Your Letters for April 18, 2025
Our civil rights will soon be in jeopardy
The other day, a group of masked Homeland Security employees picked up a lady on the street in Somerville, Massachusetts, cuffed her, took her cellphone and sent her to an immigration prison in Louisiana. A graduate student from Turkey, with a valid visa, she has not been charged with a crime nor allowed to defend herself.
Regardless of what we might be told by the leaders in Washington, Amendment IV of the Constitution of the United States of America spells out how search and seizure of an individual must be carried out. "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized."
The lady has further rights outlined in Amendment V that are also being ignored. In part Amendment V states that a person cannot "... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation."
Many in Congress don't appear to be seriously concerned about these violations of the Constitution. But, if the federal government is allowed to continue to seize, imprison and deport legal immigrants without due process, just because the President or other administration officials don't like what they legally say and do, then all of our civil rights will soon be in jeopardy.
Keith Evans
St. Joseph
Contact your representatives and senators
Families in northwest Missouri expect our elected representatives to work to create government that is for the people, as President Lincoln stated. This is not what is happening.
Our Representative Sam Graves voted in support of the Budget Resolution. To make the proposals in this resolution work, significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be required. SNAP has been our nation’s most essential tool to prevent hunger and is central to lifting people out of poverty. $230 billion in cuts will have to be made by the House committee covering anti-hunger programs.
The Budget Resolution includes significant cuts to Medicaid. Nearly 80 million Americans would be at risk of losing coverage. Medicaid helps keep people healthy at all stages of life. It helps to provide healthcare for 2 in 5 of all US births, 2 in 5 children, 1 in 6 non-elderly adults, 2 in 5 non-elderly adults with disabilities, 1 in 4 people with substance abuse disorders or mental illness and 3 in 5 nursing facility residents. These are our family, friends and neighbors.
Please contact Senators Hawley and Schmitt and Representative Graves. Ask them not to take away these vital programs
Peggy Strickland
Weston, Missouri
