With immunity for Donald Trump, Chevron decision, Supreme Court harms democracy | Opinion

Enabling Trump

The Enabling Act of 1933, passed by the German legislature, gave Adolf Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstag’s approval and absolute power, which enabled him to destroy all opposition to his rule.

Did the U.S. Supreme Court just render a judicial version of the Enabling Acts?

The greatest threat to democracy and this nation is Donald Trump and the current incarnation of the Republican Party. The latter because it’s not your grandfather’s GOP and it’s certainly not patriotic.

William Adkins, Williamstown

Corrupt Court

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., said former President Donald Trump’s trial for falsifying business records was a sham and supported Trump’s claim that the judicial system is rigged. Yet it is Barr, and U.S. Sens. Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, both R-Ky., who have been doing their best to corrupt the judicial system. Just look at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thanks to them, when you are prescribed a new medication by your doctor, you will be a guinea pig. In a single ruling by the Supreme Court, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has been stripped of its ability to protect Americans from dangerous and ineffective medications. We are now back to the 1950s when pregnant women were prescribed thalidomide and later gave birth to babies with no arms and worse because there was no requirement for drug companies to prove their drugs were safe and effective to receive FDA.

If this decision by the Barr, Paul, McConnell, and Trump Supreme Court doesn’t change your mind about the regressive Republican agenda and its consequences, keep watching. If we the people don’t send them packing, they have big plans for you and me.

Alice Mills, Lexington

Above the law

Like former President Donald Trump, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito think they are above the law. How unethical! How pathetic!

Both men arrogantly show the public how biased they are towards the Republican Party of Donald Trump. They would like to see America become an autocratic Christian theocracy.

It is shameful how the John Roberts Court has delayed taking up the Jan. 6 indictment case of Trump. Now, the trial cannot take place before the election. The Court is taking too long on deciding if Trump should get presidential immunity. The Jan. 6 case should have already produced a verdict. It’s been over three years since Jan. 6 happened.

Trump incited the angry mob to storm the Capitol on that infamous day. For his role in inciting the insurrection, Trump should never be allowed to run for public office again.

The Supreme Court will be suspect if it grants Trump, or any other future president, any kind of immunity.

Paul L. Whiteley, Sr., Louisville

Debate GOAT

Ever notice how the greats make it look easy? Athletes, musicians, writers, actors. The recent presidential candidate debate gave us a decent, honorable man who struggled to deliver a positive, factual, encouraging message. However, due to age, nerves, and illness, he was anything but successful. The debate also gave us a man who lied so much and so fast, he could not be refuted, fact-checked or otherwise forced to confront the truth. While President Joe Biden struggled to deliver his message, former President Donald Trump had no problem whatsoever with his. He lied with aplomb and a confidence that could have only come from a lifetime time of lying. Yep, Trump made lying look easy. He is indeed, one of the greats.

Ross DeAeth, Lexington

Debate performance

President Joe Biden looked dumbfounded at the quantity and scope of Trump’s lies during the recent Presidential Candidate debate. I was agape myself. Former President Donald Trump’s petulant, lip-stuck-out, man-child face and gaslighting were mind boggling.

Trump has gone from promising to be a dictator to being a tyrant. Yet the Republican legislators kowtow at his feet.

The Heritage Foundation with its Project 2025 has proven that they are not Christians. They would fire ordinary workers and install loyalists who may not be qualified for the job. Trump will choose those who swear fealty to him.

Biden is far from perfect but he isn’t out to destroy our nation. Those who choose to vote for someone else or not vote at all are in fact voting for Trump.

If Trump wins and the Heritage Foundation has its way, we’ll be ruled by the Christian Taliban. Women and others will become second-class citizens, if they don’t become chattel.

Trump is a heretic who stated that he is greater than Christ who was a loser for dying for us. Trump ruined our country’s reputation. How many more would have died in Afghanistan if we had pulled out four months earlier as Trump wanted?

Glenna Brouse, Lexington

Cognitive test

President Joe Biden missed a golden opportunity in the debate. When former President Donald Trump said he aced a cognitive test, Biden should have responded: “Yes Donald… you only missed one question, ‘Who is President of the United States.’”

Avram Pearlstein, Lexington

Debate prep

Let me get this straight. President Joe Biden was at Camp David for 7 days with 16 advisors preparing him for the first presidential debate, while his challenger, former President Donald Trump largely went about his business with hardly anyone helping him. Yet, look at the stellar performance that Trump delivered to the American people.

Considering Biden’s poor performance, perhaps he ought to remain in the White House with 0 advisors for the second debate, except one: Press-Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

After all, Jean-Pierre has said that Biden is “sharp” and “on top of things” and echoed what Jill Biden said that the president “does more in one hour than most people do in a full day.” Another day, Jean-Pierre called videos some showing Biden stumbling or standing stiff and motionless in France and Italy as “cheap fakes.”

Maybe Biden will believe Jean-Pierre’s falsehoods and spring back to life in the second debate. It can’t get any worse than what the gang of 16 did for him, can it?

David Tulanian, Henderson

Media bias

The media industrial-complex is the bane of American politicians, and the definition of opinionated news. But to know what the media industrial-complex is we must first understand what the media is. Oxford Languages describes the media as “the main means of mass communication.”

For some the media industrial complex is fake news, for others it’s free speech. In my opinion, it is the unholy alliance between opinion and facts. It is when the news reports feelings over the truth.

This is most prevalent in politics. Politics are already very decisive, but news channels profit from it.

It is vital that Americans know where to get their information. They must not listen to what the left or right says about news as they can be very opinionated.

For the left, reliable news is CNN or MSNBC, whereas the right finds Fox News trustworthy. It seems that local news is consistently the most reliable when it comes to reporting the facts.

Local news usually tells the facts without falsely elaborating. I believe all reporters should strive to be like Walter Cronkite, a journalist known as “the most honest man in America.”

In conclusion, the media industrial-complex is one of the most powerful institutions in history. I believe it will most likely fuel another American Civil War.

We must choose not to surrender to it, but to actively fight against it and its effects. It makes us forget we are not just Democrats or Republicans. We must realize we are all Americans.

Easton Witte, 11, Hustonville

Amendment 2

Amendment 2 will change Kentucky’s constitution to allow state funds to support non-public education entities, including private, religious, or home schools.

My wife went to a public high school and received an excellent education. I am a product of private education. It was our choice to have our children attend private schools. My family knows firsthand the sacrifices that choice entails, but we also have a commitment to our community. My wife and I paid both private school tuition and property taxes to support public education. Rather than complain about funding public education we saw it as our civic duty. Our choice to go to a private school was not at the expense of public school students. Amendment 2, as proposed, will open the door for state funds to be used for private school tuition. Private education is a personal choice and not the state’s responsibility.

The argument has been made that public education is failing students. It is not. Failure to reduce class sizes, retain teachers, and allow more flexibility in the classroom are all the Kentucky legislature’s fault. This fall our family is voting against Amendment 2 and I encourage you to do the same.

Michael Rouse, Louisville

Christian government

When I attended Wichita State University, there was a group who called themselves JOE — “Jesus or Else.”

They identified themselves as Militant Christians, a way of forcing unbelievers into Christianity. It was a hoax, but when the group applied to Student Government Association, they got funding.

At the time, we thought it was hilarious. Who would have imagined that now, it is not a joke? With the Louisiana law which makes the Ten Commandments mandatory in all public schools and the fascination with the Christian Democracy in Hungary, what had been a prank is now becoming a frightening possibility. What happened to the separation of church and state? The line is blurring.

Cheryl Keenan, Lexington

Compiled by Liz Carey