A Letter to the Editor
Peggy Moody provided the following letters to the editor. Both were published in the Baxter Bulletin and The Mountain Echo. Thank you Peggy.
February 11, 2025
Rule of Law makes our Republic strong. The Constitution was written to balance government with co-equal branches that could check each other’s duties. If an executive writes orders that disregard the powers of another branch, the judiciary upholds the law. They don’t write laws (Congress does). The judiciary rules a law is a law.
At this point, Vice President Vance and others in Congress like Senator Cotton are erroneously stating that the judiciary doesn’t have the right to check the illegal orders of the executive. In essence, they are advocating lawlessness. Vance and Cotton are insinuating that this administration will not follow judges’ legal orders halting Trump stopping funds authorized by Congress for agencies and projects.
We are at a dangerous point in our Republic. Our judicial system is trying to uphold our laws, but has no enforcement agents other than U.S. Marshalls (which the executive controls). When consequences are not paid, unlawful contempt continues.
Project 2025 is being executed at a fast pace in these first 3 weeks of this administration. We cannot look away. I for one am speaking out to my representatives demanding we follow the rules of law or we will become the Wild West again. Do we want outlaws taking what they want when that means harming farmers, families and small businesses? Laws help us live with order, safety and balance where our voice is a way to problem-solve government systems that need fixing.
Republicans are in full control with Congress, Senate, Executive, and even the Supreme Court. They can create laws to change aspects of government they think are broken. Why are Republicans in Congress not doing their jobs, ceding power to executive fiat? Is the fear of a primary opponent crushing their spine?
Let the judges speak and wield their power to stop illegal orders by Elon Musk and this Shadow Project 2025 President.
On his first day in office, President Trump kept his promise to MAGA. He pardoned the violent January 6 criminals like Proud Boys’ leader Enrique Tarrio (sentenced to 22 years for sedition) and Oath Keepers Leader Steward Rhodes (sentenced to 18 years for sedition) along with 1500 other rioters. These men have expressed no remorse for their actions against police they injured. Vice President JD Vance told reporters that Trump wouldn’t pardon those who committed and were serving sentences for violence against officers. Officers Fanone, Dunn, Gonell and others were given notice on Monday by the Department of Justice alerting them to the release of their attackers from their sentences. Their charges are erased and they are being released without supervision. They are now “standing back and standing by.” One criminal threaten his son who testified against him. Jackson Reffitt awaits in fear for his father, Guy Reffitt to fulfill his promises to kill his son.
I reached out to Senators Cotton and Boozman for their comments. In the Democratic Gazette on Tuesday January 22, both senators and all 4 Arkansas representatives said “ We don’t condone violence but let’s move forward.” Quite telling about how weak their current position is holding the president accountable because in 2021 both senators sponsored The Protect and Serve Act for the very actions of violence against police that occurred on January 6 2021.
Trump fulfilled his long promise to free the criminals. He bragged about releasing the “J6 victims,” the “peaceful participants.” His commitment was known before the election. That these pardons happened is on all who voted for Trump.
The Republican Party claims it is the party of law and order. The Fraternal Order of Police and The International Order of Chiefs of Police came out strongly against these pardons. Where is accountability, public safety and justice? When we have a felon for a president, what should we expect? The genie is out of the bottle.
Peggy Moody
Yellville, AR
