Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23, 2026

Writer says government must be held accountable

To the Editor:

I don’t even know where to begin … The killing of a protester, Renee Good, by an ICE agent firing recklessly into her vehicle and then immediately, before there was even a hint of an investigation, the president, vice president and secretary of Homeland Security declared complete immunity for the ICE agent and called the victim a domestic terrorist. Simultaneously, the president threatens Iran with military action because the government is killing protesters … Really?! This coming from Trump who pardoned violent January 6th rioters. 

Trump has threatened to make Canada the 51st state, take Greenland by force, take military action against Columbia, Guatemala and Cuba. This is following the military capture of Maduro and Trump declaring himself the leader of Venezuela. 

Trump recently stated to the New York Times, “Yeah, there is one thing, my own morality, my own mind, it’s the only thing that can stop me.” This coming from a man who clearly is amoral, convicted of sexual assault in a civil court and being accused of sexual misconduct by 20 other women, filed bankruptcy six times, and regularly insults and maligns anyone who disagrees with him … Clearly this is what he believes and has experienced, as he has surrounded himself with an administration of sycophants and incompetence while Congress and the Supreme Court consistently fail to go against Trump and do their jobs. The Department of Justice indicted New York State Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey but due to spectacular incompetence both cases were dismissed. The Trump DOJ opened investigations against Jerome Powell, the Fed chair and the Democratic Congress members who did their jobs and exercised their First Amendment right, freedom of speech. 

Folks, this is insane and dangerous. We need to hold our government accountable. 

Jennifer Brennan Francis South Salem