Too much presidential power, Blackmore’s fee and the Iran war

Oil City News publishes letters, cartoons and opinions as a public service. The content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Oil City News or its employees.

President Trump’s executive power resembles a modern monarchy

Dear Casper,

What is a king? Recent global activism has ignited debate over this word while highlighting how many individuals desperately need refreshers on “figures of speech.” No Kings adversaries mock the messaging, astutely observing the United States “doesn’t have a king” and hasn’t since 1776. While factually true, President Donald Trump’s actions drastically deviate from our expectations of our president, a position crafted carefully with a system of checks and balances to prevent monarchical or authoritarian rule.

While “king” is used many ways, one particularly relevant definition is “a paramount chief.” To be paramount is to be superior to all others, wielding unmatched control, power and influence. Arguably, then, the president of the United States, as leader of the most powerful nation on earth, could easily be considered “kingly” when he acts beyond his legal authority.

He is destroying our country from within, stripping away constitutional rights while dismantling critical infrastructures of “Separation of Powers” and “Federalism.” Our Constitution’s framers incorporated these features to protect citizens from the same tyranny they just escaped. Between misappropriation and threatened withholding of federal funds, the blatant misuse of military power to further his domestic objectives, retaliating against unfavorable media, and targeting protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, he violates the Constitution and established norms in vast and alarming ways.

Internationally, Trump has committed acts of war without congressional approval, cut foreign aid, and interfered in other countries’ governments. Much of this violated established protocol, most specifically the detrimental decision to bomb Iran. He single-handedly perpetuated an act of war, and he’s threatening more war crimes using our tax dollars. The implications of his unilateral decision-making could change the world forever.

Our sitting president exhibits traits patterned by history’s most hated rulers: untrustworthiness, immorality, selfishness, narcissism, corruption, abuse of power and generalized incompetence. Just this week he threatened the annihilation of an entire civilization. That one statement demonstrates all those traits.

Lastly, a clear parallel between Trump’s presidency and our last king: “No Taxation without Representation.” Most Americans are sickened by what their taxes are funding: genocide in Palestine, war in Iran, escalation of the U.S. embargo on Cuba, ICE. Whose values do these tax dollar expenditures represent? Not average American citizens’.

Trump may not technically be king, but he is everything our Founding Fathers sought to protect the American people from when they designed the framework of our government and wrote the Constitution 250 years ago.

Writing in Solidarity for a Better World Future,
Amber Bland, Casper

Blackmore Fee

Dear Casper,

After reading about the 2.5% improvement tax at Sierra and HomeGoods in the Blackmore shopping center in Casper, it becomes even more clear why brick-and-mortar stores and shopping centers are losing out to online shopping. It’s just another way for a business to gouge customers.

Gene Carl, Casper

Wyoming can’t stay silent on Iran War

Dear Casper,

Wyoming voters know the U.S. is at war with Iran, even if some delegates won’t call it that. President Donald Trump’s threats and attacks on civilian infrastructure have drawn warnings from international law experts that such conduct may violate humanitarian law and erode U.S. credibility. Articles of impeachment have been filed. Silence from our delegation is a choice. Wyoming deserves leaders with backbone and constitutional discipline.

Camille Posten, Casper