EDITOR:

In response to Ms. Peach’s “Checks and Balances” :

Your letter drips with contempt but lacks the backbone of reason. You claim to champion democracy while simultaneously calling to strip Americans of their right to elect the leader of their choice. If voters want Donald Trump — whether he’s 35 or 75 — that is their constitutional right. Arbitrary age limits and blanket bans on candidates with legal troubles are the tools of authoritarian regimes, not a free republic.

You sneer at “Making America Great Again,” yet you ignore the fact that under Trump, our economy thrives, our borders remain secure, and America projects strength on the world stage. Contrast that with the prior administration’s feckless leadership — t05runaway inflation, international embarrassment, and policies that leave everyday Americans struggling while our adversaries gain power. If that’s your idea of “saving democracy,” the country is better off without it.

And let’s talk about lies. The real “big lie” is the claim that Trump seeks unchecked power. Unlike his opponents, he does not weaponize government agencies to crush dissent, censor speech, or persecute political enemies. The relentless attacks on him — including politically motivated prosecutions — reveal the true authoritarians in this equation.

Your insults — childish jabs about skin color and fruit comparisons — do nothing to hide the weakness of your argument. You fear Trump not because he threatens democracy, but because he threatens the corrupt establishment that fails the American people every day. If defending our nation, our borders, and our freedoms makes him a “bully,” then perhaps we need more of that brand of leadership.

Trump is not the threat to democracy — you and your calls for silencing opposition are.

The American people have their say, and no amount of name-calling changes that.

Gregory Tolman Sr.

Escanaba