This is an opinion piece. We value the diverse opinions of our readers and we welcome robust, wide-ranging thoughts and ideas on subjects relevant to Mendocino County. The following opinion is not representative of The Mendocino Voice, its publisher, editor or staff. Opinion pieces can be sent to info@mendovoice.com.
Many Americans expected change and some upheaval when Donald Trump began his second term as president. Each new president will of course attempt to shape the country into his or her vision of what it should be, and candidate Trump was very clear about his intentions to do things differently. Change is what the voters wanted, and change was the reason he was voted back into the White House.
We at the League of Women Voters respect the voters’ decision in 2024. However, as an organization whose mission is the preservation of our democratic system, we believe that many of the new administration’s aggressive actions are indeed threats to the democracy we cherish. While many of the changes Mr. Trump wants could have been done through the legislative process, respecting the system of checks and balances, instead the administration has chosen to unilaterally begin dismantling our governmental institutions and norms through executive orders. This shock-and-awe approach has been quick but ignores the rule of law. This leaves only the judicial system between our democracy and an autocracy.
The recent executive order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” especially hits home for the League of Women Voters. “Let’s keep it real: this order is not about protecting elections; it is about making it harder for voters — particularly women voters — to participate in them,” said Celina Stewart, chief executive officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “This executive order is an assault on our republic and a dangerous attempt to silence American voters. The President continues to overstep his authority and brazenly disregard settled law in this country. To be very clear — the League of Women Voters is prepared to fight back and defend our democracy.”
LWV Mendocino County will do all we can right here in our community to defend democracy and to ensure that voting rights are protected. As a show of strength and solidarity, we will join the Hands Off! Protest being organized by Indivisible for Apr. 5 in Fort Bragg, Ukiah, and Pt. Arena.
Classic. You complain and make assumptions, yet back none of your claims. Where specifically is there a law restricting the women’s right to vote?
Next time just be honest with yourself and everyone, just say you will not like anything he does. That’s more honest and I can at least respect you for your honesty vs. making up false accusations.
Thank you, well said.
Charlene McAllister:
You say referring to executive order relative to voting that it is not about protecting elections, but about making it harder for voters and then you bring in gender – poor weak women.
Please state your case of how requiring an ID to vote makes this harder. I am a woman 84 and I am confused as to why asking for someone to prove they are a citizen and eligible to vote creates a problem specifically for women.
This executive order IS NOT an assault but a protection of our republic because it assures that only eligible voters participate in this democratic process.
My question again, why anyone would deny providing proof of eligibility to vote. If you are a citizen and eligible, I do not see the problem other than that created for those illegally in our country and/or not registered and therefore not eligible to vote unless you are among those that feel any non-citizen has the right to vote in our democratic process. And explain please how requiring and ID silences American voters – and women specifically?
I think sometimes many listen to and believe all they hear from the media instead of researching to find truths and when this happens, common sense seems to fly out the window and is gone. Just one old lady’s opinion.
I don’t see a problem in showing identification when voting, we show ID at the bank, in an airport, buying a house, a car, a gun, applying for a fishing or hunting license so I don’t see what the problem is
OK. I read your opinion. It wasn’t substantiated at all. You should do better. It basically mimicked the progressive democrat view of ‘orange man bad’. I don’t see our ‘constitutional republic’ being threatened. I see the President trying to reduce the size and waste of the executive branch of which he has authority over. I see him trying to insure only eligible voters vote in our elections. Something the democrat party is against. I do not remember seeing any protests when Joe Biden was knocking out executive orders to open our borders to an invasion the likes of which we have never seen before. No protests when the DNC kept Bernie and then RFK from the primaries, or tried to keep candidates off of ballots, and then on the ballot or when they decided to not even have a ballot for choosing a presidential candidate. Nope, no protests there, that’s DNC democracy.
I feel the same way as all these other people that have commented. You talk about Democratic integrity but most of the time you don’t have any when it comes to voting. America in our earlier years that the people that should be voting will be American individuals. Whether it be by birth, by being born and raised here, or becoming an American citizen legally!! California especially has been proven to be one of the states that their voting systems have been very corrupt over the years and you very well know it. You want things just your way but that’s not the way it’s going to be anymore. It’s kind of like you speak here about you being the League of Women Voters. Do you actually care about women in general? Or do you want them still to be under the thumbs abzella’s that forced them to be one of the last ones to be able to vote? The Democratic Party held the women down and the blacks and the Hispanics and the Asians and others and kept them from voting in our elections local state and America also. I suppose you’d like to go back to that would you. Please start thinking about the American people instead of what your ex-president wants you to do. He was corrupt and it has been proven and so are the people that you follow if you’re following the Democrats and the Liberals that are in office right now. Yes and even some of the Republicans. All of America should have voter ID laws because you should have to prove your citizenship as an American citizen when it comes to our elections! I don’t understand what’s wrong with your thinking do not know this should be a well-known fact.