Law and order exited the room a long time ago and the excesses are only becoming more and more blatant. Thank you for this piece which shares, in plain language and relatable examples, the shameful, no the atrocious, behavior, being demonstrated by our leadership --Signed, A white US citizen who is NOT comfortable
In response, please note that Virginia did not go for Trump in the 2024 election. Was it closer than it had been in previous elections? Yes. Was it a MAGA/Trump win? No.
Please note that Abigail Spanberger won in a huge landslide a month ago. The argument that this was only because of NOVA votes is incorrect. Even red counties that went for Earle-Sears did so with a smaller vote margin than in previous races. Ruby red Spotsylvania went for Spanberger, which speaks volumes as to how Virginians are voting and trending.
There are many excuses being bantered about by the MAGA crowd, including but not limited to, a "weak" GOP candidate, low GOP voter turnout, and even the typical cries of stolen votes (with no evidence). The bottom line is that Donnie lives in Virginia and more of his "neighbors," according to the votes, do not support Trump than do support him.
Donnie's concerns are real and they are concerns shared by many Virginians and many Americans. Should we, the Americans who are rightly concerned about this country's turn away from the rule of law, from human rights, and from the Constitution, ask questions and seek answers as to why many Americans and Virginians are turning their collective heads to the disturbing behavior of Trump and those in his administration? Of course we should. But here in the greater Fredericksburg area, the tide has begun to turn. I hope that continues.
Thank you for this clear, powerful piece, Donnie. It lays out in plain language how far our government has drifted from genuine “law and order” toward something much more dangerous.
Reading the responses, there are two threads that seem especially important to address. Raconteur’s comment rests on the idea that suspected smugglers can simply be treated as pirates and killed without proof or due process, as if the only choice were “dead smugglers or dead Americans.” Robert Thomas, in turn, challenges us to go beyond describing Trump’s behavior and grapple with why so many of our neighbors continue to support him despite these abuses.
Both Raconteur and Robert raise issues that deserve a thoughtful, fact-based response that keeps the focus on constitutional limits, human rights, and the long‑term risks of normalizing this kind of unchecked power. It would be tremendously valuable if you would consider a follow‑on opinion piece that directly engages their arguments—using this episode as a springboard to explore both the legal/moral lines we are crossing and the deeper question of why so many of our fellow citizens are willing to accept it.
Curiously, Donny (and the rest who suffer from TDS) never had word one to say about Obama and Biden exercising the same powers that they are now decrying with such offended words. How dare President Trump and his administration, exercise military power without first begging Donny & the TDS crowd's permission, then not grovel whilst begging forgiveness.
In that the drug runners are no different than pirates, except in the minds of Donny and the cartels, the outcome of attempting to smuggle drugs into the US is binary: dead smugglers or dead Americans. But I'm sure Donny thinks we can negotiate with the cartels while they poison our people. Donny should try that and take Schumer and AOC with him.
The smugglers could not care less about the death sentences they are imposing on the users of their deadly products. Why should we care about theirs? If they don't want to get blown up, don't smuggle the drugs.
Law and order exited the room a long time ago and the excesses are only becoming more and more blatant. Thank you for this piece which shares, in plain language and relatable examples, the shameful, no the atrocious, behavior, being demonstrated by our leadership --Signed, A white US citizen who is NOT comfortable
In response, please note that Virginia did not go for Trump in the 2024 election. Was it closer than it had been in previous elections? Yes. Was it a MAGA/Trump win? No.
Please note that Abigail Spanberger won in a huge landslide a month ago. The argument that this was only because of NOVA votes is incorrect. Even red counties that went for Earle-Sears did so with a smaller vote margin than in previous races. Ruby red Spotsylvania went for Spanberger, which speaks volumes as to how Virginians are voting and trending.
There are many excuses being bantered about by the MAGA crowd, including but not limited to, a "weak" GOP candidate, low GOP voter turnout, and even the typical cries of stolen votes (with no evidence). The bottom line is that Donnie lives in Virginia and more of his "neighbors," according to the votes, do not support Trump than do support him.
Donnie's concerns are real and they are concerns shared by many Virginians and many Americans. Should we, the Americans who are rightly concerned about this country's turn away from the rule of law, from human rights, and from the Constitution, ask questions and seek answers as to why many Americans and Virginians are turning their collective heads to the disturbing behavior of Trump and those in his administration? Of course we should. But here in the greater Fredericksburg area, the tide has begun to turn. I hope that continues.
Thank you for this clear, powerful piece, Donnie. It lays out in plain language how far our government has drifted from genuine “law and order” toward something much more dangerous.
Reading the responses, there are two threads that seem especially important to address. Raconteur’s comment rests on the idea that suspected smugglers can simply be treated as pirates and killed without proof or due process, as if the only choice were “dead smugglers or dead Americans.” Robert Thomas, in turn, challenges us to go beyond describing Trump’s behavior and grapple with why so many of our neighbors continue to support him despite these abuses.
Both Raconteur and Robert raise issues that deserve a thoughtful, fact-based response that keeps the focus on constitutional limits, human rights, and the long‑term risks of normalizing this kind of unchecked power. It would be tremendously valuable if you would consider a follow‑on opinion piece that directly engages their arguments—using this episode as a springboard to explore both the legal/moral lines we are crossing and the deeper question of why so many of our fellow citizens are willing to accept it.
Curiously, Donny (and the rest who suffer from TDS) never had word one to say about Obama and Biden exercising the same powers that they are now decrying with such offended words. How dare President Trump and his administration, exercise military power without first begging Donny & the TDS crowd's permission, then not grovel whilst begging forgiveness.
In that the drug runners are no different than pirates, except in the minds of Donny and the cartels, the outcome of attempting to smuggle drugs into the US is binary: dead smugglers or dead Americans. But I'm sure Donny thinks we can negotiate with the cartels while they poison our people. Donny should try that and take Schumer and AOC with him.
The smugglers could not care less about the death sentences they are imposing on the users of their deadly products. Why should we care about theirs? If they don't want to get blown up, don't smuggle the drugs.
Instead of telling us what we already know about Trump, Donnie might better explain why his neighbors continue to support him.