Quit Trump’s cult, CRT, Dems are buying elections and other Tri-City Herald letters

Quit Trump’s cult, join democracy

Donald Trump is an extraordinary liar, scam artist, incompetent administrator, propaganda disseminator and sore loser.

The only explanation of why anyone continues to support him is that they are a member of his cult. Below is a list of items to recognize if you are in a cult.

The first item is absolute authoritarianism without accountability. Trump admires Vladimir Putin, Russian President,and invader of Ukraine; and Kim Jong Un, North Korean dictator. Trump admires leaders who subjugate their citizens and jail or assassinate their opponents.

Next item is zero tolerance for criticism or questions.

The third item is lack of meaningful financial disclosure. The Trump Organization and Donald Trump are under investigation for tax and bank fraud.

The final item is unreasonable fear about the outside world that often involves evil conspiracies and persecutions. Trump and some of his associates led the effort to sow doubt and overthrow the free and fair presidential election results. That is the definition of treason. Trump also took to his residence and hid extremely sensitive classified documents upon leaving office. Who can excuse those criminal actions?

It is time to leave the cult, and participate in our democracy.

Amy Small, Richland

What I learned about CRT here

“Critical” in this context is an academic term that refers to critical thinking rather than criticizing or blaming people.

CRT is not taught in any public K-12 schools in the Tri-Cities.

Washington Senate Bill 5044 requires all teachers, staff and administrators to take CRT training, but a district can opt out and refuse the training.

The first CRT workshop was officially organized in 1989.

Why after 33 years of not ever hearing of CRT is it now being talked about? On Sept. 2, 2020, journalist Christopher Rufo appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and said, “It’s absolutely astonishing how critical race theory has pervaded every aspect of the federal government.” He received a call the next morning from the White House. President Trump had seen him on TV and wanted him to fly to Washington to help draft an executive order that would ban federal contractors from training employees on issues like CRT. Fox ran with the story day after day.

Now we have well-intentioned parents showing up at local school boards all over the country demanding that they stop teaching a subject that the schools aren’t even teaching. This is where we are, folks.

Bud Higgins, Kennewick

Keep trucks out of Kennewick center

It is past time that they divert semi truck traffic away from 395 that passes through Kennewick and make a truck route that has to go around Kennewick.

With the work that is being done on the new intersection at Ridgeline Drive the backups are terrible! The semi traffic exacerbates these delays. These trucks should have been made to go around before construction was ever started and should have to go around from now on. Even when there isn’t construction on 395 there are serious backups at most times of day through here, and eventually the semi truck traffic that the new Amazon warehouses will bring through here will only make this situation worse. This change needs to be done now!

Susan M. Bailey, Kennewick

Editor’s note: State Route 397 was built from 2004-08 to route truck traffic off Highway 395 at Locust Grove Road 22 miles east and north through Finley, then across the cable bridge to Highway 395 or east-west onto Interstate 182. Many truckers do not use it.

Let’s allow home delivery of pot

RCW 69.51a allows for medical products to be made and sold. The laws also allows for stronger medical edibles. We should allow pot home deliveries in cities that opted out of the recreational cannabis markets. The products can then be displayed in the customer’s homes and lightly taxed for patients who have updated cannabis cards in Washington state. The revenues can be used by cities and states when a surplus allows it. We now understand that people who use pot are less likely to use other drugs. Medical producers such as Dama once made products such as flowers. Fire Bros. made top quality extracts and buds. The home delivery market is enjoyed by patients who can’t shop at outside stores. Sometimes people live too far from pot stores. Those who don’t want to be seen buying cannabis can grow up to 15 plants.

Eric Kalia, Richland

Inslee’s actions saved thousands

Remember the bad old days with COVID-19, 2 1/2 years ago? Gov. Jay Inslee closed the state. Consequences were horrible. Public gatherings were banned, People went out of business or lost their jobs. Students were denied educational opportunities that are hurting them today.

We have not faced anything like a deadly rapidly spreading virus for 100 years. Without a vaccine, the only protection is quarantine. When a vaccine became available, the governor required all state employees to get vaccinated or get fired. Nobody liked what Inslee did.

As Paul Harvey said, “Now for the rest of the story.” Gov. Inslee’s draconian restrictions saved thousands of lives. You can find COVID-19 death per 100,000 data by state at Statica.com. According to the Statistica.com website, Washington’s Covid-19 death rate per 100,000 was the sixth lowest in the country! For comparison, the 25th lowest was Iowa with a 312-death rate (per 100,000) and the worst was Mississippi with a 428-death rate.

Some states didn’t quarantine or require vaccinations; infections and deaths ran rampant. America suffered over a million Covid-19 deaths. Jay Inslee had the strength to order these restrictions and require the vaccinations that have saved thousands of lives.

Don Sebelien, Pasco

Elections bought, but never stolen

We are finding out that elections are never stolen but are bought. The last several years seem to prove this. Let’s look at the newer congressional bills approved for some insight.

First: the so-called pandemic cash program. Passed by the Democrats and Rhinos fairly early in the Biden administration. Almost everybody got a check for this, even the City of Kennewick and the public schools in the Tri-Cities. Green is glorious!! Grass used to be green. Now it’s money.

Second: the so-called build better back/the high prices reduction bill. Again passed by Democrats and a few stupid Republican never-Trumpers. Sounds like a cash cow for green and woke companies? Pay back for continued brainlessness in governance and spending. Nancy Pelosi will make a haul on this. More fancy ice cream for her and Congress.

Third: the buy-back Generation Z college grads/incentive pay for the White House staffers/reinforce the pile of money from all and future alumni at Harvard, other Ivy schools. Joe should sign soon. Checks in the mail before Nov. 8.

James Schueler, Kennewick

What happened to fourth graders?

I am so surprised that fourth graders are doing so poorly in Math and English. The amazing part is their video game skills went through the roof. We could just use the game skill level instead of education scores.

I never saw the kids outside playing or riding their bikes. I thought they must be inside doing homework! Why couldn’t they study? Oh, maybe they couldn’t afford a computer or internet. I do remember getting some free money that just fell out of the sky. We didn’t even work for it. The $2,800 should buy a computer and internet for two years, right? Sweden did not play the stay home game and their scores are great.

It seems the more progressive we get, the worse off we are. This applies to every category. Is it starting to feel like God is not on our side anymore? Can we still build back better without God? How is that working for ya? God help us!

Rick Wilson, Kennewick