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Dear Casper,
What letter-writer Emmanuel Galindo fails to realize, the Trump administration is following the law by rounding up those that have criminally entered our country.
When you enter without permission, you are a criminal and should be deported. That is what he is doing. If you want compassion for hard working people coming from other countries, do it legally. That is what this nation and its people demand.
We have a process to legally enter this country, follow it and you will be welcomed. Do it illegally and you will be and should be deported.
Cheryl Hobson
Casper
Dear Casper,
President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from military service is not just an attack on LGBTQ+ rights. The ban is also a calculated step toward autocracy.
Equality has to be equality without exception, or it’s not equality. By demonizing transgender people, Trump is following the playbook of authoritarian leaders who were elected in democracies, but now rule autocratically: in Russia, Turkey, Hungary, India and Israel. Putin, Erdoğan, Orbán, Modi, and Netenyahu have all used LGBTQ+ scapegoating to consolidate power and dismantle democracy.
History has shown that autocrats thrive by manufacturing internal enemies. Russia’s Putin has effectively suppressed dissent by portraying LGBTQ+ rights as a “Western perversion,” as well as using legal bans and propaganda, to rally nationalist fervor. Erdoğan has echoed this tactic in Turkey, branding LGBTQ+ people as threats to “family values” while eroding press freedom and jailing political opponents. In Hungary, Orbán has systematically stripped transgender people of legal recognition, using cultural warfare to distract from his government’s corruption and power grabs. In each case, LGBTQ+ repression has served as a gateway to broader authoritarianism.
In India, Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has used religion as a weapon to stoke fear and division. While transgender people were once recognized in Indian culture, they are now facing increasing hostility, as Modi’s party aligns itself with conservative religious factions. By tying his political power to Hindu nationalism, Modi justifies discrimination against both religious minorities and LGBTQ+ people, under the guise of protecting “traditional values.”
Israel under Netanyahu follows a similar pattern. His government uses Judaism as a shield to justify nationalist-policies that marginalize Palestinians and LGBTQ+ people alike. Religious extremists in his coalition claim that transgender identity violates Jewish law, using faith as a pretext for broader human rights rollbacks. By aligning himself with ultra-religious factions, all these leaders consolidate power, while eroding both secular governance and minority protections.
Trump’s ban on transgender troops is part of a broader strategy of fear-mongering. Like Putin, Trump paints transgender people as a threat to national strength, despite overwhelming evidence that their service does not weaken the military. Like Erdoğan, Trump claims to defend “traditional values” while simultaneously undermining democratic institutions. Like Modi and Netanyahu, Trump stokes religious fervor to fuel divisive cultural civil wars, by aligning himself with fundamentalists who seek to impose their beliefs on others by force of law. Finally, like Orbán, Trump is using identity politics to divide the electorate, distract from real crises, and justify increasingly autocratic measures.
This military ban is not just about equality for transgender people. The ban is about democracy itself. When a leader weaponizes hatred to erode civil liberties, it is a prelude to wider oppression. By scapegoating transgender people and fueling religious nationalism, Trump is laying the groundwork for authoritarian rule, following the same script that has already succeeded elsewhere.
The American people should recognize this pattern before it is too late. The battle for equality even for transgender people, whether you like us or not, is a battle for democracy itself.
Gina Douglas
Casper
Dear Casper,
In an exciting development for music therapists and patients across Wyoming, music therapy-use of title passed through the Wyoming Senate on Jan. 23.
It is a simple bill, and one with big potential impacts. Title protection would signal to schools and healthcare providers the importance of including music therapy as a key intervention, leading to improved educational and therapeutic outcomes for countless individuals.
As the Operations Manager of VIBES in Casper, I have been able to witness the power of music therapy performed by a board-certified music therapist in many different situations. VIBES began offering music therapy services from a board-certified music therapist in 2019 and has since expanded to four full-time board-certified music therapists that provide proven and effective treatment to community members across Casper. I’ve seen music therapy used to heal people from first breath to last, and through all the hardships in between.
A baby’s first heartbeats can be guided and regulated through the rise and fall of live music. A small child who shows palpable frustration with their speech delay can express themselves to their parents for the very first time. Music and songwriting provide healing and respite from the emotional hardships of depression, and everyday life. A stroke patient learns to talk again; a Parkinson’s patient to walk.
The power of music therapy is doubly apparent in senior and end of life care. Music, which accesses and stimulates all regions of the brain, can bypass areas of the brain affected by memory loss and Alzheimer’s. The specific use of music by a music therapist can promote neuroplasticity — the ability for the brain to reorganize its connections — and gives a mother and daughter one more opportunity to interact with each other. At the end of life, the comfort of song helps guide the transition from this life to the next and makes our mortal goodbye even more special.
Music possesses the power to motivate, calm, inspire, and restore us.
It is vital to incorporate evidence-based music therapy into treatment modalities to enhance health outcomes and promote overall well-being. Our therapists have been able to provide therapy confidently and safely due to the training and education they have received, including a minimum bachelor’s degree in music therapy, over 1,000 hours of clinical internships, and a national certification to practice.
Music therapy is not just a profession; it is a vital service that enhances the quality of life for many, including those struggling with mental health issues, developmental disabilities, and physical and cognitive challenges. However, without title protection, the future of music therapy in our state hangs in the balance, and this is a concern we cannot afford to overlook.
Title protection for music therapy is crucial for several reasons.
First and foremost, it safeguards the individuals we serve. When the profession is appropriately recognized in the state, it ensures that clients receive care from qualified, trained professionals who follow established ethical standards. The absence of title protection opens the door for uncredentialed individuals to offer “music therapy,” which can lead to misinformed practices that could harm vulnerable populations.
By establishing clear guidelines and protective measures, we can guarantee that the services provided are both effective and safe, allowing clients to experience the full benefits of music therapy. In the bill’s language, title protection of music therapists does not inhibit the use of music by other professionals. It simply states that someone holding themselves out to provide music therapy treatment must be board-certified to do so.
Moreover, title protection elevates the recognition of our profession within the community. When the state acknowledges music therapy as a credentialed profession, it encourages institutions such as school districts, correctional facilities, and hospitals to integrate these services into their programs. Many children and adults in Wyoming need access to music therapy, yet music therapy services are often deprioritized or restricted due to a lack of state recognition.
Beyond enhancing service provision, title protection strengthens the music therapy community. It fosters collaboration and support among professionals, creating a network of resources for continuous learning and growth. This collaborative environment ultimately translates into better outcomes for our clients as we share best practices and innovative approaches to therapy, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of effective treatment modalities.
In an era where mental health services are desperately needed, music therapy could play an integral role in bridging the gap. Music therapy is more than just a profession; it is a lifeline for many in our communities.
When we recognize the importance of music therapy, we can champion a Wyoming where accessible mental health support, a focus on therapeutic modalities, and music therapy are the norm, not the exception. Together, we can advocate for title protection for music therapists and a positive future for everyone in Wyoming.
Dylan Ashburn
Casper
Dear Casper,
The education system in Wyoming is appalling. It has failed to provide even the basic education needed in our global society.
Wyoming test scores and graduation rates should be significantly higher than the rest of the country because there is a very low percentage of immigrant students who need special language classes in Wyoming. There is almost no violence in Wyoming schools. Wyoming is able to afford to spend a lot of money on education.
Wyoming’s current graduation rate is a horrible 81.6% — totally unacceptable. Only 29% of Wyoming eighth graders are proficient in reading based on NAEP testing.
We need dramatic changes. We can’t allow students to just dropout. We need some changes in the laws to require a family court order for a student to drop out unless the student is 18. All students who are not proficient in either reading or math should be required to attend eight weeks of summer school for four hours per day starting after the fourth grade.
Cellphones need to be banned from inside schools. We need a strict dress code. We need much higher graduation requirements — four years of math, science, foreign language and literature. Require all teachers to have at least a master’s degree — no exceptions.
Keith Rolland
Casper
Dear Casper,
At a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump expressed his vision for a bold plan for the 30-mile-long Gaza strip.
Trump called for removing the people to other communities, leveling the place and then rebuilding. Criticism of his comments from the left, the media and the pro-Hamas activists were immediate and typical.
Maybe none of these critics understand a lesson of history. After the devastation of World War II, President Harry Truman established the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe and created a remarkable economic and peaceful transition.
Currently, Gaza is a terrorist-invested disaster where Hamas has brutally dominated the residents and promotes the hateful goal of annihilating all Jews, not only in Israel, but throughout the world.
I urge all people of good will to embrace Trump’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous Gaza where any person can live in a beautiful and newly revived Mediterranean community.
Ross Schriftman
Casper
