Trump’s Homeland Security is lawless and reckless | Opinion

Trump’s Homeland Security

Trump’s Department of Homeland Security includes an agency that is a carbon copy of Hitler’s Gestapo. It is called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Their tactics violate the security for our homeland by rounding up and deporting innocent residents without any evidence of due process.

Agents of ICE violate the rule of law and the Constitution by indiscriminately arresting and deporting people who are neither illegal immigrants nor criminals. Worse of all, since the start of Trump’s second term, ICE has killed eight people. Their most recent murder victim was Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a legal resident of Maine in good standing and not the target of that operation.

Guerrero was attacked by government-sponsored criminals who were not wearing uniforms or visible identification of their official status as law enforcers. They attacked him using highly aggressive tactics to indiscriminately subdue and capture him. He was killed because he would not stop. No law enforcement agency is authorized to kill someone because they refuse to stop.

Using the misnomer “Homeland Security” is Trump’s propaganda effort to cover up his autocratic rule and deport as many “foreigners” as possible. Such bigotry and lawlessness is persistent throughout his administration.

Jim Tow, Richland

Pasco council is not open to comment

The Pasco City Council invites citizens to voice community concerns at its weekly meetings. This allows policy-makers to be informed about matters serious enough to be brought before the council. Nonetheless, when citizens’ concerns appear to be treated with indifference, the public comments section of the council’s agenda becomes meaningless. Such is the case with the lack of public access, issue to the Martin L. King “community” center in East Pasco.

For anyone willing to look, concerns about public access to the MLK center are being dismissed by the council. This further suggests that advocates who make multiple appearances become nuisances, and their concerns trivial.

In its June 22 meeting, Pasco’s city officials discussed the use of accessible funds to purchase land, currently leased from Franklin County, for soccer fields. The dollar amount is approximately $18 million. So, why weren’t these funds used to complete the MLK remodel?

Has the city “highjacked” the MLK center by giving renewable 5 to 20-year non-revenue generating leases to current tenants? It appears so. Yet, officials confusingly ask the public to wait years on grant funding to have access. Is this council’s malfeasance, or contempt for MLK community center and residents of East Pasco?

Dallas Barnes, Pasco

Naming policy is locally generated

The RSD Naming Facilities Policy was written by local Attorney Chris Nickola and RSD Assistant Superintendent Nancy Kyle… years ago in the community-supported effort to name Toivo Piippo Gymnasium. The RSD School Board voted at a public board public meeting to approve the written Facilities Name Process. At that time, there were not any written words requiring the Individual being considered to be dead, deceased. I was there listening, reading as were many other supporters.

The Fran Rish Stadium, Art Dawald Gymnasium and Toivo Piippo Gymnasium were all named while those coaches were alive and well. The community was there too.

Any resistance demonstrated by school officials is a contradiction to the community supporters, former players, parents, grandparents, fans and RSD’s rich athletic history.

Steve Piippo, Richland

Night Out annual community event

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August.

For more information on how your neighborhood can get involved, please visit your city police department’s Facebook page or website. Also, be sure to stop by and visit with our staff at the Support, Advocacy & Resource Center’s (SARC) booth for more information about crime prevention and advocacy services available in our community.

Denise Martin, Richland

What do you really know about socialists?

In reading last Sunday’s letter about socialists, I wondered if the author had heard of the DSA’s platform?

Among other things they state they want to get rid of the Senate and the Presidency, have open borders, free health care, free child care, amnesty for all immigrants, executive and judicial branch of government being selected and subordinate to congress, defunding the dept. of war and I am sure I missed some.

It hasn’t worked out so well in Cuba, Russia or China and removal of the right to live your life as you chose is not a good choice. As far as moving lips, the Democrats have no room to talk.

Jim Reinhardt, Kennewick