Taking sides

Dear Editor,

I am writing to you all in hope it is not another meaningless dead end go nowhere commentary on the endless political division in our country.

Here it is: We have both sides of the aisle in government at local, state, and national levels. We have division in our daily lives in our conversations with friends and neighbors also, why? How did the gap between opposing ideologies get so far apart that we cannot find common ground to solve a problem of any significance anymore?

The left wing progressive haters attempted to stop at nothing to keep Trump from office and that backfired, the right wing conservative haters bashed the Biden administration at every turn and that didn’t have a profound effect either.

This has been going on for years and has reached a divide that is becoming, unfortunately, deafening.

It appears to me and, I assume, many others in this nation that the only goal is to make sure the opposing party and its followers suffer defeat after defeat and the only ones who do suffer are the rest of us who elected the leaders to office.

Why are there two sides of the aisle anyway, other than the need to get to your seat quicker? If the people we elect were intermingled in the seats then maybe meaningful dialogue might take place and a problem would get solved or at the least an attempt to solve an issue that needs to be tackled might have a chance to be resolved.

The elected leaders are supposed to work “together” for all of us so that our lives are better and we can once again continue to be hopeful and look forward to waking up with a sense of purpose and commitment to a better, more engaged world rather than the finger pointing hateful rhetoric we have currently.

Our country and its issues must be looked at by the rest of the world like a pathetic joke to be exploited and taken advantage of however possible.

Can we as a country do better? I believe we can because I’m still hopeful, but let it start publicly with our elected leaders who should set the example. If we all try to work together rather than as a Democrat or a Republican follower, how about as an independent thinker and see the bigger picture then maybe we could become less of what we despise.

This is just an observation mind you, because even I could be way less judgmental.

Have a better, healthier engaged tomorrow!

Dan Tassone,

Warren

Level playing field

Dear Editor,

The football playoff season is nearing an end. The games are charged with excitement as folks root for their favorite teams.

Alas one will be victorious in the end, and the rest will try again next year. All agree however, to play by the same rules, which apply in fairness to every team equally.

Why then do we not apply the same principle of fairness to the rules for electing our president and vice president? The vast majority of citizens of all political persuasions agree with the one person, one vote principle.

Yet because of the machinations of the Electoral College this fundamental rule of fairness is violated often. Shortcomings of the current system of electing the President stem from state level “winner-take-all” laws that award all of a state’s electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in that state.

Five of our 46 Presidents came into office without winning the most popular votes nationwide. A small number of votes in a small number of states regularly decides the presidency — thereby fueling post-election controversies that threaten democracy.

Every vote is not equal throughout the United States under the current Electoral system.

We can do better than this.

The National League of Women Voters supports the National Popular Vote system – “One Person One Vote” and the Warren chapter is engaged in an educational citizens project which will see to it that everyone’s vote counts equally.

Go to www.lwvwc.org to join the study. We need your help. This is a bipartisan effort to make our democratic republic guarantee that your vote counts. And yes, men are welcome and encouraged to join The League of Women Voters.

Neil Himber,

Youngsville

Sour start

Dear Editor,

In the movie, “Godfather II,” while Michael Corleone became the Godfather of his sister’s child, his brother and an old time family confidant who betrayed the family and Michael’s major crime rivals were all violently killed thus consolidating and extending Michael’s criminal authority. This segment of the movie was dramatic, to see it was to remember it. The movie closes with dark scenes of those seeking favor kneeling and kissing Michael’s ring.

In real time, our political Godfather outdoes Michael Corleone by being open to much of his ambitions. “I am your retribution, your revenge for your past mistreatment” was a Trump stump theme but it looks like what is happening is Trump’s revenge, not your revenge.

Trump’s first official act as 47th President was to grant pardons to nearly 1,500 Jan. 6 riot defendants and to commute sentences of 14 convicted supporters, including those who viciously attacked law officers.

Screw the law. Ignore the factual evidence. Brush aside and insult the police. Insist on, and reward, total loyalty to his version of Michael Corleone or suffer the consequences.

Firing 17 Inspectors Generals of various Executive Branch departments who did their “watchdog” duty of calling out department misdeeds and omissions of responsibilities, especially related to the January 6 Capitol Insurrection, though a late night action, was more personal retribution. This will also consolidate and extend Trump’s authority, all part of Project 2025’s Unitary Executive Branch Theory.

The Fraternal Order of Police who endorsed Trump condemn the pardons.

These actions have nothing to do with 2024 voters’ top issues of inflation and the economy.

It has everything to do with felon Trump getting more power and personal revenge. Trump is an embarrassment and these actions are dangerous.

Don Scott,

North Warren