Sounding off: Biden, Trump, Middle East, gun laws among topics on readers' minds

Biden not ‘destroying America’

I take most letters to the editor with a grain of salt, but “Biden destroying America” (Nov. 6, TribLIVE) was so off the grid I decided to look up the writer’s “facts”

Regarding “opening our borders to millions”: There have been a lot of mistakes made, that I can’t deny; but the Department of Homeland Security has been working on a number of actions to increase enforcement on the border. Since the beginning of his administration, President Biden has been calling for Congress to pass immigration reform but Congress has failed to act, leaving him limited resources to secure the border.

On energy independence: “Curtailing drilling”? U.S. oil production is setting records, 12.8 million barrels per day, beating the previous record of 12.3 bpd in 2019. Gas and oil permits under Biden: 6,430, outpacing President Trump’s 6,172 in the same time period.

Fact: Immigrants do not commit more crimes than citizens.

Afghanistan: The Trump administration negotiated the withdrawal with the Taliban. A U.S. report blames Trump for the botched move, saying Biden was “severely constrained by the decision of his predecessor.”

Biden isn’t perfect, but he’s gotten a lot done for the middle class. We will all be better off if we take the time to dig up facts instead of repeating what is said on television.

Patti Cwynar

Murrysville

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Consequences of electing Biden

Elections have consequences. So said a famous political figure of recent times. The 2020 presidential election has resulted in numerous consequences, mostly bad, none more disturbing than those resulting from the incomprehensible border policy.

After the election, President Biden wasted no time reversing the border policies of the previous administration, essentially issuing an open invitation for the world to come to the U.S. They did. The numbers have increased in each of the past three years. 2022 saw an all-time record 2.7 million border encounters, and 2023 has already exceeded that number. Hundreds of thousands, possibly over a million, illegals from just about every region of the planet have crossed the border as “got-aways.”

The result of Biden’s border breakdown? Many of our cities are already overrun with illegal immigrants. Fentanyl coming across the border has killed increasingly more Americans, with 2022 averaging 200 deaths per day, double the daily average of 2019. And the worst may be yet to come.

The horrific attack against Israel on Oct. 7, in which men, women and babies were tortured and killed, could be a precursor to a similarly horrific event here within our porous borders. Yet the current administration seems to be in denial of the danger its border mess has created. A shameful dereliction of presidential responsibility.

Three years ago American voters may have facilitated the next 9/11. The consequence of electing an incompetent president.

Richard Byers

Mt. Pleasant

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Think before voting for Trump

In an interview on Univision on Nov. 9, Enrique Acevedo asked Donald Trump about the legacy of his three Supreme Court justice nominations. Trump said: “We were able to stop a very radical agenda … killing babies after birth, killing babies in the ninth month, etc. …

“Many great decisions have come about. I was fortunate enough to appoint three great justices … . You have presidents that were there a long time that didn’t get three … . And it’s interesting that if I should win again, you have a lot of potential justices because … if you go by age and you go by other things, you could have a couple more … young people … because they’ll be there for a long period of time. So we did a good job. We also got 300 regular federal judges … court of appeal judges … . It’s a record on the bench … 32% of the judiciary is put there by Trump, and that’s made a very big difference, too.”

The political and judicial consequences of another Trump presidency could be substantial and long lasting. I beg us to consider our children and our neighbors, and how highly we value life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness when we vote.

Susan Wilson

Greensburg

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Path to peace in Middle East

The path to peace in the Middle East can be achieved in the same way that peace was achieved after World War II. Peace was achieved by the defeat of Japan and Germany after their surrender and demilitarization. Hamas must also surrender to Israel and release the hostages, and the Palestinians must be demilitarized. A two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza can then be achieved much the same way a multi-state solution occurred between the Allies and Axis countries with a demilitarized Germany and Japan.

The loss of civilian life is tragic but unavoidable in these types of military endeavors that are required to end wars with a military victory.

A cease-fire is not the path to peace, but only a path to a never-ending conflict.

Dr. Joel I. Last

Greensburg

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We need action on gun laws

Lewiston, Uvalde, Squirrel Hill … the list goes on. Some of our Pennsylvania legislators do nothing to help prevent mass shootings. This year, there have been more than 400 mass shootings. Sen. Lisa Baker, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has had two pieces of legislation, which were passed in the House with bipartisan support, on her desk since May 22. She will not bring them up for a vote.

There have been close to 1,000 suicides in our state this year. One of the bills is an ERPO, commonly known as a “red flag law.” This bill would create a process allowing law enforcement, family or household members to petition the court to temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms. It simply keeps firearms out of the wrong hands.

The other calls for universal background checks on all gun purchases. Current law does not require background checks for long guns sold by unlicensed sellers. This loophole enables people with felony convictions and other people with prohibiting histories to buy long guns — like the AR-15 weapon of war most often used in mass shootings — with no questions asked. And 89% of the public supports this law.

Gun violence is a public health crisis that must be dealt with by our legislators. Nearly 1,600 lives are lost every year in Pennsylvania due to gun violence.

Call Baker and tell her to schedule a hearing on gun safety legislation.

Marilyn Mulvihill

Sewickley

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Republicans must pull together

I hope new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson can pull the Republicans together. They used to be conservative and would fight for their principles. I realize that compromise is sometimes necessary, but there comes a time to stand firm and fight for their beliefs.

Many Republicans are either RINOs or spineless. I will note for either variety of Republicans. It would be better if they stand firm for their beliefs and fail than totally cave to the left because they are cowards.

The future of our country hangs in the balance. It is not too late to reverse socialism, which seems to be the goal of the Democratic Party, but we must act now.

Kathleen Bollinger

Fawn

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College demonstrators clueless

The multitudinous demonstrations by the college types marching for the Palestine butchers reminds me of the Occupy morons from years ago. Essentially without clue.

It’s like they get together and say, “Hey, you wanna march?” “What are we marching for?” “Uh, not sure, something about something. But all our profs say we should hate Jews, so probably something about that.” “Ok, I’m in, I want to get out of class anyway.”

And if you cull them from their idiotic herd one by one and ask if they support the butchery of infants, the rape of little girls, the blinding of fathers, the burning alive of children, making mothers watch and listen to the torture and death of their children before they themselves are killed, the moronic sheep individually would say no. But you get them together, spurred on by virulently antisemite professors on campus and in Congress, and they go out there preaching extreme hate with little understanding of what they are doing. Tragic.

James F. Cataldi

Moon