Defend the Rule of Law
By Hal Shepherd
On Friday June 6, 25 people turned in Homer to celebrate the 81st anniversary of D-Day when on the morning of June 6, 1944, seven thousand ships and landing craft operated by naval assault divisions from eight countries brought almost 133,000 troops to storm the beaches of Normandy consisting of code names like UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD. By the end of just the first day, more than 10,000 Allied troops were wounded or killed, but they established a foothold in France that would permit them to flood troops, vehicles, and supplies into Europe and to eventually drive the Nazi’s out of the region.
D-Day represents perhaps one of the biggest ironies of the reality that we now have an Authoritarian leader in the Whitehouse who campaigned on a platform of ultra-patriotism while over 400,000 men and women died defending the globe against the spread of that very same Authoritarianism over 80 years ago.
The most recent examples of Trump’s lust for dictatorhsip includes his illegal “deployment of the National Guard to quell Immigration protests” in Los Angeles prompting California Gov. Gavin Newsom, to announce that the state will sue the Trump administration for not first discussing the issue with Newsom and resulting in an unnecessary escalation of the violence. According to Tom Nichols who writes for the Atlantic, the administration is purposefully inciting the violence in LA in order to “turn America’s attention away from Trump’s many failures and inane feuds, and reestablish his campaign persona as a strongman who will brush aside the law if that’s what it takes to keep order in the streets.”
The most recent of these feuds came after Elon Musk the former head of DOGE left the White House after an article in the New York Times revealed his heavy drug use while campaigning for Trump.[1] Not surprisingly, this led to a very public fall out between the two enormous egos who have been ranting at each other for the whole world to see.
…”Economist Robert Reich said of the fight ’That any of us have to care about the messy breakup of these two massive narcissists—and that they both individually wield such massive power—is an indictment of our political system and further proves the poisonous influence of Big Money on our democracy.’”[2]
Then there is his Trump’s military parade, in part to celebrate his 79th birthday “with a pomp-filled procession through the streets of the nation’s capital Saturday, June 14, showcasing military might in a display with few, if any, precedents.” According to Nichols the parade is taking place because “Trump sees the U.S. military as his personal honor guard and his private muscle. Those are his toy soldiers, and he’s going to get a show from his honor guard ...”
Finally, there is Trump’s direct attack on the independence of the judicial system buried in the 1,038-page Reconciliation bill he designed that would provide him with virtually unlimited power. The provision is so significant to the entire infrastructure of our legal system that the New York Times said the language would “limit the power of federal judges to hold people in contempt, potentially shielding President Trump and members of his administration from the consequences of violating court orders.”
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, said of the attack on the rule of law:
Because of a fear of Trump, our elected officials have ignored the will of their own constituents. Take Senator San Sullivan for example. When Sullivan came to Homer on May 30, to meet with the Chamber of Commerce and then the Senior Center, over 40 demonstrators lined the streets to to express their disappointment with his failure to defend democracy. During a discussion with demonstrators when asked about the attack on the Court’s in the Tax Bill, Sullivan’s response was “is that really in there?”
The one breath of fresh air Alaskans’ have is Lisa Murkowski. While most Republican’s in Congress have increasingly handed Alaskans over to the Trump wolves, by slashing the federal government, funding freezes on programs the state depends on, layoffs of federal workers who live here, Murkowski has departed from her party, by consistently using sharp words and her vote on the Senate floor to push back.
As the Senate takes up the massive tax bill after the House approved it nearly intact, with republicans having just a few vote partisan lead, Murkowski has substantial influence over needed changes. “There are provisions in there that are very, very, very challenging, if not impossible, for us to implement,” Murkowski said.
For now it appears we have a short pause from the devastating spending bill. In apparent repercussions for being ousted by Trump on Musk recently “took a public stand against the omnibus bill Trump desperately wants Congress to pass, posting on X: “’I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.’”[3] These statements lead to Republicans in the Senate (who now apparently have a fear of Musk) to start jumping ship.
With the exception of Murkowski, because, the majority of Alaska politicians are continuing feeding us to the Trump wolves, it is up to every day citizens to continue to resist.
Call Lisa Murkowski - Anchorage (907) 271-3735/ Washington D.C (202)-224-6665. Thank here for having the courage to stand up to Trump and put Alaskan’s first.
Also Call Dan Sullivan: Washington Office: (202) 224-3004/Anchorage Office:
Phone: (907) 271-5915;
Tell him to Defend the Rule of law and vote against the King Making Budget Reconciliation bill.
[1] Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American (June 5, 2025)
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.