Dan Shannon always claims to have the facts on his side and for the most part that is true (“As the 2022 midterms approach, ‘[D]on’t Get Fooled Again’ in the key of Big D” published July 13) but the reasons that he spins between the facts is where he wanders quite a bit.

Two examples stand out: Inflation and gas prices.

Inflation and gas prices are very high all all around the world, so you see, that can’t be Biden’s fault. For Shannon to claim things would have been better under “The Orange Criminal” if he had won is pure conjecture, period.

While it’s true that Biden’s approval ratings are low because of these things, there is no evidence whatsoever things would have been different under Trump, and Trump’s approval never reached over 45 percent, mainly because he was a very unpopular president to everyone other than his rabid base.

Democrats have been responsible for most of the progressive legislation over the last 70 years, and by progressive, I mean laws that benefit you and me and not the very rich corporations. When we talk about the freedoms that Conservatives want, it seems they want the freedom to own and carry guns anywhere and everywhere they want, to the detriment of society in general and our children in particular (300 mass shootings so far this year alone). Thoughts and prayers aren’t working now and have never worked in the past.

They also want the freedom to pay less taxes, especially for large corporations so you and I can pick up the burden, and the freedom to practice their religion when and wherever they want, but of course that is only Christianity that they want that freedom for.

And while they like their freedoms, they don’t want you to have the freedom to say what happens to your own body, especially if you’re a woman; they don’t want you to be able to choose what sex you may identify as; they don’t want you to be allowed to marry a person of the same sex, etc.

My problem with the Democrats is that when they have a slim majority, they won’t use the same tactics that the Republicans use when they have a slim majority. Republicans have no problem suspending the filibuster and ramming through what they want, mostly huge tax cuts for the rich, which is the main and nearly only policy they have had ever since Reagan.

Now we have all had a glimpse of what a conservative-led Supreme Court can accomplish. They seem to be well on their way to creating a Theocracy with themselves as not just supreme justices but supreme rulers. If this is the path you feel our country should be on than, by all means, don’t vote for any Democrats. Maybe if Trump avoids jail and runs again he can continue his path to the autocracy he so desperately wants for himself.

“Smartest Man in the Room” indeed! As I have said before, “Smartest Man in the Phone Booth” and that’s if he can squeeze his head in there. Just sayin’.

Larry Benson

Enumclaw