Tennessee legislature another proof of anti-democratic GOP
If anyone questions whether the Republican Party has an anti-democratic objective, look no further than what occurred in the Tennessee legislature.
Expelling two members for exercising First Amendment rights about gun legislation is acceptable, but when neo-Nazis demonstrate, or armed militants attack our nation’s capitol or incendiary lies are censored on social media, you can count on Republicans to scream “First Amendment!” When masks are mandated, it violates “my body, my choice,” but when abortion rights are criminalized, “my body, my choice” does not apply.
Republicans also trumpet local control and small government except when they want to seize the right to control elections or prosecutions by locally elected district attorneys. Law and order is their first priority unless it’s the FBI or DOJ, which are to be “defunded.”
How anyone can adhere to a political party so craven and corrupt is beyond my comprehension.
STEVE MERLIN, MARIETTA
Big Oil not being held to account for misdeeds
There are ample reasons for condemning the misdeeds of Big Oil.
First, petroleum companies have known about the heat-trapping effects of burning fossil fuels for decades. Moreover, the cumulative global impacts of their propaganda are catastrophic, irreversibly worsening yearly, endangering billions and causing greater environmental havoc for the foreseeable future.
Next in rebuke of Big Oil for its reckless greed are skyrocketing profits and the proportionally outrageous compensation paid to top executives. While the world suffered higher inflationary costs taking hold in 2021, not only did oil companies score record-breaking profits – adding further to inflation – but their executives were shamefully overpaid. Shell Oil alone doubled profits between 2021 and 2022 to more than $42 billion.
Finally, the federal government persists in subsidizing oil producers in billions yearly while exploitative profits are squeezed from consumers. Not only are Americans coerced into their financial exploitation by indulging outrageous profits at the pump, but their income taxes are rewarding CEOs.
Ongoing legal actions against Big Oil for unscrupulous and preventable public harms are long overdue.
DAVID KYLER, CENTER FOR A SUSTAINABLE COAST, ST. SIMONS ISLAND
