Letter: News shows why US, SC need 'thoughts and prayers'

Today’s news makes me wonder if an alternate universe is being scripted somewhere. The words expressed do not appear anchored in fact or reality.

For example, the twice-impeached and now indicted former president, Donald Trump, is running again for the White House. He says he wants to “terminate” our Constitution, giving him almost dictatorial power. Also, he has promised a pardon for convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists.

And now, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, is positioning himself to be more extreme than the others. The evidence is clear. He is fighting with Disney, the key tourist destination in his state, while the legislature there is doing his work by passing laws restricting personal freedoms of Floridians.

Our former governor, Nikki Haley, is running to be a compromise candidate, although many believe she is simply running for the vice-presidential nomination. And SC’s junior senator, Tim Scott, is running for president with little evidence he can do anything but take votes away from other candidates of his party.

The South Carolina legislature has joined several other red states in restricting the reproductive rights of women and their families. And earlier in ’23, our state approved open carry of weapons without training or permitting. Gosh knows where that will lead.

In many states, legislatures are attacking our LBGTQ+ neighbors and friends by threatening to pass laws restricting their human rights.

An advocacy group, “Moms for Liberty,” is traveling across our country seeking to ban books that it says shouldn’t be read to or by our young students.

“Thoughts and prayers” for the USA!

Jim Palmer

Clemson

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Letter: Where will it end? US, SC need 'thoughts and prayers'