Dear Editor,

After mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, a prominent bishop of a major denomination called for an end to “white supremacy and xenophobia” which is “fueling a culture of violence.” With a fellow bishop, he condemned President Trump’s “disparaging comment about an honorable congressman and the city of Baltimore.” He accused Trump of “racial rhetoric” and “serving an entire people for white privilege.”

He’s correct to condemn racially-inspired violence. Whites are not the sole initiators. Such acts are wrong, regardless of the races involved.

The bishops, intentionally or otherwise, don’t tell the whole truth.

The aforementioned congressman was the late Elijah Cummings. His civil rights actions were certainly honorable. But he initiated his “scrap” with Trump. He berated those who protect our borders. He then announced a desire to subpoena Trump’s financial records.

Trump countered but used no racial rhetoric. Baltimore has serious problems that Cummings, as their congressman, needed to address. Again, Cummings started it, likely disappointed with Mueller’s “no collusion” verdict.

I won’t name the denomination of the bishops. Others have misspeaking leaders. Not all church members agree with these bishops. The “white privilege” accusation is slanderous.

As for xenophobia, a phobia is an irrational fear. There’s nothing irrational about border security.

Liberal columnist Leonard Pitt’s column, “An Open Letter to Privately Disgusted Republicans,” was an arrogant attempt to undermine the president. He advised those who’d ignore his position to “shut up.” Hey Lenny! He won’t shut up! You are not our moral or intellectual superior! Get off your high horse!

The president doesn’t have support because he’s Donald Trump. He has support because of his “America and Americans first” philosophy that millions of us already had.

Since “disgust” was mentioned, here are a few worthy targets: media underreporting of low unemployment, energy independence, and anti-Isis success; leftist opposition to sensible immigration control; slanderous senate fools who tried to ruin justice Kavanaugh; sanctuary city policies that endanger citizens by underminings “ICE;” opponents of second amendment rights; etc.

Also disgusting is the anti-conservative bias in some universities. I didn’t see that myself, but I graduated years ago. And I was too busy completing a physics major to pay attention to sanctimonious pseudo-intellectuals.

Happy holidays to the Times Observer staff and all the letter writers, regardless of politics.

Terry D. Hallock,

Warren