A betrayal of all things we hold dear

As I was commiserating with a friend on Nov. 6, 2024 he made the statement it feels like a personal loss, a betrayal of things we hold dear. It struck me at the time as the most simple but accurate feeling I was having.

Now here we are just three weeks into Trump‘s second term, the country, and indeed the whole world is reeling from his actions. Where do I start? The freeing of all those convicted for their attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Having all his totally unqualified cabinet appointees confirmed by the Republican controlled Senate. The world‘s wealthiest man being named to a made up commission who is accessing our personal and national information and is given the power to fire and erase whole agencies, all the while enriching himself, ignoring any and all court challenges to stopping him because the rule of law does not apply to him.

Meanwhile, all the Republican lawmakers too spineless to take their oath seriously to defend the USA from all enemies, both foreign and domestic, stay completely silent while Trump marches on. To say this behavior is leading us to a fascist government is incorrect. It’s too late. We are here!

What to do? Show up to all government meetings, make phone calls and write letters like this. But whatever you do, do not remain silent like so many Europeans did during Hitler’s regime.

Our country and democracy are at stake!

Resist, Resist, Resist!

— Douglas Calbreath, Chico

Measles outbreak bodes ill for nation

Texas is experiencing a measles outbreak, which prompted physician Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to tweet about it on X and tell Americans that the measles vaccine has been “safe and effective since 1963.” He was then criticized for supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is a so-called “vaccine skeptic” and has spoken out specifically on the measles vaccine, questioning its efficacy and safety. He has also been accused of perpetuating a measles outbreak in Samoa in 2019 resulting in the deaths of 83 people. During his committee hearing claiming “We don’t know what was killing them.” but was nevertheless moved to the full Senate for a vote.

In the late 1950s my brother and I had both measles and German measles (Rubella). It was not good and we survived with nothing other than some scarring. There was no vaccine for measles prior to 1963 and the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine was not approved until 1971.

Measles is highly contagious and the new outbreak in Texas and now New Mexico does not bode well for the rest of the country — think of the COVID days of yore!

We need to pay attention to what our elected officials (House and Senate) are doing with the current Trump appointees and POTUS activities and what they have said, are doing, and believe. It may be time to start considering replacements for those who are rubber-stamping agency appointments with a disregard for the impact to their constituents.

— Robert E Johnson, Chico

Cuts are hitting Blacks, veterans hard

The Musk-Trump team have fired over 1,000 VA staff, including doctors. Over 8 million veterans get their health care at the VA. And 70,000 federal employees signed up to be fired with salaries for eight months and some are VA staff, so veterans are stressed out. But the State Department needs $400 million of Tesla pickup trucks.

One third of federal employees are veterans (vs. 11% of families), who after serving the military continue in public service. And 18% of federal employees are Black (vs. just 12% of our population), so, evidently Musk-Trump think both are too many on the payroll. Of the 58,300 that died in our War in Vietnam, 13% were Black, many drafted like me (101st Airborne, Vietnam (1967-68).

Musk was born and grew up in South Africa under Apartheid (Blacks were second class people), which he supported, and I would bet he had Black maids dressing him. Neither Musk nor Trump and his family served in our military. Trump in his first term removed the POW/MIA flag from the White House roof. President Biden put it back up.

When Musk-Trump orders the firing of federal employees, they get what they want — fewer veterans and Blacks in public service. And if the veteran is Black, that’s a two-for-one in their goals.

Black women are 40% of all women in our Army (vs. just 13% of American women), so we do need a “diversity” effort to recruit White Republican women to join our Army.

— Bob Mulholland, Chico