by John Bossange
As a proud, independent Vermonter unaffiliated with any political party, I have quietly watched the first 100 days of President Trump’s presidency, and noticed a pattern of actions which should trouble all Vermonters who believe in the separation of power between our three branches of government and the rule of law as written into the US Constitution.
From his first day in office President Trump used disinformation and lies, appealing to fear and hate to justify his words and executive actions, and I did not speak out enough because I believed people would not believe his lies and “alternative facts” once the President took office. I was wrong.
Then, Trump’s MAGA Party took over the entire Republican Party and enforced internal party discipline by using political threats and intimidation to stamp out all dissent, and I did not speak out because I thought experienced and wiser politicians would return the Party to its historical roots, values, and traditions. They did not.
Then they centralized their power by destroying the civil service and some departments, appointing agency and department heads loyal to the MAGA Party, and I did not speak out because I believed that purging would not last and the nation would not be able to function without our government systems in place. The purging has continued with little forceful opposition.
Then they took over the US Congress and the Courts, eliminating the checks and balances between the three branches of our government, and I did not speak out because I believed eventually the Supreme Court would restore our historical constitutional order. I was wrong.
Then they started to deport immigrants claiming an invasion, and I did not speak out because I believed the fifth and fourteenth amendments would protect these individuals with their constitutionally required due process and habeas corpus.
Then they started to threaten academic institutions pretending to fight against anti-Semitism, when what they really wanted to do was to silence the intellectual criticism of their party rulers, and I did not speak out because I believed those universities would join together and push back in force to protect their first amendment rights for free speech regardless of the issue. They did not.
Then they began to deny visas to foreigners who wished to study, work in, or visit America, and I did not speak out because at that time, I did not realize how important that work force was to our economy, to the entrepreneurial spirit of America, and to our international reputation as a welcoming nation. That was my error in judgment.
They preserved a tax system that benefited loyal, wealthy, party donors, and told the citizenry tax cuts were good for the economy and for job creation, and I did not speak out enough again, because I always paid my taxes without thinking about the national deficit, and how the decimated and underfunded IRS has never been able to keep up with billionaire tax cheats anyway. That was another mistake.
They continued to call the climate crisis a hoax and rolled back environmental protections to support more fossil fuel energy exploration and use, and I did not speak out because I thought no one would deny the facts of science telling us that the world is warming at a catastrophic pace.
Then they began to violate our first amendment rights by suggesting Christianity become the evangelical religion of America, and I did not speak out because I believed no one would want America to become like other religiously driven nations where people lived under one national religion to remain a legal citizen of that country.
Now they are pressuring major law firms to acquiesce to the demands from the administration to not defend cases in Appellate Courts, and I have not spoken out because I figured lawyers had taken an oath to uphold the law without political influence.
Recently they have begun to threaten the press and media outlets by denying federal funding supports, by not renewing FCC licenses, and by not inviting some to press conferences, and I have not spoken out because I believed the press would always remain a powerful and influential independent arm of our government, never to be controlled by one party.
Now they are talking about creating a list of “enemies of the state,” including those who protested, resisted and been critical of the President’s executive actions, and I am beginning to realize that for some, speaking out might be seen as a risk, and just the idea if a “list” would silence many.
Today, I realize America is quickly evolving into a country we may no longer recognize. Enough is enough. I have spoken out but should have much sooner. There must be other patriotic Vermonters, who love our country, and are as deeply concerned, as I am. Where are you? This too, will not pass. It could be permanent.
Dictators love silence. It’s their license to continue consolidating their power to enrich their family and friends. Foreign real estate deals, manipulating the stock market with multiple tariff announcements, and gifts like a new jet are only the beginning. MAGA will not “Make America Great Again,” but it will “Make Trump Wealthy Again” (MTWA). The President is all about himself, not America.
Speak out now, before it is too late.