Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Editor, Times-Union:
Donald Trump, his obedient administration, and his MAGA followers are determined to rewrite the true history of America. Their plans include erasing all factual “bad” and “ugly” chapters of that history, restoring many of the place names, physical tributes to and reminders of past traitors and would-be destroyers of a struggling democratic republic, and imposing authoritarian rules created by an elite, oligarchic cabal of self-appointed rulers. They have already forcibly removed any and all persons who had powers to hold leaders accountable for their actions. Gone is the respect for our Constitution, our systems of law and order, our reliance on an impartial Supreme Court.
Exactly 86 years ago, the deadliest and most destructive war in human history began. World War 2 eventually encompassed at least 41 countries (including the U.S.) and continued for six years, during which time battle deaths totaled at least 15 million, battle wounded 25 million, and civilian deaths 45 million. Material losses were extensive, including destruction of infrastructure, loss of industrial production, damage to agricultural land, depletion of natural resources, and economic disruption. –Travel Pander Blog 4/18/2025
All of this destruction because of one man and his followers: Adolph Hitler. Hitler did not start with camps. He started with: make Germany great again; banning books; targeting the press; blaming immigrants; creating enemies from neighbors; defunding the arts; stoking fear of outsiders; demonizing the educators ….
Sound familiar? Today, once again, there is one man with a team of like-minded sycophants who are proceeding as planned with their power grabs — stripping governmental agencies, the media, our educational system, our justice department of all who might voice the least bit of opposition to their Project 2025 and instilling fear and hatred against all who do not meet the criteria set by them (straight, white, male, warriors). Under the guise of making America great again, they are now making America sicker, poorer, angrier, dumber, and blinder to their ulterior motives.
At home, the Trump regime is not waging a war on crime. It is waging a war on perceived enemies. It is waging a war against everyone who exposes them for their lies and their secretive actions and who refuses to genuflect and accept their insane dictates. How long will it be until you or someone you know and love becomes an “enemy” of the regime?
Throughout the world, the Trump regime has become a laughing stock, and America (last and alone) is now regarded as a bully and a heartless country of blind fools. How long will we accept the familiar evil ideologies of the likes of Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, J.D. Vance, Kash Patel, Kristi Noem, Tom Homan or R.F. Kennedy, Jr.? Will the rantings of Charlie Kirk, Steve Bannon, Nick Fuentes, Enrique Tarrio, Alex Jones, or Curtis Yarvin be allowed to define our new patriotism? Will it take the threat of a third world war to make us say “no”?
Jeanne Tuka Schutz
Winona Lake, via email
