For the most part, I agree with the actions Donald Trump has already taken and what he plans to do. In his acceptance speech after being sworn in, he talked about being a unifier, which is a good idea. However, he spent too much time denigrating his opponents, and then he did the same at his long news conference.
It will be difficult enough since the Democrats will oppose the majority of Trump’s agenda, so my hope is that he will stop the blame game and try to make friends or allies with a few key Democrats in the Senate or House.
Trump will need some opposition support if he truly wants to be a unifier.
— Dan Schuchardt, Glen Ellyn
Feeling the reign
When you see clouds rising in the west, you say it’s going to rain, and it does. When rain falls, it falls on the unjust and just alike. The reign that is here, now, will also fall on the unjust and just alike. The Uncle Sam that is here, now, like rain, has no conscience or introspection; it is simply going to fall, and the attempts to thwart it will be futile, for many have prayed for and welcomed this reign.
People love the rain, until there is too much of it, and then they pray for it to stop. This reign will be no different. Rain, some might say, is an act of God. The reign of Uncle Sam that is here, now, must also be under a god, a king or a dictator.
The Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., pleaded for mercy on people who are now scared. There are many who, over the past eight years, fall into that category, some who have served in the highest ranks of the federal government. Pleading for mercy is something to be done to a god, a king or a dictator, not a president of the United States.
The current reign is falling and will continue to fall on all. Many don’t feel too wet just yet, but they will.
— David C. Schueler, Columbia, Illinois
Not a mandate
Many people, the Tribune Editorial Board included (“Disengagement is no answer to Trumpian excess,” Jan. 22), have spoken of a “mandate” that President Donald Trump supposedly received from his election victory.
However, Trump got only 49.8% of the popular vote. This means that more people voted against Trump than voted for him.
Hardly a mandate.
— Joseph Gibes, Gurnee
False statement
President Donald Trump said about birthright citizenship: “We are the only country that does this.” The Tribune did report that it was patently false. In the entire Western Hemisphere, there is only one country that does not allow birthright citizenship.
It’s just a lesson that consumers of media have to do so with a critical eye.
— Paul Seaman, Chicago
Inclusion matters
One thing Donald Trump can’t stop is evolution. His policies will disrupt the lives of many people, but long-term survival is based on embracing lifestyles and policies that enhance diversity, equality and inclusion: “All for one, and one for all.”
Usha Vance, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Sergey Brin, Henry Kissinger, Cesar Chavez annd Melania Trump, among others, including citizens who voted for Trump, are immigrants or their ancestors came to this country. Over time, they found inclusion, so that their ideas and passions could be nurtured and supported to contribute to humankind’s success.
Isolationism and reckless greed in a homogenized society have resulted only in wars and millions of deaths. The price of eggs is small compared to the big-picture threat to survival.
— Susan Haley, Oak Brook
Birthright citizenship
The first sentence of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”
Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship is a cruel and unconstitutional assault on our democracy. Yet Illinois Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, Mary Miller and Darin LaHood have refused to take a stand against it. Their silence is a betrayal of the 14th Amendment and the fundamental rights it guarantees to every child born in this country.
This is a moment that demands courage and clarity — not complacency and political games. This silence from Bost, Miller and LaHood is instilling a new fear in people across this country who have spent their whole lives calling this country home.
We need answers. Will these representatives defend the Constitution, or will they stand by as newborns and immigrant families are targeted by this un-American policy? In this critical moment, our community deserves leaders who will stand up against injustice and fight for equality.
— Ishanee DeVas, Chicago
Time for change
My liberal friends should wipe the tears from their eyes and realize we just finished the four worst years in the history of American politics. The American people spoke and clearly said it was time for a change; it was time to let common sense prevail.
Because of the new leadership in place the following are my prediction for the next four years: The Middle East will become reasonably stable. The Russia and Ukraine war will end. China and North Korea will be brought in check. Iran will be financially crippled, and the Iranian people will revolt against their leaders. NATO countries will pay their fair share. The U.S. military will become stronger. We will continue to have a military base on Greenland, regardless of who owns it. The Panama Canal will be more efficient, regardless who owns it. Both borders will be more secure. Canada and Mexico will remain strong allies and friends. We will be energy-dependent again. College students will pay their loans.
— Bob Shea, Mundelein
Democrats’ future
Thanks to U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski for encouraging her party to draw conclusions from the Democrats’ election defeat (“If Democrats want to win again, let’s show up and listen,” Jan. 20). She admits that a majority of people were not satisfied with President Joe Biden and that “Democrats must do more than show up. We must listen, engage and reconnect with the concerns of working people.” But part of effective listening and engaging is explaining the larger context and mistaken assumptions.
For example, she said “one of the main issues I heard was the need to lower everyday costs.” Hopefully, she educated her constituents that the government doesn’t set prices or control everyday costs; companies do. If the government tried to regulate prices or pressure companies to lower the costs of their products, those same constituents would then be complaining of government interference in the marketplace and overregulation. So, what do voters really expect elected representatives to do about prices?
There’s no doubt that monopolies manipulate supply and drive up costs for their own profit, and that’s one reason oligarchs love Trump. They will now continue the neoliberal policies of the past decades, combining price increases with wage stagnation, both at the expense of working people.
She rightly argues that Democrats “must meet voters where they are” and that Democrats should start by listening to the diverse voices in their own party. Numerous polls showed that a majority of Democrats supported neutralizing Hamas and, also, a majority of Democrats — and Americans overall — opposed the total destruction of Gaza and the killing of tens of thousands of civilians using American weapons and tax dollars. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris never engaged that distinction, listened to people in the party with different views, or let them speak at their convention. Instead, we listened to Bill Clinton rambling.
When asked about his legacy, Biden said he wanted to be remembered as a “humanitarian.” Yet he leaves office with humanitarian disasters in Afghanistan, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and even on our own border. While he did not create these problems, his policies have been woefully inadequate in resolving them.
These are also issues that keep people up at night, and the reasons why people go — or don’t go — to the ballot box. Not all problems are local.
The Democratic Party needs to triage. There are much bigger problems to engage than the price of gas or eggs.
— Franz Burnier, Wheaton
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