LETTER TO EDITOR / THE FOUR-LEG STOOL CRISIS

Our wise revolutionary founders defined the essential elements in their new independent democracy, and most of it was carefully described in their new U.S Constitution.  There are 4 primary and carefully balanced branches or entities:  The legislative branch (the Senate and House of Representatives were supposed to pass laws and solve problems);  the Executive branch (the President and Commander in Chief was to implement the laws);  the Supreme Court (to interpret the laws pursuant to the Constitution); and the fourth, a public entity, is the press and journalism which is encouraged to inform the democratic citizens with news and facts (especially regarding the First Amendment, freedom of speech, free press, separation of church and state, and more).  In a democracy, it’s the People who are supposed to have the power, and the People must have independent professional sources of news, facts and performance of public servants in order to vote based on what is best for the people and the nation.  It all makes sense.

Unfortunately, each of the 4 legs on our government stool are weak, broken and dangerously incompetent.  Our LEGISLATIVE bodies have one party that is at war with itself.  Our SUPREME COURT has made bad political, instead of judicial, decisions (women’s health, money is free speech, and more), and our highest court is guilty of the worst corruption and ethical standards of any federal court in our country.  Our EXECUTIVE BRANCH already has a president elect, vice president elect and a foreign billionaire without a single vote (Musk) who are incompetent, determined to hire even more incompetents who are sycophants. They are focused only on making more money and gaining dictatorship power.  Sadly, our PRESS industry is struggling financially and is being intimidated by next president Trump and co-president Musk.

These are difficult and dangerous times.  Academics and historians remind us that we have been in and survived even more dangerous times – “These are the times that try men’s (and women’s) souls”.  Just  as we see today, our forefathers had their  greedy and cowardly citizens just when they, and we, most need courage and patriotism.

I believe it was Thomas Paine who said “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered”.  This is where we are today and what we must correct tomorrow.