Letter from the Vineyard, September 2025
Photo courtesy of Paul Doherty
It is hard for me to believe fall has come, the summer of 2025 in my rear view mirror, the Vineyard’s 2025 “season” now the past, the 50th Anniversary of the release of JAWS over, the 4th of July weekend gone in a nanosecond. It all felt like it lasted three days.
Also in the rearview mirror is the 24th anniversary of 9/11, a day of reflection and memories that cannot be batted away, ever. I’ve learned to gentle myself on the anniversary; I always feel raw, a shade wounded. I should feel that way, I think.
While the “season” was racing on, Stephen Colbert was cancelled, seen by some as a sop to the Trump administration who did not like his constant criticism of the president as Paramount sought a merger with Skydance, a company owned by the son of Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest men, a Trump supporter.
On September 10th, Charlie Kirk, a charismatic 31 year old right wing activist and intimate of the president was assassinated in Utah, allegedly by a 22 year old who had recently become more political active.
Charlie Kirk was mostly, for me, in the background of MAGA natter, whose views were distasteful to me, as he appears to have been homophobic, transphobic, bigoted towards blacks and Jews.
If you want to know what some of those views are you can read about them here, in a Vanity Fair article, which I think may actually have softened them.
Charlie Kirk’s death appears to have given permission to the president to clamp down further on free speech using the levers of government power. “Antifa” has been declared a terrorist organization though it is amoeba like and defies characterization. I believe in Trump’s mind anyone who disagrees with him is Antifa.
Jimmy Kimmel was paused, post an erroneous remark about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He returns tonight, though not carried by two large station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair. Sinclair is overtly conservative while Nexstar’s decision seems to be casting it in that light, also.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a new low in the political discourse of the country, having followed the assassination this summer of a Minnesota State Legislator and her husband, liberals, whose passing did not make as much noise as Charlie Kirk’s.
What is disturbing to me is the use of this administration of the levers of power to silence voices not agreeing with their point of view. A prosecutor resigned under Trumpian pressure because he could not find evidence that either Letitia James or James Comey had committed crimes. Trump wants them prosecuted.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination was evil. The death of Representative Melissa Hortman of the Minnesota State Legislature and her husband was evil. The assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail was evil. Shooting Gabby Giffords was evil. The constant incidences of school shootings are evil.
Evil needs to be met. It needs to be faced with the work of healing. Actions to address causes. “Thoughts and prayers” haven’t worked
The unfortunate reality is we’re being led by a president who admitted on Fox News he doesn’t care about bringing the country together.
Trump uses lawsuits to fight things he doesn’t like, suing Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for linking him to the notorious Jeffrey Epstein.
He sued the New York Times and Penguin Random House for uncomplimentary reporting in a book written by Times correspondents questioning his business acumen [“Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success”]. It has been thrown out but can be refiled.
Mr. Trump seethes when criticized, preens when feted, as the British government did this week in collaboration with the British monarchy, throwing a party for the ages for our sitting president. The world has learned pomp, circumstance and flattery may get his attention.
For how long?
There are so many awful things happening, all at once. Children are dying in war torn Gaza, starving to death. The U.N. has accused Isreal of genocide, which it denies. For Israel to even be accused of genocide defies imagination; it is a country born from genocide.
159 countries have recognized Palestine as a state, pressuring Israel, which is defiant. The pictures of starving Palestinian children are too much.
They’re starving in Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, Myanmar, Syria and more, acerbated by the loss of funds for U.S.A.I.D. That’s created an opening for China, particularly in Africa, to spread its wings of influence.
The thing most troubling me is I don’t know what to do. It saddens me there is a paucity of great voices decrying these injustices, giving leadership.
People I know no longer post on social media for fear of persecution. The very writing of this letter may cause me future trouble.
I’m appalled by this.
It is not new to America though it is, in my opinion, worse than any time in my life.
Courage is what we must aspire to in these days when assaults on our republic are rampant.
On his podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz, the senator likened FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s threats to a “mafioso” shakedown. It is earth shattering to find myself agreeing with Ted Cruz. It is like a “mafioso” shakedown.
That is how this administration is playing its game.
Letter from the Vineyard 