Letters to the editor: A lawless GOP; Cheney's courage; abortion and environment
GOP isn’t party of law and order
The GOP continues to claim to be the party of law and order, truth and transparency. And it may still cling to being the party of decency and fiscal conservatism. But how well do Republicans adhere to these tenets in practice? In recent years, GOP members have overwhelmingly pleaded the 5th and ducked legally issued subpoena after subpoena. Transparency? Hardly. The response of other Republicans, silence or support, even attacking the legal system — police, lawyers, judges, DOJ officials. Support for law and order? Hardly.
But it hasn’t stopped their outrage over a lawfully secured and politely executed search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. Shockingly, there is no outrage over classified documents being taken to a location with limited security. The party of truth and justice has no outrage over this national security issue and violation of the law. Instead, they come up with one flimsy excuse after another, none of which work, in part, because none of them are the truth.
As stated, their response has been to question the legality of this by-the-book action. Demand transparency. Threaten violence and civil war. But some threats have been carried out. The GOP response? Some quietly and meekly acknowledging that violence is wrong, some totally ignoring it, but most vociferously demanding even more transparency. The GOP has clearly become the party of incivility.
The party of fiscal conservatism balloons the national debt by granting massive tax cuts to the rich and corporations but spares no taxpayer expense for election recount after recount. In state after state. Apparently, fiscal conservatism only applies to those who are wealthy.
It may seem that the GOP has lost its way, lost sight of its traditional values. But that’s not entirely true. It’s that today they expect these values and behaviors from others, but not themselves.
Bob Gruber, Camarillo
Cheney should be commended
Former President Donald Trump states that Liz Cheney should be ashamed of herself. Ashamed of what? Ashamed of standing up to what is right? She sacrificed her chances of being re-elected for not accepting Trump’s lies about widespread election fraud which he has yet to provide any evidence of. I commend Liz Cheney for her courage. Also, with so many readers mentioning the Grump Old Guy, I too received an anonymous letter from him because of my unfavorable opinion of Trump.
David Pray, Moorpark
Effects of abortion restrictions
Re: The Associated Press’ Aug. 18 story, “Judge: Suit by group critical of immigration can proceed”:
If immigration is a cause for concern for the environment, then so is putting restrictions on abortions. Immigrants coming to the U.S. will have an impact wherever they are; forcing a woman to bring another person onto the planet — in the U.S. — will put added pressures on U.S. infrastructure, U.S. urban sprawl, U.S. pollution, U.S. carbon emissions and other U.S. environmental considerations. Not to mention, the sorely under-resourced social systems upon which so many people rely.
To paraphrase from the story, when the federal government makes the choice to create population growth through limiting a woman’s right to choose, it makes a decision yielding significant and foreseeable environmental consequences.
Joanie Burns, Thousand Oaks
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: A lawless GOP; Cheney's courage; abortion and environment
