Sounding off: Presidential race, Olympics on readers' minds

‘Weird’ is a mean word, and Trump may take the bait

Was anyone surprised last week to hear so many prominent Democratic spokespeople use the same exact word? The word of the day was “weird.” When you see a montage of the clips, it’s obvious to me that they brainstorm via Zoom each morning to decide on the talking point for the day.

In unison they said J.D. Vance, the Republican candidate for vice president, is “weird.” They aren’t insinuating that Vance could be inbred because he was born in Kentucky, are they? Would they go that low? I hope not.

And the same day Vice President Kamala Harris echoed the echos saying Donald Trump is weird, too. If you think about it, “weird” is much worse than a childish playground taunt. “Weird” is one of the meanest words one person could call another person. Why? Because to be a human is to have an existential need to be loved and accepted and to not be cast out of the group because we are different.

And we all know how Trump loves to be loved. Are they trying to hurt his feelings? What would they gain from hurting his feelings? No, they are baiting him in hopes that he will lash out at their meanness with more of his own meanness the way anyone might who has long been bullied. Will Trump take the bait? I hope not.

Matt Shaffer

McKeesport

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Harris is the only choice

In a few months, the United States will experience a defining moment, the 2024 presidential election. What is at risk for the so-called “shining city on a hill” is democracy, truth, justice and humanity.

The choice could not be clearer. On the one hand, there is a young (59) female, Vice President Kamala Harris, a former U.S. senator, former San Francisco district attorney and former attorney general of California. She is well equipped to handle the rigors of the presidency.

On the other hand, you have the older former president, Donald Trump (78), a convicted felon who has been indicted 34 times and found guilty 34 times and is awaiting sentencing.

Trump has the added distinction of being the only U.S. president ever to be convicted of felony crimes . He has also been found liable for sexual abuse and is facing the possibility of three additional court cases.

It would be benign neglect and criminal to elect Trump and send him back to the White House. Our nation is at serious risk. The clear choice is Kamala Harris for president of the United States

Richard Arnold

Murrysville

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Plenty for Christians to love about Trump

A letter-writer recently opined that he was perplexed by the “love” of evangelicals for the sinful Donald Trump (“Why do evangelicals support un-Christian Trump?” Aug. 6, TribLive). As a Christian, I do not love Trump’s sins. I do love his appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices, lower taxes that increase government revenues and spur economic growth (pre-covid), the “stay-in-Mexico” policy and physical barriers that deter illegal migration, a peace-through-strength foreign policy that does not embroil us in foreign wars or invite bad actors to attack their neighbors, his criticisms of the media for their gross bias, and his sense of humor that so baffles many progressive-liberals.

I do not love most of the Biden-Harris policies, or the fact that the Democratic Party presented a candidate in 2020 who was in a state of serious cognitive decline. Hope this clears it up some.

The writer’s language about evangelical Christians “and their ilk” is hateful, intolerant and disrespectful. One of the chief criticisms of Trump is the nature of his political rhetoric — a fair point, but a lot like “the pot calling the kettle black.” If our divided country is to heal, not demonizing those who disagree with our point of view is essential.

Donald Liddick

Bullskin

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Celebrating all of a person’s heritage

Simple biology shows us that each person has a mother and a father. Both contribute DNA equally to the offspring. If a person has both the great African American and people of India as a heritage, both should be celebrated. Ignoring this fact shows a sad lack of understanding of humanity.

Lynne Henry

Greensburg

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Biden’s revenge

I think Joe Biden is planning on revenge now that he is not running again: The Supreme Court reigned him in on his abuse of President Trump, and he did not like it. I think he wants to revise the Constitution to abuse the check and balance right of the judicial and executive branches. Biden again displays his diminished physical and mental capabilities.

Edward Biskup

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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Trump a threat to democracy?

First they tried to keep him off the ballot. Then they tried to bankrupt him. When that didn’t work, they tried to throw him in jail. After all that, an underfunded, underprotective Secret Service almost got him killed. And they say that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. Go figure.

Bill Radvansky

New Kensington

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Olympics’ ridicule of Christianity disgraceful

Concerning “Opening ceremony tableau sparks Olympic flame of controversy” (July 29, TribLive): Who do the Olympic organizers think they’re fooling? Of course they meant to ridicule Catholics and Christians, Jesus’ supper with his disciples, by depicting them using the “rights victims du jour.”

I don’t dismiss intolerance and outright abuse experienced by those involved in the tableau and the many other gay, et al., people, but am in resolute determination to change hearts and minds — and not in revenge by a significantly offensive manner.

But this is just another negative aspect to the total hypocrisy of the Olympics, the hyping for ratings/money for the networks and the multiple cheating by communist countries.

So to all the negativity of the bridge buffoons and their sacrilegious reenactment, do you not see the irony here? We are not at all watching, but many of our grandchildren are, transfixed by the athletes’ performances, not aware of the “adults” despoiling the Games. I find goodness in the grandkids enjoying it and remember Jesus calling children to him; they are indeed God’s children.

D’Anthony Kennedy

Plum