The current federal Democrats are definitely not the party of Bill Clinton, nor that of Barack Obama. Rather, they’ve embraced extreme leftist ideologies promoted by radical leaders like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Searching for a moderate Democrat? Forget it; they’re extinct.

What causes and who do today’s Democrats stand up for?

Open borders.

Illegal aliens, including violent criminals and gang members.

Activists spewing antisemitism on college campuses.

Transgender athletes in women’s sports.

Entrenched bureaucrats and wasteful spending by bloated government agencies.

Extreme DEI hiring policies in critical services like air traffic control.

Woke media who helped cover up President Joe Biden’s declining mental capacity.

Clearly, the Democrats’ current agenda is way outside the American mainstream.

Address disease risks along with drug use

As a Palmetto-based health care provider with CAN Community Health who specializes in the treatment of hepatitis C and HIV, I witness firsthand the devastating impact of infectious disease and the opioid epidemic sweeping our region.

Manatee County, including the Bradenton and Palmetto communities, was once known as the epicenter of Florida’s opioid crisis. In fact, we had the state’s highest rates of overdose deaths in 2014.

Intravenous drug use, a common way to administer opioids, can drastically increase the risk of acquiring bloodborne illnesses like hepatitis C and HIV.

Knowing your status is a critical component of harm reduction. It provides members of our recovery community access to critical treatment and prevents further transmission.

Including routine hepatitis C and HIV testing as part of a recovery plan is not just good health care – it’s essential to ending the epidemic. By addressing both addiction and its associated health risks, we can offer a more comprehensive path to recovery and empower wellness right here in Palmetto and beyond.

Let’s continue to provide comprehensive care that acknowledges and addresses the interrelated issues of substance use and infectious disease.

Kermit the Frog more inspiring than president

It would appear that Kermit the Frog gave a better commencement speech at the University of Maryland than our president did at West Point.

Whatever President Donald Trump was talking about had no bearing on an Army graduate’s life, career or service to our country.

A draft dodger who insults veterans has no place giving a speech at West Point in the first place.

Next year, get Kermit!

Constitution’s due process under attack

The concept of what we call “due process” was established in 1215 in the Magna Carta.

Clause 39 promised that “No free man shall be seized or imprisoned … except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.”

Such a claim was at that time radical, since it was assumed the king and others in power could judge citizens as they wished. This concept, which protects average people from the whims of the powerful, is currently under attack in the United States.

The current presidential administration, with the support of many Republican leaders, makes daily decisions that run counter to due process.

At a recent congressional hearing, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who should be advising President Donald Trump regarding the legality of his actions, said “Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country.”

That is inaccurate and reflects the seriousness of the current situation.

Sending people to foreign prisons because you think they are guilty violates due process language in the U.S. Constitution. If Trump is so sure these folks are criminals, he should bring them before a court of law.

Big tax bill would take away freedoms

President Donald Trump’s "Big, Beautiful Bill" that will lop off most Americans at the knees while providing big, beautiful tax cuts for the ultrarich (that’s not most of us) has some horrific consequences.

Here are some undemocratic examples.

Trump can delay or cancel elections − legally.

Trump can ignore Supreme Court rulings for a year or more.

Trump can fire government workers for political disloyalty.

Judges cannot enforce their own orders.

Protesters can be tracked and criminalized.

Your Virtual Private Network (VPN) will be tracked, your vote suppressed, your speech flagged.

This bill rewrites the laws that make the United States a free nation, not a dictatorship or kingdom.

If you value any of these freedoms, contact your senators before you lose the freedoms our forefathers earned.