The Editor:
A recent letter cautioned us not to be afraid of MAGA Republicans. The author claims that MAGA Republicans are against crime. Most people, no matter what party they identify with or no party at all, are against crime and want criminals held accountable all the way up to the highest levels of government.
MAGA Republicans attacked our nation’s capitol in an attempted coup to overthrow the U.S. government.
MAGA Republicans want to ban mail-in ballots and limit your opportunity to vote.
MAGA Republicans want politicians to decide whether a woman or girl can have an abortion, not the woman or girl and her doctor.
MAGA Republicans deny election results without evidence unless they win, threatening our very democracy.
MAGA Republicans create mass hysteria vilifying immigrants.
MAGA Republicans gave us Donald Trump, and they want him back.
Don’t be afraid of MAGA Republicans? Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Susan Medina
Birch Bay
The Editor:
In the simplest terms at all levels, I believe the purpose of government is to provide people with the systems needed to live and not regulate how we live.
“To” live versus “how” we live; let’s unpack that. In order to live my life, I depend on maintained roads and a safe vehicle for commuting. To pursue happiness, I needed advanced degrees to secure my chosen career. To maintain my health, I trust licensed medical providers, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, etc. No matter who you are, these are examples of the hard and soft systems most of us require to live our lives. But I am not my neighbor. How I live is uniquely personal and often private. How I practice spirituality, whether I follow Muhammad, Christ, Stephen Hawking or Buddha is not relevant to a functioning republic. How I experience love, with a woman, man, or not even interested in intimacy, does not affect our society. How I plan my family, should I never want to be pregnant or desire a house full of kids, those lifestyle choices have no impact on my neighbor’s liberty. If how we live does not affect society, the government has no reason to interfere.
Government should provide people with systems we all require such as infrastructure, utilities, education, health care, defense and regulatory entities. Government should not dictate how we choose to live our private lives. I don’t want a single penny of my taxes to pay salaries of elected officials, if they think it’s appropriate to not only discuss, but legislate what happens behind closed doors. My doctor’s office, bedroom and spiritual place all have closed doors marked “14th Amendment.”
If your beliefs are similar to mine, vote blue, because the GOP wants liberty for people only like themselves while telling the rest of us how to live.In contrast, Democrats work to ensure liberty and the right to privacy for everyone.
Laura Friend
Blaine
The Editor:
I want you to know a bit about Sharon Shewmake who is running to be our senator in the 42nd Legislative District. I have been homeless for nearly three and a half years. I have never been an abuser of any substance nor have I ever failed to pay my rent on time. Still I became homeless because of a vicious, lawless and unreasonable landlord.
Ms. Shewmake has helped me to negotiate the difficulties I have encountered many times while homeless. She has been very generous with her time and attention to my issues. She is a remarkably caring person with a delightful sense of humor and a down-to-earth view of the problems Whatcom County needs to address.
I am sure that whether you live on one of our farms, in the cities in the 42nd district or are facing difficulties caused by the pandemic or those other “slings and arrows” that life throws at us all, we cannot do better than Sharon Shewmake as our senator.
Robert Astyk
Bellingham
The Editor:
Hi, my name is Cesar Luna.
I’m not a political person. I am a father, a husband, a hard-working provider, a descendent of Mexican immigrants and a proud resident of Whatcom County. My son will be a senior in high school, my wife works in law enforcement and I am scared for our future.
Hopelessness is rampant through our community, and it seems those in charge have not done more than exasperate the problems. In the name of compassion, we are turning issues like homelessness and addiction into businesses fueled by tax dollars with no progress in sight. Crime has elevated at a terrifying rate. We have perpetuated and fanned a culture of “All Cops Are Bastards” (ACAB) demonizing the very people who we should be empowering to serve and protect us. Working families are struggling to makes ends meet more every single day at the gas pumps, with skyrocketing housing costs, rising costs of groceries and more. While people like me keep working and bearing the burden of “how much more can we take.”
I am asking that you carefully consider your vote in November. Don’t vote for a political affiliation. Vote for the candidates who are committed to change. Don’t vote for the same ideology that led us into the mess, they can’t be left in charge of the “fix.” Our communities are hanging by a thread; we must drive real change now. I see the smear campaigns filling my social media feeds and mailbox – carefully executed distractions designed to detract us from the issues.
I’m voting for a new voice in the Washington State House of Representatives. I’m voting to elect Dan Johnson for House seat 2 and Tawsha Dykstra Thompson for House seat 1. I’m confident these are candidates that will represent the interests of the 42nd Legislative District well, and I ask you to join me.
Cesar Luna
Lynden
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