In response to “Rightful criticism” published on Sept. 13.
In a letter last week, Stephen Krashen asserted that President Trump “has shown [disrespect] to every American,” but controversy isn’t meant to be disrespectful. We used to have political debates, but since Democrats have become the “resistance” and adopted identity politics, they treat all disagreement as personal insult. They accuse Trump of fascism, but the only fascism is coming from the left, as black-hooded Antifa thugs and other radical campus groups shout down right-wing speakers and Israel supporters, rioting if they don’t get their way.
The left insists that Trump is a threat to democracy because he criticizes the press, but that’s just free speech. The real threat is the Washington “swamp” Trump is determined to “drain,” and the unelected and unaccountable operatives in the FBI, CIA and Justice Department, which tried to deny Trump his election, lest he reveal Washington’s jaw-dropping corruption and graft.
And Trump has every right to be critical of the press. First, they reported he removed the Martin Luther King bust from the Oval Office, a lie, to prove he’s racist. But Trump employed thousands of men and women of color before he was elected; not one has said he’s racist. On the contrary, many speak highly of him, particularly women, whom he was known to promote based on merit. When Trump recently called the vicious MS-13 gang animals, the press deliberately misreported that he called “immigrants” animals, another among numerous deliberate misinterpretations and lies.
The letter writer reveals his self-righteousness when he refers to Trump supporters as “extremists,” reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s “deplorable” remark. As a Jew, a people who were accused of having horns for nearly two millennia, I know how horrible it is to demonize others, but that’s what Democrats have done to Trump, his family and even his supporters. Trump is outrageous and sometimes crude, but Democrats have compared him to Hitler, beheaded him in effigy, called his daughter the c-word, mocked his wife’s accent and menaced his employees, all while telling us how uncouth Republicans are. Democrats should return to being a responsible opposition, so Congress and the country can function properly again.
Rueben Gordon