Response to letter
Re: Ben C. Toledano’s letter in Wednesday’s Dispatch (‘Crybabies they are,’ Voice of the People, Dec. 14): I’m surprised “sore-loser” letters haven’t appeared earlier. Actually, he hits the nail right on the head. Those of us who opposed and continue to oppose Trump are “fearful for the future… of the United States.” There are genuine reasons for this fear.
First, the behavior that Trump demonstrated during his campaign in belittling the disabled, various minority groups and his political opponents and his encouraging his followers to follow through in ways of their choice, possibly with violence.
What showed through the bluster and putdowns of those with opposing viewpoints was Trump is that there is little substance to his knowledge outside of his business and television experiences.
He has never been poor; he has never been a private in the Army; he didn’t grow up in an inner city or on a farm; he doesn’t seem to be well-read in subjects critical for the leader of a country.
He is contemptuous of those of us who regularly pay their taxes. He has been a good citizen only to himself. He responds to meaningful questions by either bluffing or not answering them, sometimes criticizing his questioners in ways that are actually criticisms of himself. His bluffing often relies on meaningless slogans or blatant lies.
Yes, I and many others are fearful about the future of our country with Trump as its leader, and it has nothing to do with sore losing.
Trump’s cabinet appointments show where his priorities are and reflect his marketing and profit-making business background to the exclusion of almost anything else. For example, his nomination of the Exxon CEO as Secretary of State.
It is my understanding that 40 years ago, Exxon had a research unit that observed the signs of climate change, to the extent that Exxon raised the height of its offshore oil rigs in anticipation of rises in sea level.
Instead of trying to move the country in an appropriate direction, Exxon disbanded the research unit and in more recent years has spent large amounts of money pushing questionable arguments against the findings and opinions of most scientists about the reality of climate change.
With this level of demonstrated hypocrisy by the leaders of Exxon, it is hard for me to see how our country would be well served by having its CEO in the administration. Similar examples could be given about several of Trump’s other cabinet nominees.
In sum, I disagree with Trump’s apparent positions on many issues and particularly regarding climate change (which threatens the entire globe), and equal treatment of all US citizens regardless of their sex, race, religion, sexual preference etc.
The question is, will Trump continue to be on what I see as the destructive/extremist side of these and many other issues, or is there any possibility that he has actually listened and absorbed anything from his meetings with Obama, Gore, Romney, Kanye West, and others? Or, will he continue to shoot from the hip and increase the chances for disaster in the future?
Bill Parker
West Point
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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