Houston's column hits mark
I found Devin Houston's Sept. 16 column dead on. Donald Trump has mismanaged many things, especially the covid-19 crisis from the beginning. He was quoted recently as saying "Covid affects almost nobody." Apparently 200,000 deaths are "nobody." This is from a man who is actively trying to remove the ACA, which provides some measure of healthcare to those who do not have coverage. Nobody, as Devin states, is better off for this.
The Democrats may not have all the answers, and some of their platform may be impossible to enact, but at least they have a platform; the Republicans seemed to make a point of not declaring one at their convention. Joe Biden has spoken to the measures he would take to rein in the covid health disaster. He detailed several during his recent town hall meeting in Scranton, at which he seemed quite up to the task, leaving no question about his capacity to take on the duties of the presidency. Their platform does not include support for abortion or pornography. Their inclusiveness does encompass members of all segments of society, everyone from old white guys like me, to the least of us, and yes, even the LGBTQ folks, who, despite what Jim Pearson (Sept. 23 Letter to the Editor) may think, are not a threat to society.
Jim Pearson does not know what socialism is. It is not in the Democratic platform, and no part of it calls for that. They do advocate for certain social benefits, programs that work to improve things such as environmental and workplace safety. This is not socialism. The Dems just look out for the bottom 99 percent more than the Republicans. If Republicans really were the party of conscience, they would be helping out the 99 percent, and not help the 1 percent who already have much, get more.
I also have to take issue with Jim Pearson's comment about morality, considering he is referring to a man who lies every time he opens his mouth. All politicians lie to some extent; that's not news. Donald Trump lies on an industrial scale. Whatever influence of conscience and church has is lost; he doesn't seem to have a conscience, and he is the most un-Christian man ever to sit in the Oval Office. Devin Houston is right; there has been a lot of change in the Republican party. Reagan and Goldwater would not recognize it today.
Tom Beckett
Siloam Springs
Voting pro-death
By now everyone -- except "the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" White Christian Trump supporters -- has heard the Woodward tapes of Trump admitting, the coronavirus is "deadly," a "killer," a "plague," etc.
He lied publicly to prevent "panic." He was afraid the American people would do something stupid like wearing masks and social distancing. So he did nothing! By the time this is printed more than 200,000 will be dead with thousands more to die before the virus can be controlled. Tens of thousands have needlessly died and thousands more will die as a direct result of Trump's lies and callous disregard for American lives.
On June 25, 2020, the government reported that close to half a million people who lost their health insurance amid the economic shutdown to slow the spread of covid-19 had gotten coverage through HealthCare.gov. On that same day, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration urged the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
Despite numerous promises throughout 2016 to Sept. 15, 2020, Trump has no replacement healthcare plan.
If Trump succeeds in killing the ACA, 20 million people will be without healthcare, many will die, and it will force families into poverty. That will be the circumstance of my family. White Christian Nationalists approve, defend, support and enable the psychopath who would rob millions of Americans of their healthcare and leave them to die along the road to White Supremacist Nationalism.
These "Christian" Trump supporters are nothing but heartless, loveless, resounding gongs and clanging cymbals just like the Christians of Europe in the Dark Ages.
The title of Woodward's book is "Rage" and rage is what I feel for the deplorable "Christians" who do not care that my son will eventually die for lack of healthcare after my household goes bankrupt paying his medical bills and we are only one family of millions so affected.
How many millions must die to satisfy the unholy alliance of KKK, Neo-Nazi, White Supremacist and all White "Christian" Nationalist Trump Enablers?
Trump and his "Christian" supporters' callous disregard for the deaths of millions of Americans is NOT Christian morality. It is psychopathic.
I have many good Christian friends on Facebook, some right here in Siloam Springs, who practice true empathetic Christian morality and I am positive there are more true Christians here and throughout America.
Oren Piper
Siloam Springs