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Miner cartoon and free speech
To the editor, I imagine that consumers of mainstream media laughed and nodded “knowingly” at The Miner’s January 15th political cartoon. Computer user: “So, Facebook, you’ve given up fact checking. So, I’ll spend more time wading through misinformation, more time figuring out what’s a lie, more time questioning what’s an AI-generated fake.” Facebook: “It’s a free speech thing.” Computer user: “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen… it’s a free time thing.” (Shuts the computer.)
This cartoon, in my opinion, reflects insidious government-approved talking points that “justify” the “need” for censorship. Social media happily feed our addiction to “convenience” while using algorithms that narrowly reflect our propaganda-formed worldview to soothe us. There’s none of that disturbing “misinformation” from independent journalists to trigger our propaganda-induced outrage. Nothing to introduce even the slightest doubt into our certainty that those censored posts would attempt to deceive us or proselytize for a contemptuous viewpoint. We’re secretly grateful they “protect” us from worry that we’re missing something deserving of more nuanced investigation.
Yes, free speech allows outright lies into feeds which, from my investigations, come predominantly from our government colluding with corporate media. More importantly, free speech includes the “missing information” that can expose the shenanigans of disingenuous government and institutional actors, the primary target of censorship.
In my assessment, corporate media no longer serve as government watchdogs. Instead of providing all available facts, analyzed from multiple angles and expressed in neutral language, their language is exemplary of smear campaigns. They skillfully employ half-truths, exaggerations and innuendos that we are tricked into accepting as “fact” that manipulate our emotions, worldview and behavior.
I believe that minimally curated social media, despite the emergence of AI-generated bots and videos, is still the best route. That leaves the job of discerning the truth to us rather than government actors or billionaires.
Kamori Cattadoris Newport
Trump Adore-ment Syndrome abounds in letters
To the editor, We have several local opinion writers suffering from Trump Adore-ment Syndrome. I suggest that the Newport City Council and School Board change the name of the city to Trumport and Stratton Elementary School to Trump Elementary.
I would also suggest that locals like K.C. Hunt buy Trump shoes, Trump coins, Trump cologne, Trump trading cards, Trump keychain, Trump shirts, Trump hats, Trump kitchen essentials, Trump Robes and linens, Trump drinkware and glassware, Trump ornaments and Trump golf balls, etc.
American citizens missed having a king to adore after the revolution, and the king has returned with Trump. All of Trump’s decrees and orders now have the power of a unchecked king. Any citizen can have their constitutional rights revoked by a Trump order. Gee, that’s great as long as it isn’t you and is someone else.
Funny, how K.C. Hunt blames the LA fires on the governor and mayor. This summer when Pend Oreille County starts burning after our low snowfall winter, what will he write when half our homes burn to the ground and our Republican fire plan fails. Ask the homeowners in Elk who lost everything if blaming someone has rebuilt their homes. Also, our emergency planner is a nice woman and therefore must be a DEI hire.
Read about it in the Trumport Miner.
Pete Scobby Newport
Now occupied by the MAGA party?
To the editor, Did I raise my children wrong insisting on kindness, truth, inclusion, generosity, selflessness? Obviously so according to our present GOP in Congress, Trump, most members of the Supreme Court and many MAGA voters. Lying, belittling people with disabilities, discrimination according to skin color etc., all OK by Trump, and his sycophants. The election of a confirmed felon, serial liar, known cheater on wives, fake religious man blows my mind. Uneducated and uninformed voters for the most part, or worse, just voting for their own power and pocketbook with minimal concern for others. I was a registered Republican for years, until they lost decency.
For 44 years I took groups of students and adults for home stay and language experiences all over the world. I too participated and stayed in private homes which gave me opportunities to have many deep discussions with the locals. I frequently asked my German hosts how was it possible for the people to not stand up against Nazi occupation. They said some of their own family and neighbors had been afraid of retaliation by those in power with brutality, loss of jobs, and family security. Many were powerless in their own lives and the belittling of others somehow enhanced their own low self-esteem. Sound familiar? Are we now occupied by the MAGA party?
I encourage you to watch the Netflix movie Number 24. Truly frightening and shows what is happening in our country now. God help us.
Carrolyn Vidal Diamond Lake
Shock and awe
To the editor, Trump hit the ground running. Here are some Executive Order’s he has signed so far. He put a 90 day pause on all foreign aid and is preparing an EO to halt “gain of function” research. He pardoned 1,500 J6 protesters and sent 1,500 troops to the southern border. He signed several EO’s to secure the southern border. Flights removing illegals began Friday. Over 500 have been detained so far. He also canceled incoming flights of illegals.
Trump has pardoned 24 pro-life protesters. He took a sledgehammer to Biden’s Green New Deal. He ordered all Federal DEI offices to close immediately. There are now only two sexes. He signed an order to end birthright citizenship. A Seattle judge has already blocked this. This is complex. Do you look at “Tradition” over the past 100 years or do you look at “as written” in the Constitution and “Intention” at the time? It will be interesting to see what the Supreme Court does.
Trump has removed us from the WHO. He signed an EO that the Central Bank can’t make or control a cryptocurrency. The Office of Personnel has fired over 1,000 people across several departments. He is not keeping any holdovers this time around. The DOGE clock has appeared on the National Debt clock. As of this writing we have saved about 11 billion.
Trump visited the hurricane victims in NC on Friday. While there he said he might condition federal funds to assist CA on two points: 1. Voter ID and 2. Divert the millions of gallons of water pouring into the Pacific Ocean and send it south through CA to its southern points. He then flew to mismanaged CA to visit the devastation that they created there.
The Golden Age in America has begun!
Glen Pierce Spokane/Cusick
If you need help, please reach out
To the editor, We live in a very giving and helpful community. I witness it often in the local groups on Facebook and within the community itself. That being said, I have also noticed that people asking for help have a tendency to ask after they have waited months for an issue to build up and it then becomes very difficult to fulfill the help they require.
I am writing this letter to highly recommend anyone who needs help with things such as clothing, furniture, heating bills, rent, etc. to please reach out immediately for help rather than wait. There are resources that can help someone with their rent or heat in extenuating circumstances, but the resources can only help with their limited funds, which means they would need to help in the immediate circumstance, or they will be unable to help at all.
An example of that would be the inability to pay the electric bill due to higher cost from heating their home in the winter: Rather than wait until the 2nd or 3rd month of being unable to pay, please reach out to those local resources to help you pay the first month so that you don’t end up behind and owing fees. Local resources include: Rural Resources, Family Crisis Network, YES of Pend Oreille County, and Priest River Ministries.
Heartbridge is also available as a great community navigator to point you in the direction you may be needing any assistance with. Take advantage of the help you can get, and then when you are able, pay it forward. Let’s keep this community small-town living with a big heart!
-Betsy Moon Newport
