trump attorneys Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani publicly promoted unfounded claims that DVS shifted vote counts to steal the election from Trump and that many election results were therefore invalid. Fox relentlessly interviewed Powell and Giuliani and reported “fraud” claims though they knew them to be false.
On January 5, 2021, Rupert Murdoch suggested hosts should “say something like ‘the election is over and Joe Biden won,’” and that would dissipate “the Trump myth that the election [was] stolen.”
Maria Bartiromo let Powell push election fraud claims of DVS complicity in switching votes from Trump to Biden that she and Giuliani got from a source who claimed she learned the information through "time travel."
Steve Bannon spoke to Bartiromo within days after the election, saying, "71 million voters will never accept Biden. This process [election denial] is to destroy his presidency before it even starts, IF it even starts. We either close on Trump’s victory or delegitimize Biden.”
Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham all privately slammed the Kraken-Rudy claims. The fraud claims lost their lustre.
As time went on, when the facts manifested themselves, emails between the hosts and with Fox management indicate panic that ratings had dropped because the hosts weren't pushing false election conspiracy theories with the same vigor as upstart cable news networks such as Newsmax and One America News. Back to the saber rattling.
In essence, the goal of Fox News is not to report actual news, but to deliver gratifying, obliging stories that reinforce their viewers' feelings of self-righteousness and self-esteem. Even if it means lying. For ratings. The Court will determine if that is “actual malice.”
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 


 
Letters to the Editor
February 16, 2023

To the Editor:
I was so depressed after reading your Editorial I nearly swore off the Gazette. While I am used to your dismal views of anything not Inquisitional, Crusade-minded or White Christian Nationalist, I must question your revulsion at the term “woke.”
The term was originally used by Black communities in the last century. One of its earliest uses was in a 1931 recording of the protest song "Scottsboro Boys" by Lead Belly. The recording addressed the prosecutions of 7 Black boys for the false accusation of raping two white women in Alabama.
To “stay woke” meant to stay alert to the deceptions and potentially violent racial threats from other people. But following the police killings of Michael Brown in 2014 and subsequent killings of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, etc., “stay woke” became the cautionary watchword of Black Lives Matter activists on the streets and meant to keep alert for police brutality and unjust police tactics.
On the left, to be “woke” now means to identify as a social justice advocate who’s concerned about contemporary civil rights. On the right, “woke” - like “canceled” - refers to “political correctness” gone awry, and the usurped term is usually used sarcastically or to fulminate against progressive values.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has implemented policies in schools that limit discussion and curriculum on race, systemic oppression, gender and sexual orientation and the now-blocked “Stop WOKE Act.” A federal judge in FL recently ruled the Act "positively dystopian," in restricting teachers, university professors and employers who are providing education or training that could make some people feel “guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological stress” about historical facts or gender issues. Truth and reality are irrelevant.
DeSantis complained, in a December 2021 speech, "they [Woke] really want to tear at the fabric of our society." He means only White, Christian, straight society. His “Woke” dog whistle promotes White grievance politics without having to resort to explicitly racist or homophobic terms to flog those seeking equality and justice.
An comment in the LTTE was that Biden had the nerve to sign bills for badly needed infrastructure improvements, to be funded by “your tax dollars.” Yep. That’s how federal funding works. And why the corporate users who gain the most from that infrastructure should absorb a huge percentage of that tax bill.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
February 10, 2023

To the Editor:
It’s time to raise the “death limit.” It’s only February and the country has already lost 61 dead and 168 injured in 37 national events of gun violence, many of which involved assault weapons.
Last week, several members of the Republican House observed that fact, and celebrated Gun Violence Survivor’s Week, by wearing AR-15 assault weapon lapel pins. Representatives George Santos (R-NY), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) were all caught on camera with the pins.
The same Representative Luna last week also participated in a “raucous” House Natural Resources panel debate to push back on Democrats’ attempt to ban firearms inside the Committee’s hearing room. In a dazzling display of thought process, she complained that, “the same Democrats who are voting to send firearms to Ukraine are telling me I can’t carry one.” Poor dear can’t tell the difference between a war zone and a House committee meeting. Reason enough not to allow her to carry.
Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) argued that gun control isn’t the answer to mass shootings because “when 9/11 happened, we didn’t ban planes.” In fact, the safety measures imposed on civilian plane travel to prevent future deadly incidents forever altered air travel after 9/11. Where has “gun momma” been?
The “Gun Violence Archive” recorded 647 mass shootings in the US in 2022, and in excess of 44,000 people died due to gun violence in the same period. After 9/11 our outrage was inflamed at fewer than 4,000 deaths, and we went to war for 20 years over the attacks.
Still, even with broad support from American voters for some gun regulation – including some of whom are gun owners - Republicans have blocked meaningful gun reform legislation, including voting against bills to expand background checks for gun purchases.
Really, there is no point in raising the “death ceiling” from assault weapon fatalities. There is clearly no number of gun deaths, heartbroken parents, and destroyed lives, that will offend the consciences of most elected Republicans, many of whom receive enormous campaign support from gun lobbyists. Given the financial incentives, and the skewed thought process and lack of logic displayed by most Republican congressionals on the subject, there may be no limit to the carnage they - and we - will have to endure.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
Tonight will be Biden’s second State of the Union Address. It is anticipated he will tout his accomplishments. In the event you were unable to watch the ceremony, he wants you to know the good he has done.
He signed bills that gave your tax dollars in the amount of $1.2 trillion to invest in bridges, roads, airports, and broadband internet. A $369 billion investment of your tax dollars to give $7,500 tax credits to individuals who purchase EV’s. Some manufactures raised the cost for their EV’s by a like amount.
While Biden capped drug prices of seniors on Medicare and reduced premiums for Obamacare, it is expected insurance premiums will increase to cover the reduced rates. In addition, Medicare recipients saw the largest Part B premium increase ever.
Biden wants you to remember that he created more jobs than any other U.S. president. Under Trump in 2019 unemployment was at it’s lowest since 1969, 3.5%; same as it is today under Biden. Biden won’t tell you that he paid out $1,400 a month for many to stay home, increased their unemployment payment, and on top of that, they didn’t have to pay their rent.
What he won’t touch on is items that you already know. Why should he remind you that gas prices, while they have come down, are still at a seven-year high. Or that everyday goods and services have all increased, causing more financial hardship to lower-income families. It’s doubtful they will decrease anytime soon, if ever.
Biden’s anti-American energy policies have not only hurt Americans with increases in electricity and heating oil, but is causing a global crisis throughout Europe due to the war in Ukraine and the shut-down of the Keystone pipeline giving Russian dominance in supplying fossil fuel. Sanctions imposed on Russia have not limited the scope of the war and the trickle of military aid from us and our allies has allowed Russia to continue its onslaught.
Biden’s failure to uphold the Constitution has resulted in an open border allowing for cartels to infiltrate our country. We are not immune, as Ventura County has seen an increase in sex and drug traffic incidents in recent months.
Democrats continue to push diversity, inclusion and equity (DIE) in the military, government institutions, schools and workplace. They’ve replaced meritocracy with DIE and we’re seeing a reduction in the education or background requirements for doctors, soldiers, airline pilots, etc. Even federal judges no longer need to know the Articles of our Constitution to be considered.
And that’s the State of the Union today.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
February 6, 2023

To the Editor:
Congressional Republicans are once again caterwauling about the national debt after springing for tax cuts for the wealthy and significantly raising military spending in the Trump administration. When the Repos are in power, they spend prodigiously, but when Demos are elected to sweep up their mess, they are suddenly awash in horror about government spending, especially on entitlements.
The House majority has vowed to balance the budget by making cuts to spending and increasing the sales tax to 30% rather than tax income. That way, for instance, the more kids you support, the more you are taxed. The wheels of commerce will be limited to groceries and yachts. DOA.
Senator Rick Scott’s (R-FL) 11-Point Plan to save America identified the intent to put “entitlements” on the block every five years. It garnered so much interest that Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) rushed to deny the real meaning for fear it would be understood and turn Republican voters against the Party in the midterms.
House Republicans insist that they will refuse to raise the debt ceiling, renege on already-accrued debts, and close the government unless they can make unspecified massive spending cuts. The middle class will bear the burden, because raising taxes on the very wealthy is never a Republican option when the middle class can be made to pick up the tab.
The vague Republican proposal is to create “special panels” to study spending cuts rather than identify particular cuts. They fear that their base would revolt at explicit plans to eliminate Social Security and Medicare. They also know that President Biden will never sign sweeping cuts to entitlements. Congressional Republicans are eagerly attacking Democrats for the national debt (to which Republican administrations have lustily contributed), and manufacturing turmoil around the possibility of a second Republican Recession or Depression so they can “own the libs.”
The U.S. has never defaulted on its debt. A default would be a violent blow to investor confidence, increase borrowing costs throughout the economy, lead to a credit-rating downgrade for U.S. debt, and threaten up to six million jobs. Whether the dollar would remain the world currency is questionable. The Republican House (mostly) knows this and are unlikely to do anything so stupidly disastrous. They are posturing for the fame game and for the base that shares their appetite for chaos.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
January 21, 2023

To the Editor:
I owe you an apology. I thought you were joined at the forehead with, and incapable of criticizing, Fox News or Tucker Carlson. I was heartened to read your spot-on observations of their horrifying response to the conflict in Ukraine. There are also Republicans in Congress who subscribe to those views. But they are merely supporting the “America First” philosophy so widespread in the Trumpian Republican Party wherein no one really matters except our own country (and only certain people in it) and anyone who disagrees or solicits our financial or military contribution is, as you pointed out, vilified and ridiculed.
Beyond criticizing President Zelensky for his wardrobe choices, Carlson and others have embraced despots like Viktor Orban, a darling of MAGA for his views on racial purity and dismantling Hungary’s fledgling democracy during his 12 years in power, and a close friend of Putin’s. It’s fine to want an accounting of our contribution to the Ukrainian cause, but the idea that we should turn our backs on that country’s courageous battle for independence and fail to support it is tragically erroneous. It is a conflict of freedom against brutal dictatorship. Something we, as Americans, profess to support.
I don’t know what Tucker Carlson really believes, but I know he hawks for despotic leaders and against just causes. Amazingly, there’s a market for such un-American endorsements in this country. Carlson has tapped into it, makes a substantial living from it, and that is likely motive enough. That or he is merely caustic and inflammatory, imagining he sounds intelligent, but often offering ridiculous assertions and is, indeed, a purveyor of “stunningly stupid comments.”
What is concerning is that other people listen to him and believe that he is an honest analyst and reporter. I am gratified that you, at least on this subject, do not buy into it.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
“Political corruption, social greed, and Americanized quasi socialism can ruin even the most wonderful places. California proved that.” Tiffany Madison
Did everyone enjoy the rain we’ve had since the first of the year? At my home we had over 16" in as many days. We were saying we needed the rain, just not all at once! Did note it’s getting close to the normal rainfall I remember from years back.
Today, California is moving at a rapid pace to save the world through adoption of drastic policies relating to climate change. There is a move to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without giving the policies the time needed to do so without financial damage to businesses and residents. The desire to be carbon neutral is set to begin in 2035 and continue to 2045.
First, there will be implementation of phasing out all fossil fuel refining. Also the move to have vehicle miles traveled reduced 30 percent, and, of course, only electric vehicles will be allowed on the road. New buildings will be required to be all electric.
At the first of the year we got a notice from SCE our rates will be increased by $12 a month. The reason given was “Some of the power we deliver to you comes from natural gas-fired power plants and the price we pay for natural gas has increased.” If California is moving to reducing gas emissions, what plans does SCE have to replace the gas-fired plants? Wind turbines? Solar? Purchase from out-of-state producers?
One other way California is looking to address climate change is through the reduction of dairy methane (manure) emissions by 50 to 75 percent, or in laymen terms, dairy farmers will need to reduce their herd by 50 to 75 percent. Moving in this direction does not take in account regenerative agriculture which are agricultural policies focusing on the whole ecological system allowing for the integration and managing of grazing and pasturing along with composting to increase soil health, all without the use of man-made fertilizer.
The direction California is headed reminds me of the tongue-in-cheek definition of totalitarianism. You have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Milk is banned.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
January 12, 2023

To the Editor:
Last week’s LTTE from Ms. Walker. The lament was that the electorate did not produce, as Republicans anticipated, a “red wave” to decimate the Democrats. She was disappointed that Americans do not want “change,” meaning they voted not to exhume the prior administration. Yet she recognized a litany of changes recently adopted by the CA Democratic Legislature.
That pesky minimum wage rise will likely increase the cost of your hamburger, an inconvenience and minor hardship to consumers, but a modest life-enhancement for the employee also experiencing tough times. The jaywalking legislation was designed to prevent law enforcement from wasting time ticketing people who ought to know better. It will save money!
The legislation (AB 2098) prohibiting doctors from spreading “misinformation” about Covid may be beneficial, but it carries the risk of a “chilling effect” on the First Amendment and might require invasion of the doctor-patient relationship (as does physician-patient abortion discussions). It will be challenged in court.
The “loitering law,” was written to protect all people from discriminatory arrests and harassment based on how they dress or their profession [including sex workers]. SB 357 repeals a CA PC Section that criminalized loitering in general language “to delay or linger without lawful purpose” and often resulted in discrimination against transgender and people of color. The new law does not legalize prostitution. Governor Newsom agreed it must be monitored for unintended consequences. Rest assured that interference with customer traffic in and out of your fave hamburger business is still a crime.
Reduction or denial of health care benefits to all Americans is a short-sighted objective and many Republican congressionals voted against capping insulin prices and Medicare negotiating other drug costs. They didn’t act for their constituents. It was a Republican wall of support for corporate medical interests. Ms. Walker is projecting.
Contrary to her belief that the “average American” does not want change, they do. If it will improve their lives and sometimes, even that of fellow Americans, and they prefer candidates who have integrity, respect for democracy and its processes, and the willingness to work hard. Nominees who cannot tell the truth, live lives very different from what they profess, and election-deniers and insurrection-defenders are not what the majority endorses.
If positive change is offered, Americans will take it. Instead of celebrating the recent Republican Speakership debacle, most Americans will rebuff a Lord of the Flies government.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
January 5, 2023

To the Editor:
There have been concerning revelations over the holidays regarding money and government.
The elected president and vice president are required to have their in-office returns audited by the IRS. Presidents Obama and Biden and Vice-President Harris were audited in each of their years in office. The House Ways and Means Committee discovered that former president Trump was not IRS audited, at the direction of Trump Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
We now know from Trump’s federal income tax filings, ordered by SCOTUS to be provided to the House Committee, that former President Trump had a bank account but no known business or property in China at the time, just the account. And he lied about it. For several years, Trump paid more in foreign taxes than he did in the U.S.
We need federal legislation to require Party nominees for president and vice-president be required to submit their federal income tax returns for the prior 5 years for public review. Refusing and stalling should not be an option as their financials could affect policy decisions. That is a choice the electorate should weigh, not at the nominee’s option.
In another revelation, the NYTimes reported on the activities and fundraising of the Supreme Court Historical Society, a “nonprofit dedicated to the collection and preservation of the Court’s history.”
While the Historical Society claims to be independent of the judicial branch of government, the reality is that "the two are inextricably intertwined." Court justices serve as chair of the board, and host gala events where exclusive access to the justices is provided.
Of the $23 million dollars the Society raised over the last 20 years, much of the funding came from donations from corporate interests, law firms, special interest groups, or far-right activists, some in years when they had an active interest in a federal court case on appeal to the Court. They include anti-choice/abortion activists like Rev. Rob Schenck, Chevron, Goldman Sachs, Time Warner, and Facebook.
It is inappropriate, unacceptable, and undemocratic for the highest Court in the legal system to be open to a charge of pay-to-play with the justices. One solution is for Congress to budget for maintaining the Court’s history. Another option: legislation requiring SCOTUS to publish their tax returns.
Whatever it takes to keep the president, vice-president and SCOTUS off the auction block.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
Prior to the mid-term election I heard it said the “average” American could not want to continue down the path we’ve been on for two years. They were fed-up over the high cost of gas, eggs, bread and bacon. Democrats running for senate said they’d do away with fossil fuel, increase health care and corporate handouts. But, don’t fret, the “average” American would vote out the Democrats. Republicans were set to take over the US Congress and Senate.
Here in California the Democrats have a super-majority, (60-19) with control of governor and both chambers of the legislature. So not surprising, on January 1 the minimum wage increased to $15.50, still not keeping with the current inflation rate. It’s okay to jaywalk. It’s believe this will encourage more people to walk. Your doctor may be leery to talk to you about COVID, because someone may turn them into the Medical Board for disseminating misinformation and they could lose their license to practice. Can’t ask anyone to move away from your business, loitering is now decriminalized. Like your Big Mac’s? Here in CA fast-food chains with 100 or more locations in the USA could see the minimum wage go as high as $22 an hour.
Not wishing to be cynical, I no longer believe the “average” American wants change. The opportunity to vote for change in November did not bring about the swing to the right as I, and many others, had hoped. Yet I strive to greet 2023 with a heart grateful for today and an open mind to what tomorrow will bring.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
December 30, 2022

To the Editor:
We all want to start 2023 on a positive note so, given my word limitation, of the many good things that happened in 2022, I offer only five.
Ukraine’s battle for self-determination. Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted near-instant victory when he invaded Ukraine in late February. The extraordinary spirit and relentless determination of Ukrainians was and is astonishing. While they fought heroically, at home their families suffered food shortages, no heat, water, or electricity. Ukrainian President Zelensky received Time magazine’s Person of the Year for his ability to rally the support of the free world in weapons and aid and the recognition that this is not just a regional war.
A global food crisis was avoided. One result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine was collapsed grain exports from Ukraine to people in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Millions of people were starving. Over last summer, the UN managed to get the grain to those nations. The US gave more than $5 billion in aid for food and provided funds for the UN World Food Program. While the problem is not solved, for this year at least the interventions helped save the lives of millions of people.
The American electorate largely refuted election denial and far-right authoritarianism. Many Republican candidates openly and vigorously denied the 2020 election results. Some had participated in the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. Some were just tawdry sycophants of Trump without any possible redeeming merit as elected officials. Most were rejected by the electorate. But it was just round one of what will be a continuing battle.
The country was introduced to Cassidy Hutchinson and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Two women, of different political parties, who exceeded expectations for their contributions to democracy. Hutchinson, a young staffer in the Trump Administration rejected the advice of her Trump-provided attorney to have a memory problem about January 6 and told the truth. Justice Jackson has already shown in her comments from the bench that she has a clear and deep knowledge of the Constitution and of the real world.
The economy is improving, slowly. The US and world economy was shut down for over a year and it appeared that we were all headed for a depression. But the heart-stopping gas prices are slowly going down. The US government provided financial and other support to keep many households and business afloat. The data to November indicates that more than 4 million American have found employment post-pandemic.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
December 15, 2022

To the Editor:
Martin:
This New Year is going to be one of the most important in the history of our country. There are political choices to be made in trying to navigate the turbulence of the changes that face us at home and worldwide. While Trump himself licks his wounds at MAL, what does the Trumpian GOP have planned for us?
Last week in Manhattan, radical far-Right figures including neo-fascists, US White nationalists (including Donald Trump Jr., Roger Stone, and Steve Bannon), and ultranationalists in Europe met for the New York Young Republican Club's 110th Annual Gala. That group’s leader, Gavin Wax, proclaimed, “We want to cross the Rubicon. We want total war. We must be prepared to do battle in every arena. In the media. In the courtroom. At the ballot box. And in the streets…”
Republicans dined and laughed with leaders from extreme far-Right European parties like Alternative for Germany, whom German officials placed under surveillance for their ties to extremism, and Austrian Freedom Party. Republican speakers repeatedly voiced an anti-democracy, authoritarian ideology, to the great appreciation of the extremists.
Multiple newly elected GOP congress people, such as George Santos (NY), Georgia-based Mike Collins (GA), and Cory Mills (FL) cheered Marjorie Taylor Greene (MJT), who told the crowd in the event’s closing remarks that the January 6th, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol would have succeeded if she had planned it, and that the insurrectionists would have been armed. She claimed it was a joke. As funny as sedition.
VDARE’s Peter Brim low attended. A promotor of the great replacement conspiracy theory who published a defense of the terrorist who murdered 24 people in an El Paso Wal-Mart in 2019, and who attended the white supremacist American Renaissance conference where Black people were portrayed as being less than fully human.
MTG suggested eliminating Democrat members of House committees in her closing speech, as a way of shifting the tide of power in Washington. She also told the audience Americans it was “almost midnight,” meaning they risked losing their country to perceived enemies. “The party is in a pretty good spot, declared speaker Donald J. Trump, Jr., “but America may not be getting it.”
And this is their solution: White nationalist extremism administered in America by the GOP. Violent, even deadly anti-democratic enforcement measures. Subjugation of half of the electorate. Midnight in America. Trump, Jr., is correct. “America may not be getting it.” It’s time they did.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
December 7, 2022

To the Editor:
I have made no secret of my disdain, fear, and loathing for Trump as president. It’s irrelevant to the fact that he claims to be a conservative Republican. Conservatism is a healthy ingredient in a democracy. As has been noted before, today’s Trumpian Republicans are not conservative. They are radicals who found a home in the GOP and flipped it MAGA.
As with Hunter Biden, I have reached a point where I feel something akin to pity for Trump. He has, like Hunter, reached a near-parody of public self-destruction. Last Saturday the former president explicitly trumpeted what he has implicitly demonstrated for years. He called for the scrapping of our 250-year-old Constitution if necessary to restore his lost presidency.
What precipitated this treacherous statement was that, during the 2020 presidential campaign, Twitter apparently removed tweets that featured nude photos of a clearly inebriated Hunter Biden. This news caused Trump to re-bleat his outrage at the results of the 2020 election.
Censorship and technology are serious issues, as is the attempt to keep deliberate misinformation from the public square. But Trump’s thesis is that Twitter violated the First Amendment by not re-publishing on social media what some would call pornography. What was the public interest in seeing such personal squalor?
When the middle-aged son of a presidential candidate is addicted and possibly emotionally ill, is it relevant to the election? True, it did deny Trump the chance to exploit the obviously troubled adult son of rival presidential candidate Joe Biden. Clearly, Hunter needs serious and sustained professional counseling, but there is no First Amendment right to view his genitals.
"So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution. Our great 'Founders' did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!"
Cautious pity is appropriate for this level of deluded egomania. It is a window on Trump’s contempt for the Constitution, and a magnifying glass on the truth of the Trump-induced seditious insurrection at the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
December 4, 2022

To the Editor:
Martin, I had hoped that you would more fully comment on Citizens United v. FEC. It has led to the atrocities in corporate funding of political campaigns that you so abhor. Zuckerberg, Bezos, Koch, Thiel, or Vegas casino owners: Democrats and Republicans. That’s the point. It corrupts the entire system.
I agree that presidents and vice-presidents should reveal their medical information. They should also be obliged to submit their tax returns.
I was amused at your quote of Trump’s self-report that he got a “perfect score” on a standard cognitive test. He has also said that he is “a very stable genius,” that he “alone can fix it,” that the Republicans will “grow tired of winning,” and forced his physician to report that there “has never been a president in such perfect health.” Last week when he dined with infamous anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denier, and racist white nationalist, Nick Fuentes, Trump said he “had no idea.” Perhaps it’s a standard polygraph test he needs.
Republicans at least since Reagan have targeted Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare as “giveaways” to the undeserving and examples of “communism.” In fact, Martin, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was angry that Rick Scott (R-FL) did publish his “11-Point Republican Plan to Save America” last summer before the midterms. Even though Scott used innocuous language of reform and proposed to sunset entitlements at five years, everyone in Congress knew what the language really meant. ‘McConnell knew that publishing risked the Repo base getting wise. But, safe on first!
There is a 2010 video available on Newsweek.com of senate candidate Mike Lee (R-UT) in which he says, "I'm here right now to tell you one thing you probably have never heard from a politician: it will be my objective to phase out Social Security. That's why I'm doing this, to get rid of that. Medicare and Medicaid are of the same sort, they need to be pulled up.”
Lee at least said the dreaded “quiet thing” out loud. Republican legislators are going to try and cut social programs and entitlements benefitting the middle class, the elderly, and the needy, but are hoping that their base will believe what they literally say and not what they mean. So far so good.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
November 24, 2022

To the Editor:
As we approach this holiday season, Thanksgiving is just days away, I send these wishes to all for a season filled with love, peace, and the thanks for the ability to live in a country that allows the representation of all thoughts, ideas, and freedoms that our Constitution grants to all its citizens. I pray that you hold dear to your heart the rights and values that founded this great nation and celebrate those rights and values with your family and friends.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving and a joyous December season, however you celebrate.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
November 19, 2022

To the Editor:
The failure of the “red wave” resulted in great part from “Trumpfunk,” the sheer exhaustion of many voters at the unrelenting toxicity of extremism, fear, and anger delivered up by the Republican Party and the incessant baseless attacks of election deniers. Add to that SCOTUS overturning Roe and the failure of Congressional Republicans to offer explicit GOP policies beyond “impeach Biden.” While the Democrats are by no means perfect, they actually have passed legislation that will improve the lot of the American people.
Some of the Republican candidates were so offensive, so incompetent and phony, that candidate quality was clearly irrelevant. The fervent Republican support for the likes of truth-challenged abortion enthusiast (only if it’s his) Herschel Walker in South Carolina, snake oil salesman Mehmet Oz in PA, puppet candidate Blake Masters in AZ, or election denier and political dreg Doug Mastriano, was astounding.
Why do you have such a heat on for Senator-elect Fetterman, Martin? Because he thrust “his arms into the air after his win?” Singularly outrageous! His stroke affected his power of speech and auditory processing as is common in stroke victims. He has a mechanism which reduces speech to written form. His thought process is unimpaired. It may pacify you to recall that Stephen Hawking could not utter a single word and somehow managed to do his job fairly well.
It’s good to know you recognize that, in politics,” it’s all money now.” You can thank a 2010 conservative-majority SCOTUS decision which reversed a century of law designed to prevent corruption in elections and opened the floodgates for special interests.
In Citizens United v. FEC, conservative SCOTUS held 5-4 that “independent political spending” by corporations was a First Amendment expression and did not create a substantive threat of corruption (because everybody knows that corporations are incorruptible). They can spend unlimited funds on campaign advertising if they “do not coordinate” with a specific candidate’s campaign. Also, contributing nonprofit groups are not required to disclose their donors.
Obama and the Democrats desperately warned against the dangers of financial and political exploitation inherent in the case. Our worst fears have been substantiated. Welcome aboard.
No major election complaints, except from Kari Lake who bitterly denounced the voting process in AZ that she and other Republicans there had fashioned and implemented post-2020. No making some people happy.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
Thanks again for all your hard work in the campaign. Tim Gurrola is collecting signs. If yours has not been picked up, please reply to this email so Tim can come by to get it.
Thanks,
Amy Gurrola,
Fillmore, Ca.
**The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Air Force, Department of Defense or the US Government**

***

To the Editor:
The Democrats in the two weeks prior to the election claimed that Republicans intended to make cuts to Social Security and Medicare. In fact, at no time did any Republican, candidate or elected, make such a claim.
Democrats said that Republicans were threatening to use debt ceiling to make cuts to “the programs (sic. Social Security and Medicare). What they actually said was “focus has got to be on nondiscretionary-it’s got to be on entitlements” (Rep B. Carter). Or that Sen. Ron Johnson said SS and Medicare was to be renegotiated every single year. What he actually said was “discretionary spending” should be reviewed during the budget cycle. Of course they turned to Sen. Lindsey Graham who they proclaim said that reforming these two programs was a “must”. Actually he said “entitlement reform is a must”.
So what are the types of federal entitlements? These range from rights granted to citizens and non-citizens. They’re programs that are contributory or non-contributory which are benefits available without regard to whether the recipient contributed any funds to the programs.
Social Security and Medicare, along with Unemployment Insurance are a part of the entitlement programs. These are contributory programs. Currently, Medicare has approximately four more years until the program is broke. Social Security has a mere seven years until it can’t fulfill it’s financial responsibilities.
Others, SNAP (food stamps), Earned Income Tax Credit program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, CHIP, Pell Grants, are examples of non-contributory programs. These are federal programs that are mostly managed by the states, which thereby result in different thresholds regarding qualification.
It isn’t unfair to be asking the question regarding this nondiscretionary entitlement spending when taking into account the additional 4.5 million who have crossed over the border in the last 18 months and who do not have a social security card but are granted housing, medical care, food and education.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
November 3, 2022

To The Editor:
I was disappointed to see that you had recommended a “No” vote on Measure G. Fillmore High needs a new Gymnasium to replace the gym built over 70 years ago which does not meet the present-day requirements for changing and showering in addition to many other factors. We also need to upgrade classrooms. The previous bonds paid for our new industrial arts building which provides an auto repair shop, welding, wood working, computer lab and ag. It is the envy of all school districts with the facilities to train our students for jobs in the future. We need to continue to provide facilities for our young students to have the best tools to succeed in the future. Four generations of my family have gotten a top-notch education a Fillmore High School. I am voting YES on measure G to provide the facilities to continue that tradition.
Bob Morris,
Fillmore

***

To The Editor:
This election is primarily about three things: inflation, women’s rights, and the future of democracy in this country.
Inflation, unfortunately, is a foreseeable problem following Covid and its economic impacts, and the Russian War. Opportunistic corporate decisions to significantly increase dividends to stockholders, especially of big Pharma and the oil industry, add to the pain. Much of Europe is anticipating a significant shortage in heating fuel and rising energy prices and even starvation in some countries because of the lack of Ukrainian wheat. Our very real challenges are not unique to us.
The Biden administration and congressional Democrats pumped trillions of dollars into the economy with the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. These measures were essential for the immediate economic survival of millions of Americans. Republicans backed none of them. Senate Republicans refused to let Medicare negotiate lower prescription prices.
Women’s rights to control their own reproductive health was overturned and the Constitutional standard of Mississippi was imposed. Many Republicans intend to make it a federal law and many have vowed to prevent the use of contraceptives. A female’s wishes and needs are irrelevant. Even if she was the victim of a rape, incest, or unless she is at the threshold of death.
Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan for Republican control proposes to “sunset” legislation at five years. The GOP has been eager for decades (and denying it) to reduce or eliminate entitlements to the middle class, primarily by reducing Social Security and eliminating Medicare. They have indicated that they will refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless their plan is effectuated. The ensuing catastrophe is almost unimaginable. The inability of the Repo base to recognize that they are voting against their own middle-class interests is astounding.
The violence that self-pitying Trump encourages and that exploded into Jan6, the divorce from democracy it represents, the packing elections 2022 officials with truth deniers and Big Lie advocates, reducing the electorate by falsely claiming extensive fraud which even the Supreme Court has rejected, the fact that Trump regularly denigrates US intentions and power in the world and continually praises ruthless dictators, ought to give everyone pause.
I am not “fixated” on Trump and his attempt to overthrow elections. I am persistent in sounding the alarm.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
October 27, 2022

To the Editor:
About this one thing you are consistently correct, Martin: it is impossible to have a real discussion when one person either does not know or will not accept facts. My LTTE last week was not about what I think are facts, or even my opinion. I simply listed some of the most revelatory evidence disclosed in the January 6 House Bi-partisan Committee hearings. The facts almost exclusively were provided by Republican witnesses.
The definition of “insurrection” is “an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against an established government.” What do you call the violent attack on the capitol on Jan6 instigated by a president to reverse his loss in a valid election?
As a diversion, you draw a false equivalency between BLM and Jan 6. The crucial difference is that BLM was not trying to overthrow our government. The assault on the capitol was an attempt to prevent the certification of a national election and came dangerously close at the hands of people for whom it is “their way or the highway.”
Since then, Trump Republicans have intimidated and threatened elections workers and defiantly proclaimed that they will deny the results of any future election which they lose. So much for Trump’s GOP defending democracy.
If one can overlook or ignore the Committee’s evidence including shocking videos of the Jan 6 sedition, Trump admitting on more than one occasion that he had, in fact, lost the 2020 election, it isn’t too strenuous for some to also pretend that the Trump GOP will make America great again.
Since you like to change the subject, if you want to know what the Trumpian Republican Party really has planned for you, Google Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) “11-Point Plan to Rescue America.” Sen. Rick Scott Lays Out 11-Point Plan To ‘Rescue America’ | The Daily Caller Speaker McCarthy was angry that Scott published the document. It sounds innocuous until you understand what it really means. It plans to cut Social Security, eliminate Medicare, make a women’s right to choose illegal nationally, curtail female birth control options, end LGBTQ rights including marriage, refashion historical reality, and empower state legislatures with the right to dictate national election results in their states. Republicans call it “Freedom.”
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
Ms. Scoles wants to anguish over J6. Her letters fixate on the Bi-partisan (sic) House Select Committee televised show trial. She fails to represent to the readers that the Democrats are in full control of the outcome. Of the 13 members only two, Cheney and Kitzinger, are Republican. They say this isn’t a trial, yet they bring hearsay testimony and visuals they massage and edit into a specific conclusion. To be a true believer that J6 was an insurrection, the Committee should show and release all the videos compiled from that day for the public viewing.
Kelly resorts to pointing to the FBI. Obviously, she failed to hear the extent of their corruption and abuses these past six years that has been laid open for all to see. Now the FBI wants to lay the groundwork for the 2022 mid-term elections open to cyber threats from China and Russia. Is this so they can cry foul when they lose?
When I queried her to outline why anyone should vote Democrat, she was silent.
These many months I have written about issues I have an opinion on relating to the state of America. I’ve written on Biden’s decisions regarding Afghanistan. Unduly regulating oil and gas production. Quashing oil and gas production. Failure to follow the rule of law relating to student debt payouts and infringing on peoples’ property rights, and others, causing the use of taxpayer dollars to cover the costs to litigate when they knew they’d lose. COVID-19 issues. Forcing an experimental drug into the youth and working class. And of course, the border crisis.
And as I write this, I am also very concerned with the state of California. The federal government found that due to the inept state government, our political and regulatory policies, were what brought about the disastrous wildfires. We all know we have the 2nd highest gas tax and EV cars pay a higher DMV fee to offset the gas tax. We’re number 38 in the nation for education and our teachers are among the highest paid. California used federal COVID-19 payments to bail out its fiscal mismanagement. Our credit/bond rating is the lowest in the nation. Unfunded pension liabilities are through the roof, and we’re taxed so their retirements remain whole. We have one of the highest sales tax rates. The elected have failed to deal with the infrastructure deficit. Thirty percent of our population receives financial assistance. You won’t be able to purchase a new gas-powered vehicle in 2025. Requirement to be fossil fuel free by 2035, yet we have across the state power outages. Doctors are targeted if it’s determined an appointed committee finds they are providing “misinformation” relating to COVID. The list truly is much longer.
J6. J6. J6. Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade.
Like Kelly, the Democrats only have these two things on their minds. (Kelly also likes to fixate on Trump). Yet, as I walked down the grocery aisles this past week, looking at the price of eggs, meat, etc., neither of these things were on my mind. Neither are they on the minds of my family members, friends or neighbors.
Please, vote wisely.
Patti Walker
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
October 20, 2022

To the Editor:

Fox News was silent last Thursday about the televised hearing that day of the Jan 6 Bi-partisan House Select Committee. The evidence presented showed that the violence was not spontaneous chaos, or demonstration of an honest belief in a stolen election, or about a president who unwittingly set afire the brutality of the day. It was a deliberate, intentional, and premeditated effort by Trump to overturn a duly conducted election, effect a coup, and prevent the peaceful transfer of power in America.

Trump knew he lost (“I don’t want people to know we lost”). Trump and his operatives agreed that he would claim election fraud and victory and would not relinquish power no matter the decision of the electorate. He knew that many in his base would reflexively rally to the “Big Lie.”

Some of the notable revelations:

1)The Secret Service and FBI knew on December 27th, 2020 – and did not disclose to appropriate law enforcement until over a week later– that large contingents of heavily-armed Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and other violent white nationalists were planning to congregate in DC on January 6th, 2021. “Their intent is to literally kill people,” said one internal Secret Service email.

2) On a MAGA-favored website where users commonly issued death threats to elected officials was the comment,"Our 'lawmakers’ in Congress can leave one of two ways: 1. in a body bag. 2. after rightfully certifying Trump the winner.”In a subpoenaed video, Trump henchman Roger Stone said, "f*ck the voting, let's get right to the violence."

3) To exact revenge and cause havoc after he left office Trump, on November 11, 2020, signed a directive to the Joint Chiefs to change the Afghanistan withdrawal date of May 1, 2021, under the Trump-Taliban Peace Agreement(without the participation of the Afghani government) to January 15th, 2021,one day after Biden’s inauguration. The horrified Joint Chiefs finally convinced him to withdraw the catastrophic directive. Trump’s shameful “Peace Agreement” remained in place, unknown to Biden until after his inauguration, giving the new president 4 short months to prepare for the monumental withdrawal or escalate the war.

4) On Jan 6th, both McCarthy and McConnell declared that Trump was responsible for the insurrection, and Ted Cruz recently admitted that “not one Republican Senator thought he wasn’t guilty.” When Trump threatened them, they recanted, choosing power over principle once again.

Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
I was Chris Gurrola’s Humanities teacher when he was in the 8th grade at Fillmore Middle School. I remember him as one of the bet students I ever had. Chris impressed me with his intelligence, work ethic and creativity. He told me that his ambition was to become an Air Force pilot, a goal he accomplished.
I was very impressed with his answers to questions recently posed by the Ventura County Star to the candidates for Fillmore City Council. His responses were articulate and showed understanding of the issues and suggested intelligent, doable solutions. Fillmore would be blessed to have Chris Gurrola on the City Council.
Mary Ford,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
October 12, 2022

To the Editor:
Fillmore Unified School District’s schools and classrooms are among our community’s most valuable assets. Measure G, a $41.6 million general obligation bond on the November 8th ballot, will improve and protect these vital public assets without increasing current tax rates.
If approved by voters, Measure G funds will be used to address the most critical needs facing our schools. The projects to be funded will be wide-ranging and will have a profound impact on both our students and our community. Major projects will include:
• Constructing a new gym at Fillmore High improving athletic facilities and allowing for expanded physical education classes benefitting all students
• Modernizing older classrooms to better prepare our students for success in their future studies and careers
• Upgrading older wiring to support modern classroom technology
Of equal importance is the fact that our district’s Board of Trustees is passionately committed to the responsible use of taxpayer funds. As mentioned above, Measure G will not increase a homeowner’s current tax rate. Instead, the tax rate for a prior bond approved by voters in 1997 will be extended with an average rate of 5¢ per $100 of assessed value.
In addition, a Citizens’ Oversight Committee, made up of community members like you, will review each and every bond expenditure. Bond funds will not be used to pay for administrators’ salaries, pensions, or benefits.
Finally, all of Measure G’s bond dollars will be used to improve Fillmore’s schools and facilities and the state will be legally prohibited from taking any of these bond funds and spending them elsewhere.
Ask any real estate professional – good schools improve the value of a community. As a graduate of Fillmore High School, parent of three FHS alumni, and long-time resident and taxpayer, I know the positive impact Fillmore schools have had on our children and our community. Measure G will help ensure future generations of Fillmore students have access to school facilities that meet the needs of 21st century education. With independent oversight, a list of community-selected projects and no increase in current tax rates, Measure G deserves your strong support.
Christine Schieferle
Community Member, FHS Class of ‘91

***

To the Editor:
One of the human treasures of Fillmore died last Friday morning.
Sarah Hansen was the model civic-minded person who, when she saw a community problem, fashioned a solution. Politics were not her particular interest, but Sarah got things done. A quietly effective and tireless volunteer, she supported any cause that would help people in need, especially the young. No fuss, just service to her fellow citizens delivered with steadiness, civility, dignity, patience, and a quiet joy.
With all her accomplishments, I never heard her utter an unkind word.
A light has gone out in Fillmore for everyone who knew her. This is not the time for me to engage in querulous political debate. We have all lost a dear friend and a luminous human being. Whatever else is going on in the world, Fillmore owes her memory a moment.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore, Ca.

***

To the Editor:
Democratic Congresswoman and 2020 Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has announced she is leaving the Democrat Party. She supported Biden when she dropped out of the race.
Her reason, “I can no longer remain in today’s Democratic Party. It’s now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue and stoking anti white racism, who actively worked to undermine our God given freedoms enshrined in our Constitution, and who are hostile to people of faith and spirituality, who demonize the police who protect criminals at the expense of law abiding Americans who believe in open borders, who weaponize the national security state to go after their political opponents, and above all, are dragging us ever closer to nuclear war,”
She’s right. And I couldn’t have said it any better. That’s the shame of it all.
Patti Walker,
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
October 5, 2022

To the Editor:
A couple of weeks ago, an LTTE stated that the “current Democratic rhetoric is there will be a ‘civil war’ if Republicans regain control of Congress.”But for a civil war to begin, people have to be highly motivated. They use language of fear, outrage, threat, and victimizationto make people willing to shed the blood of fellow citizens. This is the realm of Trumpian Republicans.These people are not “conservatives.” They are radicals who only want to conserve - and impose – their heritage, religion, and society. They demand “Freedom.” But only theirs, not yours.
The Charlottesville right-wing mob (one of whom killed a young woman) was deemed “good people” by Trump. Many Republicans defended young Rittenhouse when he armed, traveled, and gratuitously inserted himself into a protest and killed two men. It was right-wing extremists who be sieged the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump has invoked white nationalist terrorist groups including the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and “Q.” Far-Right militias have become part of national politics. Exhortations to “load and lock”are not coming from Democrats.
MTGreene (R-GA), who excels in spreading bizarre conspiracy theories, spoke at a Trump Rally last Saturday in MI and referenced two local news stories to support her baseless claim that Democrats are hunting down GOP voters. "I'm not going to mince words with you all," Greene said. "Democrats want Republicans dead. They've already started the killings.”She referenced two local stories, though the police in both cases reported they cannot establish a political motive.She is never one to let a tragedy go to political waste.
She made additional false and demagogic remarks. "Joe Biden has declared every freedom-loving American an enemy of the state," she said. But it was Trump who used this language, referring to President Biden as an “enemy of the state” in a rally in PA last month. If you work up the crowdenough, even an obvious lie can be sold. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) when confronted with the comments refused to disavow them. He’s got his base to feed.
The facts don’t matter to these people because truth is not useful to them. Incendiary language, alarm, and lies are what spark conflict. They and their fellow Trumpians learned from “the master.” The question is, how ginned-up can they get the audience, and will itmetastasize to their advantage?
Kelly Scoles
Fillmore

 
Letters to the Editor
September 28, 2022

To the Editor:
Despite Martin’s uninterest in Trump’s sanction of “Q,” the essential question remains: “Why is Trump finally openly endorsing this Far Right conspiracy group?” For the same reason he urged the assembly on January 6, 2021, to storm the capitol and reverse the election. He failed to overthrow the government then, but considering the current tsunami of investigations of him in Washington and his Organization in New York, all Trump has working for him now are desperate attorneys, blind loyalty, threats of violence, and fundraising off the public when he himself is so “fabulously wealthy.”
“The World’s Biggest Victim” claims unconstitutional invasion of his Mar-a-Lago estate (“they didn’t even take their shoes off in my bedroom!” Your typical manly and constitutional concern), when the DOJ under warrant seized documents after months of negotiation and denial. The FBI retrieved tens of boxes of materials Trump claimed he did not have. In a move to delay the analysis of many “TOP SECRET” documents that had been removed from their files (some found in Trump’s personal desk) he demanded a “special master” to review the documents and determine their status.
Unfortunately for Mr. Trump, his selected Special Master Raymond Dearie, reprimanded the Trump lawyers for ludicrous claims of his ownership and/or ignorance. Interestingly, the issue of whether Trump had declassified the documents was not raised in the amended legal filings. Although Trump claimed to Hannity on FOX that he had declassified them, “just by thinking about it,” his lawyers did not raise the “declassification by rumination” defense because they do not want to lose their law licenses for knowingly filing a false statement with the Master.
Why did Trump reveal his “superpower” to Hannity when he should have been exercising his right to remain silent? Because the courts notwithstanding, Trump wants an army of disgruntled, resentful loyalists, and generous donors, to do his dirty work for him. Just as he did on January 6. Like “Q,” Trump wants us to fear that the “Coming Storm” (armed clashes, civil war, bad weather? They won’t define it) is imminent if he is prosecuted, because Trump is above the Law and he, “Q,” and other “very special people” are fine with burning the country down to prove it.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

***

To the Editor:
Just when you think that you've seen about every evil, blasphemous twisting of God's word, something else comes up. The latest is Gavin Newsom's attempt to use Jesus' words to encourage women in pro-life states to come to California to kill their babies. In case you missed it in the news, Newsom put up billboards (at California taxpayers' expense) in seven pro-life states: Texas, Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Oklahoma with these words: "Want an abortion? California is here to help." Below these words is a quote from Jesus: "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these. Mark 12:31."
So not only is Newsom declaring California an "abortion sanctuary state" where women can kill the children they've conceived at will, but he's encouraging women from other states ("freedom-hating" states, he calls them) to come to California where they can kill theirs, too - and using Jesus' words to do it He will answer to Jesus for his evil, and when he does, their conversation will be very short. In fact, it won't be a conversation at all. Jesus will speak, and, like the man in Jesus' parable (Matthew 22:11-13), Newsom will be speechless. Then the Lord will say, "Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Not a very pleasant picture - weeping and gnashing one's teeth in darkness for eternity. But that's Newsom's future if he doesn't repent of his evil.
Leslie R. Lanier, Pastor
Wayfarer's Chapel Lutheran Church
Fillmore