MY TURN: Fascist takeover should be front-page news
On Nov. 9, 2024, I wrote an article titled “A River Runs Through It.” In this article, I included several warnings about the Trump presidency, and sadly, every one of those warnings has come true. As I stated in the piece, “Buckle up, Buttercup, here comes fascism.” Many people may have ignored that warning, but here we are today.
Coeur d'Alene can be a peculiar place. It’s a tourist town filled with enjoyable events and generally beautiful weather, creating a sense of being in a bubble. While the world grapples with the rise of fascism, we’re caught up in parades, art festivals, fairs and more. In previous years, I would have felt good about these happenings, but now they seem like a Band-Aid on an ever-growing wound.
We are witnessing the loss of our democracy, and it feels inappropriate to celebrate during such times. Young people are struggling to make a decent living and afford homes. Additionally, Trump’s tariffs are causing significant disruptions to our economy. For retirees, living on a fixed income and losing Medicaid presents its own challenges.
Meanwhile, those in the middle-age bracket may experience a decline in their home values and the value of the dollar. In fact, your home could lose as much as 70% of its value in the coming months. The current market is volatile due to the unpredictable economic policies of the president, which create uncertainty and chaos.
If you are a child, you may not receive the necessary vaccinations to stay healthy. Measles cases are on the rise. If you’re a business that relies on imports, the tariffs are likely killing that business. States facing natural disasters may not receive FEMA money. Congress allocated $608 million in FEMA funds to ICE, and Trump has repeatedly stated that he believes states should handle their own natural disasters, regardless of their fiscal ability to do so. Trump signs one executive order after another, largely ignoring Congress.
We now have ICE operating in our cities, detaining individuals simply because they have darker skin or because they dare to stand up for their fellow human beings who are taken to places with inhumane conditions without due process.
We are all at risk under a government that exhibits fascistic tendencies, whether we want to acknowledge it or not.
Starting in October and continuing into 2026, we will begin to see more clearly the consequences of living under a dictatorship and the impact of the terrible bill that was passed. We are being governed by someone who has no understanding of sound economic policy.
Even if the Coeur d’Alene Press is primarily a local newspaper, the reality of a fascist takeover should be front-page news. During World War II, the Press covered not only the global impact of the war but also its profound effects on the North Idaho community. Our situation today is every bit as perilous for Americans as was World War II. This time, the enemy is attacking us from within our own country. No state, whether red or blue, will be safe from tyranny.
Wake up, Idahoans! Our democracy is in peril. Stand up for the Constitution! Remember the lives lost in the service of our democracy. Ignore these warnings at your own peril. We are all in the crosshairs of fascism. Please stand up for Democracy and the Constitution now, before it’s too late.
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Ethel Steinmetz Marmont is a Coeur d'Alene resident.