Are we really going to vote for a convicted felon who tried to overturn an election? | Opinion

Power trip

Hmmmmm. Let’s see. Convicted felon. Tried to overthrow our democracy. Hid top secret government documents. Tried to get a valid election overturned… Oh, yeah, let’s vote for that guy! He will keep us in POWER!

Bob Sutton, Lexington

Qualifications

In the past I’ve voted for politicians in both parties depending upon who was the better candidate. I will not vote for:

▪ Someone who has criticized Gold Star families.

▪ Someone who makes fun of people with physical disabilities.

▪ Someone who called Senator John McCain a loser because he was captured during the Vietnam War.

▪ Someone who can’t understand why soldiers in military cemeteries died to defend their country.

▪ Someone who fomented a coup against the United States because they lost an election.

▪ Someone who on Jan. 6, 2021 sat watching on his TV the assault on police officers for 186 minutes and did nothing.

▪ Someone who endangered his own Vice-President during the coup.

▪ Someone whose been found guilty of business fraud.

▪ Someone whose been found liable for sexual abuse.

▪ Someone indicted 91 times and convicted on 34 of the indictments.

▪ Someone who says only he can fix it.

U.S. Congressman James Comer has been saying where there’s smoke there’s fire in his unsuccessful attempt to find evidence of impeachable offenses against President Biden. If the above doesn’t constitute a fire ignited by Trump, I don’t know what would!

Joe Crouch, Lexington

More on Trump

I keep thinking about former President Donald Trump saying he will be dictator on day one…

Given what has only recently transpired – the partisan Supreme Court supermajority giving him absolute immunity for “official acts;” Trump appointee Judge Aileen Cannon dismissing charges (upon the suggestion of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas) against him for stealing, and keeping, secret classified documents; and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint for government takeover — it chillingly makes sense that Day One could happen if Trump is elected…

If reported vetting of Trump loyalists by the Heritage Foundation (and reportedly 100 more organizations) to replace the current 50,000 federal public/civil servants is ready on the first day Trump takes office, then all federal agencies overnight could be changed, or taken over. The Day One Dictator and MAGA would be set not only for four years but for decades. All federal and state cases against him would be – poof! – gone.

Now that the dirty little secret of Project 2025, and its campaign platform equivalent Agenda 47, is known, and negatively so, Trump is saying that he knows nothing or little about it. Sure, yep, uh huh, just like he doesn’t know the woman he’s charged with sexually assaulting.

Ramona Rush, Lexington

Free speech

Kentucky’s new law providing for the regulation of Internet pornography makes many of us wonder what free speech means nowadays.

The politicians, activists, and judges have conditioned us for decades to think that free speech is merely our right to say whatever we want without being arrested. That rationale has led us to accept pornography, profanity, and panhandling as forms of free speech even though none of them relate to current events and public issues.

Moreover, we’ve been led to accept political lies and money as kinds of free speech.

In tandem, the courts have ruled in various cases that our exercise of free speech pertains only to public property and not privately owned property, and also, that local authorities may regulate our use of public property for reasons of public safety.

Then, Congress repealed the “Broadcasters’ Fairness Doctrine” and “Internet Neutrality.”

Now, we have a right to self-expression with few places for speaking and without any right to be heard. We’ve lost the free speech that James Madison and the other framers of our Constitution had in mind for us. They saw free speech as a constitutional process for making public policy.

Tom Louderback, Louisville

Church abuse

Faithful Christians share Linda Blackford’s moral outrage at the revelations of abuse at LexCity Church. The only right response is grief and repentance. As embassies of God’s kingdom, churches are commissioned by Jesus to be beacons of true morality and human flourishing. Sexual abuse by spiritual leaders is a heinous sin, and scandals like this one have led numerous churches across Kentucky to take new steps to protect the vulnerable (like Tates Creek Presbyterian Church, as this newspaper has reported). But does the hypocrisy of some churches nullify the moral witness of all?

What is the moral witness of drag shows? They elevate moral license over moral boundaries and self-expression over the protection of children. That’s the opposite of the mission of a biblically-faithful church. The Kentucky General Assembly made efforts during the last two sessions to protect children from being exposed to drag shows, but unfortunately those have fallen short.

All institutions must protect minors from sexual abuse. For churches, this means being consistent with Jesus’ commands. Drag shows, on the other hand, violate the moral order and failure to restrict minors’ access to them compromises their spiritual and moral formation.

Christopher Parr, Director of Research, Commonwealth Policy Center, Frankfort

Barr question

On Tuesday June 25th I received a phone call from U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) asking me if I would like to participate in a “Phone call town hall.” I said yes, and was immediately connected to an on-going Town Hall. Shortly after, I was asked if I would like to ask a question. I said yes, and someone asked for my question.

I said, “In 2001, there were 200 million guns in the country. Now there are 400 million guns in America. During that period guns have become the number one cause of death for children in America. Is that acceptable?”

The town hall ended without my question being asked! I was given the opportunity to leave my question after the call ended and I did.

After a week without a response I stopped by his office, asked the question in person and was promised an answer. Two weeks later, still no answer, so I stopped by again. The reply I was provided basically stated that Barr spent $529,000 to harden Menifee County High School. He described the issue as “nuanced and difficult” and he didn’t have answers.

Is this acceptable? I say NO!

Brian Haggerty, Lexington

Biden withdraws

God reassured President Joe Biden by subliminally communicating to him, “It’s okay, you can let go.”

Have you ever witnessed the situation were an aged grandparent wants custody of a grandchild or grandchildren everybody knows they aren’t able to care for, to keep them away from unfit parents or out of foster care? Many grandparents can barely care for themselves, including their aging spouses! They convince themselves they have no other choice. “Somebody has to take those children in! Nobody else wants to do it! I have to save them from their parents and foster care! If I don’t do it those children will be abused and neglected by one or the other! I have to do something!” That’s why we love grandparents!

I think President Biden feels that way about his country. He feels like the grandfather of the United States, and he’s trying to save us! He knows he may not be able to hang in there for four more years, so he decided to let go and ask God what he should do. God said, “It’s okay, you can let go now. We got you!” Now God will see who will choose good over the mean, evil, and hateful.

Yolanda Averette, Lexington

Run, Andy, Run

If Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear has any sense (and I think he does ), he will run, not walk, away from any linkage to Vice President Kamala Harris’ shadow. Beshear has done a moderate’s job as governor and has a good chance to lead the once great Democratic party back to Truman, Kennedy common sense that has been tossed aside by the radicals who are now in charge.

Stay far away from her Andy and move yourself several rungs up the ladder.

Wayne Burns, Lexington

Republican encyclopedia

A recent article in “The Economist” highlighted Russia’s creation of RuWiki. It is similar to Wikipedia except it edits and even erases sensitive moments in Russian and western history. With the Republican party now devoid of any critical or independent thinking, how long before we see a GOPWiki?

Howard Stovall, Lexington

Compiled by Liz Carey