​Editor,

I seem to have struck a nerve. Two letters to this paper in response so far have taken me to task for desiring to destroy our “democracy.” While that is their right to whatever lunacy strikes them, my beliefs are as follows:

This country was founded as a constitutional republic, where the people are the arbitrators of how to be ruled.

We are a country of laws which are to be equally enforced on all, without preference or prejudice. The Constitution is the ultimate law of the land, and the Supreme Court is the last word on if that law is being applied correctly. (Side note — being human they aren’t always correct, but over time they have been surprisingly good at correcting their errors)

The president is charged with upholding the law, and the congress is charged with making laws.

My concern is not with any of the above, but with the slow disintegration, now more rapid, of these institutions. Congress has abdicated its responsibilities to create laws that are concise and focused. Instead, they create laws that are vague and open to interpretation. This gives unelected bureaucrats’ power to decide how the law is applied. And it absolves congress when things get messy.

Presidents have always been reluctant to enforce laws they don’t approve of, but generally they at least give lip service to them. Alas, we now have a president who openly ignores the laws he doesn’t like to the detriment of the country. Say what you will about Donald Trump, he never openly failed to follow the law. He wanted the best for the American people, even those who hated him. Railing against a stolen election and asking for investigations into fraud are not illegal, if so Stacy Abrams and Hillary Clinton would be in jail.

I won’t reiterate all the sins of the administrative state, just watch Fox News, or read the Wall Street Journal opinion page to get a hint, but it does need to have a good housecleaning. To quote Ronald Reagan, “The government that governs best, governs least.”

As for my detractors, when those armed IRS agents come after you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Fred Wilferth

Coupeville