By: Pamela Ice
OUR VOICES
Coup: a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics . . . or [the] alteration of an existing government by a small group.
The president of the United States of America has orchestrated a coup of our American government.
Through myriad executive orders and the appointment of his friend and fellow billionaire, Elon Musk, whom Donald Trump calls a Special Government Employee, to head an entity Trump is calling the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), our government is no longer recognizable.
Starting 20 January, right after Trump’s inauguration, between the president, Musk, and DOGE
- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been silenced. No news is being allowed to come out of that entity even though bird flu is rampant, measles are making a comeback, and Ebola is a threat.
- USAID has been shuttered, employees told to resign or be fired, their email cut off, the name taken off the building in Washington DC, and American produced aid to the poorest countries in the world stopped without notice.
- The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has been taken over by young men working for Elon Musk.
- Treasury seems to have been hacked by the DOGE boys and much of Americans’ private information could be made available to who knows whom.
- American families that include immigrants are being negatively impacted by implementation of Trump’s mass deportation plans.
- All diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities have been curtailed and employees told not to come to work any more.
During his first week in office, Trump signed over 200 executive orders, some of which are patently illegal. People’s heads are spinning.
Is this chaos what Trump/MAGA voters were asking for or expecting when they voted for him? Probably not.
Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of agencies and veteran civil servants who have been told they were fired though only the Congress can fire them.
These civil servants have been locked out of or escorted from their offices and denied access to their email.
Tariffs have been levied and just as abruptly rescinded.
Eggs are costing more than ever so that Waffle House has established a 50-cent surcharge on them.
Will people continue to receive their Social Security checks? No one knows.
On top of it all, Trump said the US will take over the Gaza Strip and make it into the Riviera of the Middle East. No word on what country will accept millions of Palestinians who don’t want to be displaced. Again. Trump volunteered Egypt and Jordan neither of which have jumped at this “opportunity” to absorb millions of refugee migrants.
If you don’t like what is going on within our government, call or email the president and your senators and representatives to let them know how you feel and what you want them to do about the coup being carried out by president Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and DOGE.
The White House: 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414
The 119th Congress — Senate: 202-224-3121 House: 202-225-3121
Pamela is a freelance writer, cultural commentator, blogger (www.speakingfreely.blog), and educator. A Fisk University alumna, Pamela is also a North Texas Master Naturalist and avid birder.
