Newaygo County Public Opinion

Letter : This Is Not What America Is

11/8/2025

To the Editor:

Yesterday, a judge ordered the White House to restore full SNAP benefits essential food support for working families, children, and seniors. Instead of complying, Donald Trump chose to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. Let that sink in: the president of the United States is fighting against feeding the hungry.

As this ruling unfolded, images surfaced of a man collapsing in front of the president and Trump’s reaction wasn’t concern, but irritation at the inconvenience. That moment captures everything about who he is: a man numb to human suffering, unmoved by hunger or hardship.

He hosted a Great Gatsby–themed party the very night before SNAP benefits were paused, a grotesque display of excess while children go to bed hungry and food pantries run bare. He continues building his own Versailles-style ballroom while thousands of federal workers remain unpaid.

This is not strength. This is cruelty disguised as power. A leader who mocks compassion, who treats his supporters as props and pawns, cannot represent the spirit of America.

America is better than this. We care for one another. We feed the hungry, lift the weary, and reject the worship of greed. It’s time to remember who we are and what kind of country we want to be.

Peace.

Michelle Petz,LCSW

4 Comments

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Michael L DeYoung

11/8/2025 12:32:59 pm

The writer blames President Trump for SNAP benefits being stopped when once again the left refuses to acknowledge it is the Democrats who are refusing to open the government. The Democrats are the ones keeping families hungry. A judge ordered president Trump to pay SNAP benefits. This is a ridiculous ruling as the government is closed because Democrats refuse to open the government unless Republicans cave to their trillion dollars for illegals and money for other countries. Fortunately the Supreme Court has stepped in and stopped the over reach by this rogue judge. This judge may as well order the Democrats to vote to open the government. Talk about No Kings!! Where are the protesters over this one judge ruling the country? Open your eyes leftists! Your party does not care about citizens!

Michelle Petz

11/8/2025 04:41:48 pm

In response, blaming Democrats for the SNAP benefit crisis, let’s be clear about who holds the power. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. They have the votes, the authority, and the responsibility to govern, yet they’ve chosen political theater over feeding families.

While 1.4 million Michiganders worry about their next meal, this administration is busy with excess: two new Gulfstream jets for the HHS director, Kash Patel flying private to visit his girlfriend in Nashville, and the ongoing demolition of the East Wing to build a $350 million “Versailles-style” ballroom, paid for in part by CEOs buying access and influence.

Meanwhile, the White House throws a Great Gatsby–style party, dripping with excess and greed, while children go hungry and families line up at food pantries. The GOP is choosing gluttony over American lives, indifference over compassion, and spectacle over service.

The judge who ordered SNAP payments wasn’t overreaching, he was defending hungry Americans. The GOP holds the power, and they’re choosing luxury over constituents.

11/9/2025 09:12:32 am

Let's be clear is correct. The Republicans hold a majority and they have voted to re-open the government 14 times but it is the Democrats who continually vote NO to re-open. How anyone can blame the Republicans is beyond me. It takes 60 votes and there are not 60 Republicans. The votes and the math say it all; Republicans vote to open and need only 7 democrats to join them and none will. It is the Democrats holding the government hostage. And yes, this judge did overreach. A judge has no authority to dictate how the government spends money let alone ordering a President to pay for SNAP when the Democrats keep the government closed.

M.P. Murphy Ph.D.

11/14/2025 01:31:52 pm

While Michael L DeYoung did an excellent job of responding to the issue expressed in the original Letter to the Editor. I would add a few thing that the writer should consider.

While the judge did make that order, he was very much over-reaching his authority. First the initial order was to pay SNAP benefits from the Emergency Fund of the Dept of Agriculture's Congressional democratically approved budget. President Trump had asked the court to clarify how he did that because the law (a democratically approved law) appeared to block that transfer. This was the same law that the Democrats used to block him from moving funds to build the wall. After he received clarification, he complied immediately because he does care. Your example about the man that passed out in his office is prejudicial, it had no bearing on the discussion. All of us better not have to live the standard that you are attempting to apply here. I believe that only God can meet (and exceed) that standard. As for your account of what President Trump was doing on the night the benefits ran out, what were you or any of us doing on that night. If we set the standard like you imply, people are starving every night and have been from the beginning of time. I guess that you would have us ALL (not just the President) sit in the dark and achieve nothing. Please remember the President Biden took 42% of the time in office for vacation, were you upset then?

Secondly, the amount of money in the Emergency Fund was only enough to pay benefits at a half rate then it would run out. Not President Trump's fault, remember the Legislative Branch uses a democratic process to decide and approve the amount of money available. Which brings us to the second court order, to make full payments to SNAP. In accordance with our Constitution, the Legislative Branch is the only Branch that can allocated money for operation of the government. This means that the judge was way out of his lane and did not have the authority to issue that court order. And that is further demonstrated by how quick a liberal member of the Supreme Court stayed the order.

Thirdly, since the Legislative Branch had the authority to issue emergency funding for SNAP, the ball was in their court. But lest we forget, the government was not open therefore they could not have a simple vote and get money to the program before anyone went hungry. The government was closed because the Democrats where using the filibuster as a negotiating tool, which is NOT its purpose. Why were they using the filibuster that way? Because in the normal operations of our Legislative Branch (a democratically developed and approved process), they could not get what they wanted (because of the democrat elections made them the minority) so they color outside of the lines. Luckily I am not in charge because I would call that insurrectionary behavior. In my opinion, this behavior was intentionally trying to subvert the will of the people when we hold elections, which we did. I am not saying that if the democratically elect officials (President Trump) has a difference approach then you do, you should change your opinion. But for a Democracy to succeed, no one can physical/actively work against the process. And that is exactly what the Senate Democrats (and many protester) are doing today. This country will be dead in the water, nothing will get done (i.e. helping the hungry) if the "out of office" party continues this type of behavior.

If you truly believe in "No Kings," then you will agree with me that the activist judges are what you define as a King and we have to stop them. The media is very good at reporting these initial court orders, but they very rarely (if ever) report the order was found to be illegal and outside of the judge's authority. Virtually all of these orders are over turned and most people do not know that because the media has led them by the nose to the wrong conclusion. I would have to check again but last check, of the 22 serious court orders by lower courts, 21 have been overturned.

I get my news from sources that can be checked, I take the time to watch both a liberal news cast and a conservative news cast. Then I check sources and conclusions. This might seem time consuming, but people died and are dying to give me this freedom. And I for one will not disrespect that sacrifice by not taking to time to insure what I hear is true before I take a stand.

M.P. Murphy Ph.D.

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Letter : This Is Not What America Is

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