America hasn't experienced such an attack on democracy. Make your voice heard.
Over those years, daily newspapers across the country covered many threats to American democracy, including the Watergate scandal, heart wrenching political assassinations, two presidential impeachments and multiple terrorist attacks.
Opinion: Doctors battle misinformation. RFK Jr. is wrong — and measles may only be start.
In all my years, however, I have not witnessed an attack on our democracy such as the one we are all experiencing today. To you younger readers, please make no mistake: This is very different and profoundly concerning. What is happening today is nothing short of an effort by powerful interests here and abroad to unravel American democracy as we have come to know it.
Younger citizens, this is your moment: Watch, listen, read, question and act. With any luck, one day you'll be my age and you will be able to look back with pride and say, 'I stepped up and made my voice heard.'
James Larson, Milwaukee
I have lived in this country all of my 66 years, and I have never seen an attack on our democracy like this.
At the root of all this destruction is a man who was elected by slightly over half the voters, and a naturalized citizen, both of whom are so wealthy that they will suffer no harm from the effects of their destruction. In fact, they, along with the rest of the richest people, will be the ones to benefit by decreased government spending and decreased monitoring of business and tax collections.
In the meantime, absolutely nothing has been done to reduce inflation or deal with other issues affecting average Americans.
Opinion: Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan and the 'manosphere' show misogyny is mainstream
The Federal government is the only thing preventing predatory credit card rates and loans, ensuring that companies don't pollute our drinking water or our air, ensuring that large companies pay their share of taxes and making sure that we receive the Social Security and Medicare dollars we have earned and are entitled to.
I may not live long enough to witness all the damage done by this reckless disregard of the will of the American people, but my children and grandchildren will, and it breaks my heart.
Thomas Speech, Milwaukee
Here are some tips to get your views shared with your friends, family, neighbors and across our state:
Please include your name, street address and daytime phone.
Generally, we limit letters to 200 words.
Cite sources of where you found information or the article that prompted your letter.
Be civil and constructive, especially when criticizing.
Avoid ad hominem attacks, take issue with a position, not a person.
We cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions.
We don't publish poetry, anonymous or open letters.
Each writer is limited to one published letter every two months.
All letters are subject to editing.
Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: jsedit@jrn.com or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Powerful interests here and abroad want to unravel democracy | Letters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
13 minutes ago
China rushes to build out solar, emissions edge downward
TALATAN, China -- High on the Tibetan plateau, Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world's largest solar farm when completed — 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), the size of the American city of Chicago. China has been installing solar panels at a blistering pace, far faster than anywhere else in the world, and the investment is starting to pay off. A study released Thursday found that the country's carbon emissions edged down 1% in the first six months of the year compared to a year earlier, extending a trend that began in March 2024. The good news is China's carbon emissions may have peaked well ahead of a government target of doing so before 2030. But China, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, will need to bring them down much more sharply to play its part in slowing global climate change. For China to reach its declared goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, emissions would need to fall 3% on average over the next 35 years, said Lauri Myllyvirta, the Finland-based author of the study and lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. 'China needs to get to that 3% territory as soon as possible,' he said. China's emissions have fallen before during economic slowdowns. What's different this time is electricity demand is growing — up 3.7% in the first half of this year — but the increase in power from solar, wind and nuclear has easily outpaced that, according to Myllyvirta, who analyzes the most recent data in a study published on the U.K.-based Carbon Brief website. 'We're talking really for the first time about a structural declining trend in China's emissions,' he said. China installed 212 gigawatts of solar capacity in the first six months of the year, more than America's entire capacity of 178 gigawatts as of the end of 2024, the study said. Electricity from solar has overtaken hydropower in China and is poised to surpass wind this year to become the country's largest source of clean energy. Some 51 gigawatts of wind power was added from January to June. Li Shuo, the director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, described the plateauing of China's carbon emissions as a turning point in the effort to combat climate change. 'This is a moment of global significance, offering a rare glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak climate landscape,' he wrote in an email response. It also shows that a country can cut emissions while still growing economically, he said. But Li cautioned that China's heavy reliance on coal remains a serious threat to progress on climate and said the economy needs to shift to less resource-intensive sectors. 'There's still a long road ahead,' he said. A seemingly endless expanse of solar panels stretches toward the horizon on the Tibetan plateau. White two-story buildings rise above them at regular intervals. Sheep graze on the scrubby vegetation that grows under them. Solar panels have been installed on about two-thirds of the land. When completed, it will have more than 7 million panels and be capable of generating enough power for 5 million households. Like many of China's solar and wind farms, it was built in the relatively sparsely populated west. A major challenge is getting electricity to the population centers and factories in China's east. 'The distribution of green energy resources is perfectly misaligned with the current industrial distribution of our country,' Zhang Jinming, the vice governor of Qinghai province, told journalists on a government-organized tour. Part of the solution is building transmission lines traversing the country. One connects Qinghai to Henan province. Two more are planned, including one to Guangdong province in the southeast, almost at the opposite corner of the country. Making full use of the power is hindered by the relatively inflexible way that China's electricity grid is managed, tailored to the steady output of coal plants rather than more variable and less predictable wind and solar, Myllyvirta said. 'This is an issue that the policymakers have recognized and are trying to manage, but it does require big changes to the way coal-fired power plants operate and big changes to the way the transmission network operates,' he said. 'So it's no small task.' ___
New York Post
14 minutes ago
- New York Post
To understand Russians, try catching a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre
He's Putin on the ritz To try to understand a land which birthed a Putin, I went back to my old notes. I have been to Russia several times. A taxi, empty, cruised past, slowly, repeatedly, then grudgingly stopped. In English, the cabbie said: 'We must take foreign language in school. Still, we avoid anyone who looks American. They're trouble. They carry little conversation dictionaries but Americans we never understand. Talk too fast. 'Impatient. When you can't understand they bang you on the back — and you hit yourself against the wheel. Always they get mad. One threw hands around, pointed to where he wanted to go and his arm crossed my face. I couldn't see to drive. Dangerous. Americans are much trouble.' The Bolshoi Theatre got me into a personal cold war. They make you remove your coat before entering. I was freezing. It was chilly outside and inside. Also, my nose was running. Me walking to my seat, he then trotted out from his booth. This Gardes Des Robes tugged at my lapel. I tried sign language. He did physical language. As I headed for my seat he physically barred my way. A shivering lady comrade who'd doffed her wrap explained: 'People here are used to authority. You obey automatically.' Another said, 'We are on a cultural level. The sold-out Kremlin opera seats 6,000, Tchaikovsky Hall has nightly musical concerts. Also the Central Puppet Theatre, Operetta Theatre, Children's Theatre and 27 other Moscow theatres, including the Bolshoi, which was founded in 1776. And for three rubles [less than a dollar], I can sit in the seat which once held the czar.' She comes here how often? Her answer: 'This the first time.' On the outside, pleasant. Inside, something else. Crumple a Kleenex in your luggage. It's crumpled differently upon your return. Hotel elevators delist two floors. Reportedly, it's where the hotel held the building's wire tap equipment. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Showers without curtains. Sinks minus stoppers. Room service that doesn't answer. I myself brought in a chicken sandwich and cup of hot chocolate. Two days later a chicken sandwich and candy bar were on my bed. The manageress: 'Our new hotel will have 6,000 rooms. Equipped with every modern facility.' Me: 'Will it have a swimming pool?' She: 'Certainly not. But it will have a concert hall.' 'Hotels have reasonable rates. Wish entertainment — you pay extra.' I asked if she vacations with her husband. 'No. I go separately. To the Crimeas. Sochi in the Black Sea where many of the presidium go.' I also asked famed Russian circus clown Popov if he gets a percentage of all the Popov dolls sold. Answer? 'Nyet.' Does his contract guarantee special dressing room and dresser in attendance? 'Nyet.' How then can you tell you're a star? 'I have a car.' In the words of Commie Slamdamnhe, there are many nice things about that country. Like parking places. Only problem? They got nothing to park. Only in Putinville, kids, only in Putinville.
UPI
16 minutes ago
- UPI
Vance, Hegseth, Miller laud Guard troops, denounce capital protesters
A Humvee is parked in front of Union Station in Washington as members of the National Guard patrol on Monday after President Donald Trump last week deployed the National Guard to assist in crime prevention. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- As protesters chanted nearby, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller visited National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday amid what the Trump administration says is a crime crackdown. The three Trump administration officials greeted National Guard troops at the capital's Union Station while positioned near a table containing hamburgers for the troops, PBS News reported. "In just the past nine days, we've seen a 35% reduction in violent crime," Vance told those in attendance. "We've seen over a 50% reduction in robberies," he added. "We're seeing really substantial effects because these guys are busting their a*****." Vance said he wanted to thank the National Guard troops in person and hand out some hamburgers to show his appreciation for their efforts. Hegseth said the National Guard deployments in Washington are needed to ensure residents, visitors and those who work in the capital are safe. "The American people, the residents of D.C., deserve a safe and beautiful city," Hegseth said. "That's our mission." He called the National Guard troops "patriots who serve the country" and want to make Washington a "beautiful, safe capital." The National Guard troops are "proud of this mission" and making sure "law and order is established here in the capital," Hegseth added. He said the Defense Department is providing the resources that the troops need and working with law enforcement partners to ensure safety in Washington. Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered and chanted near Union Station, which drew a rebuke from Vance. He said the protesters "hate the idea that Americans can enjoy their communities," according to PBS News. Vance said he went to Union Station with Hegseth and Miller because criminal activity was very high there, which local officials deny. Miller added to Vance's criticism of the protesters by calling them "stupid white hippies" and said they do not represent Washington, D.C.'s residents, The Hill reported. "We are not going to let the communists destroy a great American city, let alone the nation's capital," Miller said. "All these demonstrators you've seen out here in recent days, all these elderly white hippies, they're not part of the city and never have been," Miller said. "We're going to ignore these stupid white hippies that all need to go home and take a nap because they're all over 90 years old," he added. Trump last week put the federal government in control of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department, which has been accused of falsifying crime data. Though Trump administration officials have characterized crime in the city as out of control, in actuality, crime in the district has fallen in recent years or remained flat. An agreement on Friday put the police department under local control, but Trump sought and received National Guard deployments from West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Louisiana. About 1,200 National Guard troops are slated for deployment in the capital, in addition to 800 Washington National Guard troops who already are there, according to The Washington Post.
