To the editor:

I am writing to urge Mississipians to tell senators Cochran and Wicker to take up the Congress’s power of declaring war.

You have heard President Trump declared that talking to North Korea achieves nothing (although he has undercut any efforts by his Secretary of State to do that) and that “only one thing will work.”

That combined with his “this is the calm before the storm” remark strikes great fear that he wants to start a nuclear war with North Korea.

This terrible decision should not be left to this man.

The Constitution has the premise that no person, not even the president, can set aside the law and no one person, not even the president, can take the country to war. Scarily, since 9/11, that constitutional power has been neglected by the Congress who have looked away when Presidents has overstepped.

Now Trump as president proves how foolish and dangerous this is.

Trump appears to believe it is worth the great damage and suffering his attacking North Korea would cause. His belief that a far worse nuclear war can be supported only if one believed it was inevitable that North Korea would use nuclear weapons against the United States and its allies later. This is what Trump is claiming.

Allowing Trump to take the power to start a war of choice in which millions will die, so he can prove that he is powerful, is catastrophically irresponsible. Ask our senators to stand up for all Americans, Koreans and Japanese who will die if you let this man and resume the responsibility of declaring war.

Leah Johnson

Vicksburg