Letter From a Friend

Yesterday we wrote a letter to the Austin Chronicle (a local Austin entertainment weekly). It was posted online last night and reads:

Letter From a Friend

RECEIVED Mon., Feb. 10, 2025

Dear Editor,

We are two retired Canadians who love Austin and have been regular visitors since 1990. We love Texas and we love Texans. We are writing this letter in response to the actions taken by your president in the three weeks we’ve been here (a trip planned a year ago — most of our friends and family who had planned trips to the U.S. this year are going elsewhere or not traveling). We have witnessed your president (47) do incredible damage to your Constitution, to the economy and to the world at large. For example, whether or not you support foreign aid (of note — it accounts for less than 1% of the U.S. budget), its sudden withdrawal means many deaths, perhaps millions. But that is just one of many damaging and unconstitutional acts 47 and his co-president, Musk, have perpetrated. Personally, we are deeply offended by the chaos they have unleashed. And let us assure you, Canadians do not want to become the 51st state and will not respond kindly to a hostile takeover via a tariff war — a war that benefits no one.

To our American friends — we know you are tired. We know you have just been through a grueling election. We know you have been constantly fighting disinformation spread by 47 and his cronies. We know that 47 has caused irreparable rifts in families. But you have to fight back. And you have to fight soon — before it is too late. The damage done by his actions so far have affected mostly people outside the U.S. or federal employees, but soon everyone will be worse off except the very rich. WAKE UP! This is not a battle between left and right. It is a battle for your country and democracy.

This new world order unleashed on January 20 cannot be our future.

Kate Graham & Reg Quinton
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At the urging of our Blanco friends we have sent versions of this letter to several local papers. 

This morning (February 12) we read about a recent executive order imposing sanction on the International Criminal Court. Will it never end? The 47th believes he and his cronies are above all laws — state, federal and international.

We sometimes feel like we've taken a 6 week ocean cruise and every day we're hit by hurricane weather. Is there no safe harbor?