Letter to the Editor: If Republicans control the government, we’ll lose our social safety nets

Reader Larry Benson argues that while Republicans might be tough on crime, they would also take away institutions that help people keep from turning to crime in the first place.

First of all I would like to thank Jon Buss for his concern for my son who was recently the victim of a vicious assault while trying to break up a fight (Democrats to blame for King County’s crime rate”, published Dec. 27).

Jon and I have spared back and forth on these pages for several years and his obvious hatred of anything liberal or progressive is plain to see.

I will be the first to admit that I don’t automatically embrace everything liberals in government do and in fact I have taken issue with some of their policies, but not very often. For Mr. Buss’ benefit I would like to paint a picture of what our country might look like with Republicans in complete control of our government: No social security, no Medicare or Medicaid, no EPA, no recognition of human caused global warming, most likely no unemployment benefits, basically no safety nets of any kind for the less fortunate in our society.

More tax cuts for the rich that never have and never will “Trickle Down” to the rest of us. The banning of any books the religious right find offensive, no LGBTQ right to exist, no medical privacy for women, extreme gerrymandering of voting districts ensuring Republican total control, criminalization of other religions and expulsion from the country of anyone deemed undesirable.

These are just a few things that we might look forward to if Trump is gifted a second term as president which is the scariest thing I can think of for our country and the world. Just sayin’.

Larry Benson

Enumclaw