To Alaska’s congressional delegation:
I’m writing to you out of grave concern for our country. I’m 77 years old and have lived through many difficult times in our history, including wars (Vietnam), assassinations (JFK), and presidential resignations (Nixon). But nothing compares to what we are experiencing now. Our country elected a man who has the ambition of turning our country into an authoritarian regime. And you in Congress are doing nothing to stop him. You should be ashamed. You brag that you are for Alaska, but we are Americans first and so goes our country, so goes our state. I have differed with you on many issues, but this is an issue that is crucial to our democracy.
I’ve written to you several times over the course of time and I get back “pablum” and canned responses that really don’t address the issues I’ve commented on in any way that is satisfactory. I’m guessing that you don’t even read it, as an aide is probably in charge of responding to letters from constituents. This is not a time to play politics to get elected. As Liz Cheney found out, she stood up for our country, and I have a deep respect for her courage. And if many of her Republican peers had followed suit, justice would have prevailed. Donald Trump is a deeply flawed man, and no one with any common sense could see otherwise. And I’m assuming that all of you have common sense so you must be acting out of other motives other than what’s best for our country.
We have a country that is currently ruled by one flawed man through his executive actions. It’s not a three-tiered system of government at present, and that’s the definition of an authoritarian system. Trump has used the courts throughout his life to thwart justice because he has lots of money. He is doing so now, in the hope that time will be on his side and he can establish his authority over all of our important government agencies. His actions on health, defense and monetary systems, just to name a few, demonstrate how far he is willing to go to gain power and assert his will. And you have done little or nothing to stop him. That is your job, to act independently of the executive system. If you don’t, we don’t have a democracy.
But you all know that. Sen. Murkowski, you’ve taken a few stands, but when the “shit has hit the fan,” you’ve chickened out. Sen. Sullivan, your career as a military man should have given you the knowledge that we cannot live in an autocracy, but you seem to have forgotten your history. You’ve done nothing to stand up to a potential “dictator” who gives possibly illegal orders like the shelling of boats whose origin you don’t know. Shame on you. And, Rep. Begich, I’ve seen nothing that suggests you represent the best interests of the United States.
So where does that leave us? It leaves us in the hands of a deeply flawed man who has no interest in making of America better, only benefiting himself.
I was alive during the Joseph McCarthy era, even though I wasn’t aware, and I have read the history and our situation, and I believe it’s far worse than that period of time. Please wake up and protect our nation from the likes of Trump. And please refrain from responding with your standard responses. It just makes me respect you less.
— Larry Holman, Anchorage