White House bullies
I have never in my life been so embarrassed to watch the bullies in the White House (Donald Trump and JD Vance, the vice president) show their true colors in the treatment of the president of Ukraine.
Their disrespect of a world leader’s clothing, their red-faced yelling over him while speaking; it is no wonder he left the Feb. 28 meeting.
I hope the people of the USA will come to their senses and see what Trump and Elon Musk are really up to.
William Watts
Clarkston
Who speaks up for farmers?
Although Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Rep. Fulcher harvested the votes of many northern Idaho farmers to gain their positions, they now seem tongue-tied when it comes to fighting for the interests of their farming constituents.
Apparently they have no understanding of the razor thin profit margins that farmers face with high equipment/fertilizer costs combined with low prices. Two recent developments illustrate the risks farmers face.
In past years, Idaho farmers sold their protein-rich legume crops like lentils to the U.S. Agency for International Development for shipment to countries suffering food shortages as a result of climate change and government instability. These products not only provided lifesaving food for starving kids but promoted the reputation of the U.S. as a reliable friend and model for democracy. The USAID program has been eliminated by the Donald Trump/Elon Musk team, who seem to have no clue as to the benefits of the program for the U.S.
Left holding the bag are Idaho farmers who now see their nutritious produce rotting at shipping terminals and no prospects for future sales to USAID. The Trump/Musk team has recently piled on by firing agricultural research scientists at U.S. Department of Agriculture research laboratories around the country.
The wheat and legume farmers in the Pacific Northwest will no doubt be affected by these actions of the Trump administration. How long will farm families need to wait to hear their elected representatives speak up loudly on their behalf?
Carolyn Silflow
Kendrick
