Tyranny on horizon

The framers of our republic wanted a government by and for the people and to prevent a tyrannical one from arising. But today, our president apparently thinks he has the authority to do whatever he wants and gets away with it because we don’t seem to have checks and balances any more. The Senate, under Mitch McConnell’s leadership, has become comatose; no legislation that passes the House is put on the floor for discussion and a vote. And McConnell insists that there is no sense in doing so unless he is sure the president will sign it and it will become law. He obviously forgot that he is a member of a separate branch of government and is not working for the White House.

I don’t know if it’s mere partisanship or it has also something to do with loyalty to the president because his wife is the secretary of Transportation. In my humble opinion, no relative of any member of Congress should be allowed to work for the executive branch because it is a blatant conflict of interest. And the Republican senators who are up for re-election are scared to death that they might upset “the base” if they stand up to Trump, so they remain silent.

And Attorney General Bill Barr acts like he is the personal lawyer of the president instead of a public servant working for the people, and apparently will say and do anything to protect him, justice be damned!

Little by little, just like the way it has happened in some other countries, I believe tyranny in the United States is on the horizon, if it is not here already. ROSE GOVAR Maumelle