To the editor: There has not been enough said about the myriad unpopular and stressful changes that Americans have been facing this year and the tremendous impact they have had on our livelihood and our freedom. Particularly outstanding among the changes have been the looming cuts to healthcare and the assaults on freedom of speech. Nothing is more sacred than the latter.
We can be hopeful that the outcome of the present government shutdown will bring improvements to the healthcare changes made by the “Big Beautiful Bill.” During the negotiations, too few people realized what was transpiring. Even Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who voted for the bill, admitted that she hadn’t read it fully and expressed regret.
The government’s most recent actions have been crystallizing into basic attacks on our freedom of speech and assembly. We have seen many brave Americans step forward to meet this challenge, from government officials to everyday citizens. But most noteworthy among them at this moment are two governors, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois. President Trump is currently trying to send federal troops to Illinois, describing what he is trying to stop as “bombed-out cities” and “bombed-out people” (“Trump says Chicago mayor, Illinois governor should be jailed amid militarized campaign,” Oct. 8).
Pritzker’s response is that Trump’s depiction of Chicago is “deranged.” Both Pritzker and Newsom have stepped forward and are each defiantly suing Trump’s administration over the deployment of National Guard troops without their consent. Each of these victories over individual and states’ rights brings hope to a majority of Americans.
Lynn Lorenz, Newport Beach