Religion Christian Nationalism

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, a man holds a Bible as Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. The Christian imagery and rhetoric on view during this month鈥檚 Capitol insurrection are sparking renewed debate about the societal effects of melding Christian faith with an exclusionary breed of nationalism. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

An open letter to Republicans in the 黑料福利社:

The more I learn about your party鈥檚 presumptive nominee for president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, the more I think I should learn more about you.

Your nominee is clearly filled with self-pity. Except for you, but perhaps not all of you, everyone seems to be against him: the current president, the courts, including individual judges and court personnel, the department of justice, the FBI. It鈥檚 a long list. Do you have similar feelings?

Your presumptive nominee appears to hate 鈥 or fear 鈥 Mexicans, whom he has characterized as criminals and rapists. If elected president, he would, I understand, ban Muslims from entering the country and deport on a massive scale people who are 鈥渦nauthorized鈥 to be here. Do you share his view of Mexicans, and do you support the exclusion of Muslims and such massive deportations?

Much has been made lately of plans your nominee would carry out should he win the presidency in 2024. In addition to banning Muslims and deporting people on a massive scale, he plans to assemble an administration peopled by no one who would oppose whatever he wanted to do. He would change the status of federal workers who are employed in policymaking positions from civil servants to 鈥渁t-will employees.鈥 Consequently, they could be removed from their employment for any reason or no reason at all. Bars to cronyism and corruption, presently in the federal civil service system, would thus be removed.

He would demand loyalty to him, and to him only, in the Department of Justice and FBI.

Should your nominee be elected president in 2024, would you support measures such as these?

Your nominee has made no secret of his intent if he were elected to the presidency next year to seek revenge against individuals whom he considers to be his enemies. He would have them investigated and prosecuted. According to a November story in the Washington Post, he would 鈥減otentially invoke the Insurrection Act on his first day in office to allow him to deploy the military against civil demonstrations.鈥 Would you support your nominee carrying out such revenge?

On March 5, 2023, he stated that 鈥渇or those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.鈥 Do you understand him to mean that his taking revenge on his own critics and enemies would be your retribution for wrongs and betrayals that you yourselves have experienced?

Or do you think he is suggesting that were he to be elected president, you would have license yourselves to take revenge on those who have wronged or betrayed you?

Your answer is important. If I were to say or write something with which you disagreed, should I fear you?

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Roger Carlstrom is a longtime resident of Yakima.