An assault on America’s foundations
Millions of Americans across this nation, mostly Republicans, some of whom are members of the United States House and Senate, are showing themselves to be ignorant and deplorable people. They are refusing to acknowledge literally dozens of state, federal and U.S. Supreme Court decisions rejecting the fantasy that some sort of national conspiracy led to voting irregularities that cost Donald Trump a second term in the White House.
Droves of Trump supporters have been threatening the safety and lives of other Americans solely because they’ve legally and ethically done the job they were assigned to do — ensure that the November elections were as free of mistakes, manipulation or fraud as they could possibly be. Those Trump supporters are a disgrace to America. They applaud and cheer every time Trump publishes a Tweet or speaks out at a rally asserting, without a scintilla of evidence, that the election was stolen from him.
Trump talks about “saving the country” while, day after day, he takes actions to damage or destroy the democracy that made this nation the greatest in the history of the world for more than 200 years.
As one who served in the U.S. Army and spent a major portion of his life as a registered Republican, I have come to view the Republican Party as not just a disgrace but as a major threat to the very survival of the nation we love. And every Republican — or anyone else — who chooses to support Trump will someday have to recognize, if not acknowledge, that they played a part in what has been, and continues to be, an assault on the very foundations of the United States of America.
Hugh Bowden
Ellsworth
Open eyes and an open mind
I applaud the changes made to Mark Trail over the last few months. The syndicate made the bold move of recruiting a new artist and moving in a new direction.
Most of our comics page is old strips written by new people continuing in the same manner as they have for 50-plus years. The new Mark Trail is not the old strip. There is intentional humor, the characters are not stuck in a 1950s world that never was and in the current storyline everyone has a secret. Intrigue!
I also loved the old strip, especially how every sentence ended in an exclamation point! I miss that, but with the previous artist and syndicate parting ways, that strip is gone.
I hope readers will approach the new strip with open eyes and an open mind. Maybe the BDN will consider adding the Sunday Mark Trail to the weekend edition.
David Rutledge
Bangor
Freedom and responsibility
Here’s a little hypothetical story. This young man left the parts store and walked down the street until he got to the corner. The Do Not Walk sign was flashing red. “Not gonna tell me what to do,” he said to himself as he started across the street, only to be spread out on the pavement by the local school bus.
One difference between living as savages in the jungle, and in a society of humans, is something called cooperation: Cooperation for the greater good. People need to stop their whining about wearing masks. Have the courage to do what their buddies won’t. Protect their family, their friends and their community. Be an example for their kids, especially their sons.
There’s a lot of people who’ve made a lot of sacrifices, including 1,500 nurses who never went home to their families. With freedom comes responsibility.
Chris Wright
Belfast