Stark contrast
Dear editor:
Just read Kim Hanke’s letter about Saturday’s “Pro Freedom” rally downtown. Hanke says he and other organizers are calling it the “Jesus, Truth, and Trump” movement. Which is interesting, because I’m not sure how the first two — Jesus and the truth — correlate with Donald Trump, a president who, according to The Washington Post on July 13, “topped the 20,000 mark for the number of verified lies or misleading statements said as facts.”
Perhaps that’s Mr. Hanke’s purpose behind Saturday’s gathering: To show people both sides of the coin. On one, you have Jesus, who set an example of honesty, kindness, forgiveness, and treating others with the same type of dignity and respect we’d like to be treated with. Jesus also spoke and set an example against cheating or defrauding others, and of selflessness in giving to others more than you receive and with no expectation of anything other than doing what’s morally right.
Then we have Trump, on the other side of that coin. His latest golf outing marked the 248th time he’s played since being elected in 2016. Presidents do like to play golf; Obama hit the links 92 times during his two terms. The problem is $133.8 million dollars of taxpayer money have gone to Trump playing at resorts he owns, according to the Huffington Post. Further enriching himself and his family at the expense of taxpayers. Which, along with countless other examples, is a clear violation of the Emoluments Clause.
Yesterday, it was reported that a watchdog group has filed a formal ethics complaint against Trump and his election committee asking for an investigation into allegations that campaign money is being systematically laundered into various companies owned by or with financial ties to Donald, Eric and Ivanka Trump. The complaint states “So far $216.6 million of spending by Trump’s campaign and related committees has flowed through just two firms, with no disclosure of how that money was spent.” Not surprising, since we’re dealing with an administration and campaign staff that since 2016 seen 11 staff and members indicted, convicted, or both.
So Hanke is on to something if the purpose of Saturday’s rally is to show the stark contrast between Jesus, the truth, and Donald Trump. One is, well Jesus. The other is a carnival barker, a grifter, an aluminum siding salesman masquerading as president. Noah Little Hot Springs