News & Articles

Trump violated laws

I believe in law and order. After hearing the January 6, 2021, words of Donald J. Trump and resulting actions, an important Law to read is “Title 18 USC 351, Public Law 107-56” passed October 26, 2001. This Law is titled “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001.’’

I call to attention Section 802 which states:

“(a) Domestic Terrorism Defined --Section 2331 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(5) the term `domestic terrorism’ means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.”

I believe the Laws of the USA have been violated by Donald J. Trump. It is time for law and order, and removal of this inciter, agitator, and instigator of domestic terrorism.

Joan Cervenka
Hayward, Wisconsin

Stauber’s ‘moral ground’

In his Jan. 6 video, Trump said to the rioters “We love you.” Of course he’d say that. Trump “loves” everyone he controls, and threatened by anyone he can’t control. All the people he’s thrown under the bus were those he lost control of. He doesn’t “love” anyone, not even himself. If Trump loved himself, he wouldn’t act like this.  Bottom line, Trump still wants to think he’s above the law, which feeds his delusion that he’s in control. In reality, Trump isn’t in control of himself or this country; Trump’s ego, (which he can’t control) is controlling him, and trying to control the country. 

And you Mr. Stauber, have been enabling Trump since you first met him, because you desired the “power” over people you thought he had. If you didn’t see this coming, you’re either dumber than you look and act (which I doubt) or you’re a hypocrite, who’s still kissing Trump’s butt, and supporting Trump’s lies, as a way of trying to tap into Trump’s base. 

I believe you’ve known for some time Trump is lying about the election being a fraud, and you’re too gutless to tell the public the whole truth.

In either case, you should resign immediately, though I doubt your ego and fear will let you do that. Your cowardice and desire to keep your seat in Congress, is what underlies your fear of challenging Trump’s sociopathic need to lie. We don’t need ANY cowards in Congress.

One is only allowed the moral ground one occupies, not the moral ground one claims. As a liar and a hypocrite, you have no right to claim any moral ground whatsoever. 

Gary Burt
Marble, Minnesota

Alternate reality

Unfortunately, there’s a weapon which is more powerful than a Nuclear bomb. It has been historically used by despots and Kings quite successfully. It’s called propaganda, and it’s being used to destroy the influence of objective reality (by claiming that objective reality is false).

Thankfully, Trump never actually imprisoned liberals in concentration camps, but he has done much worse –he’s convinced his minions that liberal pedophiles are trying to sexually traffic children, and that, the pundits on CNN etc. are scheming to destroy their fearless leader. To that end, they’ve introduced many false memes, “alternative” facts, and specious claims that are validated only via absurd conspiracy theories. i.e. Are conservatives being denied their religious freedoms?--Perhaps when they insist on changing civil laws to conform with their own beliefs? Or when defending Trump’s claims that Federal judges have been threatened by devious Qannon schemers? But these “ facts,” are essentially impossible to  expose while rebutting conservative ideological claims that the authorities deem are lies--which the Deep state knows are lies? To this end every competing rational argument can be rebutted by claiming that all contrary arguments have been created by Clinton and Obama supporters, and are therefore untrue? Why? Because Trump says so?

This game has no ending because of the infinite regression involved which can’t provide objective conclusions, and which assumes that only Trump’s “True Believers” are right?

Eventually we have to accept objective authorities and facts, not inflammatory rhetoric that parallels fascist’s playbooks. And we must consult dictionaries, encyclopedias, fact checkers again. i.e. real scientific findings that enable the truth to win over ill willed propagandists.

We should also honor mainstream media and its journalists again. And then, we can examine all the facts before deciding who to align our opinions with!

Peter W. Johnson
Superior, Wisconsin

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Thank you for continuing to inquire, inform and make me laugh through 2020!

I anticipate and look forward to The Reader each week to get decent local opinion pieces and often resonate with, learn about community events I may want to attend, and get a good belly laugh from News of the Weird or one of the cartoons.

Thank you!

Jon Dumpys
Duluth, Minnesota

Open letter denouncing violence in Washington

In response to the Jan. 6 violence in the nation’s capital, Senator Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senator McEwen (DFL-Duluth) released the following open letter:

Friends,

What we are seeing today is the hypocrisy of the right-wing manifest. Since Donald J. Trump lost his reelection as President, GOP leaders, charlatans and alt-right grifters have pushed a false narrative that the presidential election was rigged against them. Whether they truly believe this narrative or not, actions have consequences.

The events taking place on Capitol Hill today are the consequence of those actions. We have seen armed standoffs, at least one of which resulted in a woman being shot. There are lives at risk, including the lives of civilians as well as lawmakers and staff – workers.

This summer, the Twin Cities experienced an uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd. The people of Minnesota took to the streets to stand against police brutality. They stood up for our basic rights and for the American idea that we are all endowed the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They recognized that these ideas are not fully realized while people like George Floyd are being murdered by the state.

When unrest was taking place in our state – when the demonstrators included black and brown Minnesotans standing against an unjust system – they were met with the full force of the state to restore law and order.

Leaders on our side of the aisle implored people to stay safe and stay peaceful while leaders on the other side of the aisle called them gangsters and thugs, vilified and blamed them for the problems facing America.

When protestors took to the streets this summer, they were standing up for human rights, for democracy, against fascism. The insurrectionists who have stormed Washington stand against our values. They seek to overturn the will of the people, end American democracy, and replace it with a fascist dictatorship.

We are senators for the State of Minnesota, and as such we do not engage in politics at the national level very often, but in moments such as this one we feel we have no choice but to address the issue at hand and take a firm public stand in favor of democracy against fascism.

Today, we are calling on our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, to firmly condemn the affront to our democracy taking place, to condemn the words of Donald Trump and other Republican leaders which encouraged these bad actors, and to reaffirm their commitment to democracy, the peaceful transition of power after elections and condemn fascism as it rears its ugly head before us.

Senator Omar Fateh
Senator Jen McEwen