Trump is a president, not a king, and not above the law

I cannot stay silent any longer. I swore oaths when I entered our Navy and federal civil service to support our Constitution and the laws that flow from it. Astonishingly, the words, “He who saves his country does not violate any law,” have now been written by a sitting president. The idea that, in a constitutional republic, the leader’s word is above any law was known in 1930s Germany as the “Leader Principle” (the German word was: Führerprinzip).

What can happen with a leader whose nation gives them a cloak of legal invincibility and the ability to pardon anyone who they’ve ordered to break the law? The answer has played out throughout world history, causing unimaginable suffering and injustice.

The wrecking ball that is currently demolishing our civil service workforce will cost us far more in the long run than it will save. Civil service, at any government level, was designed to be nonpartisan. The ongoing purge of rank-and-file knowledge and talent is devastating to the mission of our government agencies because the purges do not attempt to retain critical skills or provide for knowledge transfer from experienced employees to new ones. In addition, the search for fraud, waste, and abuse is, in fact, the mission of the offices of inspectors general who are independent and staffed by professional investigators. The only way to understand the recent firing of so many IGs is this administration’s fear of having its unlawful actions analyzed and publicly documented.

Mostly though, I fear that the forces seeking to divide us as a nation are causing us to lose our empathy for each other and for our global cohabitants. A democracy only works if we all seek to understand each other and if our political system is willing to compromise, despite our political differences.

I fear that in the chaos of today we seem too easily distracted by inconsequential matters — for example, the name of a gulf — and unable to effectively confront the most important issues of our time, such as the pollution of our Earth, military aggression and more.

— Douglas Coe, Gaithersburg

Thanks, David Rubenstein

I’m an Orioles fan who would like to thank Mr. David Rubenstein for purchasing Baltimore’s ballclub. From everything I’ve seen he seems to be a very wise, articulate and compassionate person, as well as a very savvy entrepreneur, and best of all he’s proven to be a true Orioles fan. I’m confident his stewardship will insure the team’s success. I hope to accompany my grandsons to some games this season. However, the parking situation for the average fan is less than desirable. The light rail is a viable option, but I feel at present a 67-year-old with two grandchildren is too vulnerable to the potential criminal element during the journey. What could we do to increase security? What if MTA offered free passage to any uniformed police officers from any jurisdiction within the state on any mass transit to and from Orioles games? Last but not least the team could offer standing-room admission. This might be a safe way to get more fans in the stands.

— Daniel Bell, Catonsville

The governor misses the mark on charitable donations

I am a strong supporter of Gov. Wes Moore, but believe his comments that taxing charity donations mostly impacts the wealthy are off the mark … at least when it comes to giving to churches. There is a widespread misconception that the wealthiest individuals are the major donors to religious organizations. In my roles as director of congregational development for the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church and, later, as dean of a Financial Leadership Academy of the Mid-Atlantic United Methodist Foundation, I have been involved with hundreds of churches across Maryland.

Based on that experience I can testify that most often the largest givers are people of modest means who give sacrificially at levels that enable them to itemize deductions. In fact, in many instances, it is the wealthiest members who give the least, both as a percentage of net worth and in real dollars. One result of the governor’s plan to tax charitable donations would likely be a reduction in giving to churches who are still struggling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and can least afford such a loss.

— Andy Lunt, Ellicott City