‘Bypassing Congress’

Heartiest thanks to The Times for the superb editorial. Ideologues who lie, deceive, conspire to subvert the law and the courts, who parade a nationalistic patriotism and mask their intentions with so-called traditional values and simplistic religiosity, are not confined to the Germany and Italy of 50 years ago. The autocratic totalitarians identified themselves as fascist then, and we have come to refer to them as fascist. The power-hungry racist, sexist, militaristic right-wing of this country holds a very similar agenda, and can also be appropriately identified as “fascist.”

Because of the tremendous inroads these ideologues have made in our institutions, our country is no longer the bastion of freedom that I grew up loving and hoping my contributions would make even freer. Americans are less equal before the law than at any time in my lifetime (and I was born during Hoover’s presidency). This is difficult to face and it is all very sad.

JOHN D. POYNTER

Claremont