The freedom from democracy itself

Since the election, I’ve been thinking about American values. One of our most cherished values is freedom: freedom from harms, and freedom to do activities and hold views that we want to. I argue that there are very special freedoms those who voted to elect Trump really wanted.

The obvious ones are freedom from taxes and freedom from big government. Let’s get our taxes cut! Let’s cut the bureaucracy, get rid of the EPA, get rid of the Department of Education, and more! Of course, if you’re a woman, forget freedom from the government; once Trump is in office it will monitor your menstrual periods, will monitor your travel if you’re pregnant just in case you might be traveling to have an abortion.

So what are the real freedoms Trump supporters want? For starters, freedom from guilt and shame for their racism and misogyny. Why shouldn’t they be free to say and do whatever they want about Black, Brown, LGBTQ+ others, and indeed, women? Why should these voters feel bad about despising all people who are not white? Why not freely claim absolute control over women? As Nick Fuentes so eloquently put it, “Your body, my choice.” That’s freedom for women.

And let’s add other new freedoms for all citizens: freedom to breathe polluted air and drink poisoned water, as the fossil fuel companies are given free rein to drill, drill, drill. The proposed EPA head has stated that he’ll make sure the U.S. is the greatest fossil fuel energy producer in the world.

We’ll all also have the freedom to vote for Trump again and again, unless he ends all elections as he’s promised. Let’s be honest here: the ultimate freedom Trump voters are providing for all of us is freedom from democracy itself.

— Ellen Wagner, Boulder

Keep freedoms intact by voting against the GOP

Since it’s important that we all understand exactly what a Trump presidency will look like, the following is a list of policies that Trump, supported by most Republican politicians, has said he will implement once he is in office:

• Outlaw abortion nationwide and severely restrict access to birth control.*

• Give tax cuts to corporations and the super-wealthy, but raise taxes for the middle class.

• Use the military to put down nonviolent, First Amendment-protected protests.*

• Impose tariffs on everyday items, substantially increasing the cost of living for the average family by $2,600 a year.

• Turn the Justice Department into a political weapon to wield against political rivals.*

• Dismantle the Department of Education, cutting off $28 billion in federal funding crucial for low-income students and allowing states to determine how educational funding is allocated.

• Repeal acts resulting in higher prescription drug prices for Medicare recipients.

• Deploy the military into our communities to round up immigrants into detention camps.*

• Roll back progress on gun reform resulting in less safety for the public and more mass shootings at schools and other public locations.

• Ban gender-affirming care, which has been proven to reduce the risk of depression and suicide in trans youth by up to 40%.

• Replace experienced civil servants with MAGA loyalists who will move his agenda forward without regard to legality.

• Dismantle essential agencies like the NOAA and NWS that provide critical updates on natural disasters and the daily weather forecasts we all rely on.

• Ban pornography … however they define it. (IOW: “I know it when I see it”.) *

• And finally: Eliminate clean air and water laws that keep our air breathable and our water drinkable.

(*Indicate rights taken away.)

These are just a few of the policies that Trump and Republican politicians have publicly said they support. IOW, it’s only the beginning of their ruthlessness. But we don’t have to let them get away with it! It’s up to each of us to stop this madness and keep our freedoms intact by voting in future elections against Republicans at every level.

— Dennis McDaniel, Boulder