Trump not empowered to declare war

Why does President Donald Trump consider it his right to drag our country into another Middle East war? I’m acutely aware of the hazards we citizens might face (“A week into their war, Israel and Iran launch new strikes even as diplomatic effort gets underway,” June 20). More importantly, it is not President Trump’s prerogative to initiate war, it’s the constitutional duty of Congress. According to the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the power to formally declare war. The U.S. president cannot go to war without the consent of Congress, definitely not by executive whim.

Although all presidents are designated commander in chief of our armed forces, Congress may permit deployment for specific goals through Article II of the Constitution. As of yet, they’ve been sitting on their thumbs.

I wish Trump had studied the Constitution, which he swore to uphold during his inauguration. This is the basic stuff we all learned in high school civics!

— Rosalind Heid, Baltimore

Can an assassin be a ‘devout’ Christian?

Devout? A recent article from the Associated Press reports how friends and colleagues of Vance Boelter, the alleged killer of two Minnesota politicians, describe him as a “devout” Christian (“What to know about the shootings of 2 Minnesota lawmakers and the arrest of Vance Boelter,” June 16). Can we please dispense with the word “devout” when discussing cold-blooded murderers? How about writing “he went to church a lot.”

— Stephen Milmoe, Pasadena

Erasing Baltimore’s graffiti free-for-all

Thanks to The Baltimore Sun for spotlighting the explosion of graffiti in Baltimore (“Graffiti reports spiked last year in Baltimore. Who’s handling it, and who’s not?” June 16). Just to take one section of the city: Everywhere you look now from 25th Street to Mount Vernon, graffiti is in evidence. Graffiti Alley is in that area but rather than giving graffiti makers a designated place to display their talent or their message, the alley seems to have spawned a graffiti free-for-all. I’m grateful for the efforts of the city’s graffiti-removal team, but they haven’t begun to catch up with the increased ugliness. Graffiti certainly isn’t Baltimore’s biggest problem, but it’s a sign of a big one: People who think what they want is more important than the good of their community.

— Bess Keller, Baltimore

Trump must do everything to avoid World War III

World War I started when groups of countries banded together against each other.

President Donald Trump is forcing the same scenario in the reckless way he is responding to the Israel-Iran conflict.

His threats via social media are irresponsible and dangerous. If the U.S. bombs Iran and if Iran retaliates, then NATO will be involved — unless NATO chooses to consider the U.S. to be an enemy nation.

Russia will side with Iran, as will China. Trump must use restraint and do everything to prevent World War III. Anything less is not an option.

— Mel Tansill, Catonsville

Balance the budget by going after tax-dodgers

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that over the next decade, the tax cuts from the Big, Beautiful Bill will add $2.4 billion to the national debt. Democrats and a few Republicans have been wringing their hands over this while ignoring the IRS estimates that $1 trillion in taxes, almost entirely owed by the 1%, go uncollected each year because the IRS lacks the manpower to collect them. That would be $10 trillion over the next decade! Former President Joe Biden hired about 1,000 new IRS agents to begin going after those uncollected taxes. President Donald Trump just fired them! There’s absolutely no reason for the United States to be borrowing money. It wouldn’t even be necessary to raise the tax rates on the billionaires and their corporations. Just collect the taxes owed!

— Jim Dempsey, Edgewood