Need for Accountability

 Letter to the LNP editor as submitted on 26 September 2026

     Accountability was a trait highly valued by our Founders. When they signed the Declaration of Independence pledging “our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor”, they were holding themselves and each other accountable for whatever might result from their action. Parson Weems wrote his tale about George Washington and the cherry tree as a means to teach young people of his generation the value of accepting accountability for harmful deeds.

Today, alas, we have an administration that refuses to hold its members accountable for gross misconduct and unlawful behavior. When Rep. Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth a few weeks ago, Republican leadership in the House turned tail and ran home rather than allowing a vote to hold Hegseth accountable for the listed offenses.

The DOJ is engaged in endless stalling and refusal to release all the Epstein files, thus shielding from accountability pedophiles and rapists while continuing to deny justice for the victims. And when courts do hold criminals such as the January 6^th rioters accountable, Trump pardons them. According to Katherine Pompilio reporting in Lawfare, at least 97 of those thus pardoned have subsequently been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of other crimes.

It should be clear to anyone paying attention that the Republicans who control both the House and the Senate have no intention of holding anyone in the administration accountable for their lawlessness and corruption. It’s up to “we the People” to vote to defend the Constitution and restore decency and justice to our nation.

 

Danger of Voter Suppression

Letter to the LNP editor as submitted on 29 August 2026

    There is much disturbing news to consider right now, making it difficult to decide what most needs our attention. Six months after it was begun, the unlawful war in Iran continues to drain our military’s resources. More evidence of financial corruption by the Trump family comes to light with every news release. The DOJ contemptuously refuses to follow the law and court orders to publish the complete Epstein files. Trump begins an insanely stupid and harmful tariff war with our closest neighbor and ally, Canada.

We need to remain aware of, and firmly oppose, all of the above. But right now, in my opinion, the most immediate and dangerous threat to our nation is the regime’s multi-pronged effort at voter suppression. We are presently sixty-six days away from the midterm elections. Trump knows that the results could produce a Congress that begins to hold him accountable. Threats regarding his sending ICE and federal troops to polling places are rampant. Whether true or not, the clear intent is to discourage citizens from even attempting to vote.

Even worse is Trump’s effort to weaponize the US Postal Service, publishing rules that would both compel states to turn over to federal authorities sensitive personal voter data and sow confusion and chaos in the mail-in balloting process. These rules are being challenged in courts. Meanwhile, as time grows short, state officials face significant uncertainty in election planning.

It is critical that we commit to exercising our constitutional right to vote and band together to help others to do likewise. We MUST resist authoritarians and preserve our democracy.

 

 

Why We Must Vote in November

 Letter to the LNP Editor as submitted on 26 July 2026

 Author and conservative political consultant Rick Wilson titled his best-selling 2018 book about the first Trump presidency “Everything Trump Touches Dies.” We see the truth of that in the fate of the White House Rose Garden, once filled with beautiful living plants and flowers, now covered with dead slabs of concrete. And tragically, we see it in coffins bearing the bodies of brave, faithful soldiers, killed in Trump’s senseless, unlawful war in the Middle East.

On a national level, we are collectively witnessing the death of the high regard and trust once extended to our country by our international partners and allies. According to the Pew Research Center our standing in world opinion has dropped considerably since their last survey. Their most recent polling in 36 nations shows a 57% unfavorable opinion of the U.S. versus 37% favorable. International views of Trump himself are even more extreme, with 76% expressing no confidence in his leadership of world affairs.

 One thing he has managed not to kill is his bank account. As reported in the New York Times, “President Trump reaped a stunning windfall in his first year back in the White House, including about $1.4 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses, a new filing shows. All told, the president pulled in at least $2.2 billion….”

The conflicts of interest, suspect international dealings, and ethical lapses in all of this are far too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say that legal scholar and former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade is not wrong when, in her new book “The Fix,” she describes Trump as governing like a mob boss.

Our best chance to stop this rampant lawlessness is to elect a Congress in November who will reclaim their power, enforce the Constitution and the rule of law, and hold the regime accountable. Make sure you are registered; then, for the love of our country ~ VOTE.

 

Thoughts on the U.S. 250th

 Letter to the LNP Editor as submitted on 30 June 2026 

During the coming days we will be celebrating the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of our nation. It will be a time of parades and festivals, fireworks and family gatherings. And it will be a good time for us to reflect on what our country is today, and what we want it to be going forward. 

Will we commit to the goal that no one goes hungry, or will we let precious food rot in warehouses and cut support for those who can’t afford nutritious meals? Will we recall the poem on the Statue of Liberty and welcome the “huddled masses yearning to be free,” or will we turn away those who come to our border and brutally expel the ones who have already made a life here? Will we cherish the progress we’ve made toward including everyone on an equal basis, or will we marginalize others on the basis of gender, belief, and color of skin? 

As many highly-skilled observers agree, right now we have a governmental regime intent on curtailing our right to vote and to choose the direction we want for our country. They seek power rather than democracy, and with great power comes great corruption. This is evident to anyone who relies on accurate, honest reporting. We who would choose a nation built on decency, justice, compassion for others, and the rule of law have our work cut out for us. Let us be strong and of good courage, support each other, and continue on toward realizing the vision of our founders.

 

Trump Distorts and Rewrites History

 Letter to the LNP Editor as submitted on May 28, 2026.

The Addendum was added for blog reproduction on June 10, 2026

When I was a student, “Brave New World” and “1984” were required reading. These dystopian novels warned us of what life would be like under brutal authoritarian government if we weren’t vigilant to resist it. Over the following decades those warnings have, alas, been ignored and forgotten. Now respected commentators and judges are quoting Orwell to describe our present reality.

One such quote is this: "Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.” Trump’s efforts to control, corrupt, and erase our history began as soon as he was inaugurated. Calling the January 6 rioters “political prisoners,” he pardoned more than 1500 of those who had been convicted or pleaded guilty, many of them to violent crimes. Now he is trying to set up a $1.8 billion “Slush fund,” using our tax money to reward insurrectionists. And last weekend his Department of (In)Justice removed from their website thousands of press releases detailing the rioters’ trials and convictions.

Scrubbing our history of honest, complete narrative, especially regarding slavery, racial and gender discrimination, and oppression of minority groups of all kinds, is an ongoing project of the regime. We see it in attacks on the Smithsonian museums, on national parks and monuments, on prominent universities, and most recently on the website of Arlington National Cemetery.

Resistance is critical. We must reclaim our heritage from the forces working to turn our country into a mindless dictatorship, controlled by immense wealth and greed for power. Our founders crafted a republic of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our task is to preserve it.

 [Addendum: Since this letter was written in late May, 2026, the “Slush fund” referenced above has been challenged in court and by strong political opposition. As of June 2 it has been paused by court order. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has declared to Congress that the Justice Department is “not moving forward” on its creation but has refused to put that statement in writing.

[Meanwhile the second provision in the “settlement” that created the slush fund, granting immunity to the Trump family and associates from audit and prosecution for any tax fraud and violations they might have committed to date, is still in effect. Historian Heather Cox Richardson reminds us that it was a conviction on tax evasion that finally put mob boss Al Capone in jail. Trump’s interest in this grant of immunity is clear.]

 

President Refuses Responsibility for Harm

Letter to the LNP Editor; text as submitted May 3, 2026 

President Harry S. Truman famously had on his desk a sign reading “The Buck Stops Here.” He knew that as president he had ultimate responsibility for the consequences of his decisions and was clear that he was neither going to deny that nor blame someone else.

In contrast, we see time and again the current president’s refusal to take responsibility for any harm resulting from his decisions or those of the officials who serve under him. He appears to have no desire to assume legal or moral responsibility for what happens during his presidency. Thus cruelty and lawlessness run rampant in his administration, with virtually no one in top offices willing to stop them.

For example, here is a partial list of deaths caused by his policies, as of May 2, 2026, since he regained office in January 2025:

• ·         Two homicides in Minneapolis and 46 additional deaths in ICE detention
•  ·       Fifteen U.S. service members killed in Iran, plus over 500 injured; 1701 Iranian civilians killed
•  ·      185 small boat sailors killed in the Caribbean and Pacific, accused of drug trafficking with no proof and no due process
• ·        More than 762,000 deaths (estimated) in African countries due to the termination of USAID 

By 2024 Trump’s history of racism, abuse, and corruption was well known, yet a plurality of voters chose to return him to the White House. Our nation is now suffering the results. To restore some decency and justice, we must work hard to elect in November lawmakers who will begin to repair the damage.

Countering Political Lies About Jesus

Letter to the LNP Editor; text as submitted April 8, 2026

Moving through the Readings for Holy Week is always a learning experience for me. This year I heard in the teachings and ministry of Jesus a stark contrast to the words and actions of our current government.

Jesus was all about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He chose people of low social status such as fishermen and a tax collector as close companions. He healed foreigners like the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter and the Roman centurion’s servant. He chastised those who tried to exclude children from coming close to him. And he named a member of a hated rival tribe as the hero of his parable The Good Samaritan.

Women figured prominently in all aspects of his ministry. He praised Mary, sister of Martha, for choosing learning over housework. A number of women traveled with him and his disciples on their mission journeys. And it was a group of women who early on Sunday morning went to the grave, becoming the first witnesses to the resurrection.

When asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus, the Christ, replied “love God and love your neighbors.”

We hear a lot about restoring “Christian values” to our nation, but many faithful Christians see that the officials who say this are governing exactly the opposite from what Jesus taught. The president began his term by deriding the Bishop who asked him to govern with mercy, a prime Christian value. Now he has lawlessly plunged us into war and threatens devastating violence.

The U.S. is not and never has been a Christian nation. But the leaders who claim to be Christian should be following Jesus’ teachings, and they definitely are not. We deserve better, and we need it now.