Smell of leadership

Dear Editor,

The lingering stink of the authoritarian, sociopath 45th President and of his supporters stood in pungent contrast when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington D. C. and addressed Congress in the same Capitol building Trump’s people stormed January 6, 2020.

Zelensky, the 5-foot-7, raspy voiced, former television performer, is Time magazine’s 2022 Man of the Year. He is real. Trump posted phony Trump Time covers featuring himself in five of his golf clubs.

Zelensky advocates democracy and cites the Ukrainians’ willingness to fight and sacrifice for national freedom against authoritarianism. the 1/6 House Committee presented a parade of Republicans which documented Trumps’ involvement before, during, and after the anti-democratic attempt to disrupt and prevent the Constitutional transfer of authority and stay in power.

Zelensky appeared in his every day clothes. Trump’s tax report lists a $70,000 hair care expense deduction.

Zelensky gave Speaker Pelosi the Bakmut battle flag. Pelosi gave him the USA flag from atop the Capitol. Trump illegally stashed classified government documents at Mar Lago.

Zelensky remains in the war zone Ukraine. He visits the soldiers on the front lines and makes daily national media broadcasts, very Churchill WW II like. Trump’s father’s doctor cited bone spur medical exception excluding him from military service.

Zelensky rallied the Ukraine people to resist Putin’s February 24. 2022 invasion into Ukraine. Trump called Putin’s invasion “genius and savvy.”

Zelensky was born of Jewish parents. Trump embraces his White Nationalist followers who shouted “Jews will not replace us” in their Charlottesville, Va. protest against the removal of R. E, Lee’s statue. Trumps’ grandchildren are Jewish.

Zelensky projected a vision of democratic unity and a prosperous and secure Europe. Trump thought NATO was out dated and that America should go it alone.

Zelensky was not only a breath of fresh air. He is an inspiration that better things are possible: that leaders need not dwell on fear mongering, that the better way is pulling together for the common good as opposed to pitting one group against another, and substance is more important than style, and that democracy trumps’ authoritarianism.

The more one learns about Zelensky, the more one likes him while the more one learns about Trump not so.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years as more Republican party people acknowledge Trump’s true sociopath nature and realize he is a general election loser. Fewer voters will be willing to hold their noses and vote for MAGA candidates. Too much stink.

Many Republicans probably silently wish Trump will simply go away but Trump’s sociopath nature doesn’t suggest he will quietly ride off into the sunset.

He could end up to prison. There are many reasons why that could happen.

Don Scott,

North Warren

A calculating proposition

Dear Editor,

David J. Bier, associate director of Immigration Studies at CATO Institute, argued on Dec. 21 on C-SPAN that a goal of immigration policy is to fill the workers shortage that is pending for America.

This shortage will affect economic growth now and Social Security and how payments are disbursed 20-30 years from now. He also indicated that America has experienced population decline the first time in our history. Seems odd that no one sees the correlation of these statements and the over 63 million abortions since 1973.

The election cycles of the last two decades have seen razor-thin margins of victory for both parties. Opening the borders would make up or lost votes that some astute Democrat must have realized were lost over the last 50 years. Democrats would have been able to institute a one-party totalitarian regime many years ago, but 63 million abortions may have made up a large portion of their potential constituency. Now they are going full bore on abortion and open borders. Talk about confusion and unintended consequences.

So, Democrat policies have brought us population decline, economic mayhem, a foreboding economic future, elections that are prone to fraud and masses of illegal immigrants flooding the border. Again, I have to consider the correlation to all this and 63 million abortions. Or is it just simply inept governance creating a perfect storm of failure?

But wait there’s more! Today’s special is let’s indoctrinate your children by confusing their identities and if that’s not enough we will throw in a couple trillion dollars for climate change policies that make absolutely no sense. Hurry though deals only good until November 2024.

Dennis Atwater,

Russell