Readers write: Letters to the editor, August 22, 2016

Trump is antithesis of all US stands for around the world

The world we live in requires, and the American people deserve, leaders who believe in tolerance and accommodation and generosity. Leaders who understand the intricate connectedness of policies, boundaries, treaties that provide security as well as opportunity for economic growth and a healthy environment. Underscoring and highlighting a leader's character is the ability to faithfully speak the truth, to constantly work for the betterment of our society on all levels, to honor and protect the rights of every individual.

Donald Trump, the man and the candidate, cannot and will not be this kind of leader. Ever since he rolled down his gilded escalator, he has proven and shown his character over and over to be the complete antithesis of all that America stands for. There is no need to repeat or list his horrific inflammatory statements, his bullying and derogatory comments, his myopic and uneducated worldview. Suffice it to say, he is unfit in temperament and intelligence to be America's commander-in-chief and to represent the interests of the American people in this modern complex world we live in.

The toxic nature, the foulness, of a Trump candidacy with its advocacy of hate and division based upon gender, ethnicity and race, and its allowance for unchecked and outrageous spewing of falsehoods, conspiracy theories and rabid white supremacy has allowed the worst aspects of America to become acceptable attributes of not just the American political system but of American life as well.

Our members of Congress pledged to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution to ensure the protections and rights it provides and articulates are available to all of citizens of this long-standing democracy; to ensure these ideals and freedoms are there for our children and our children's children. It is time to speak up against anyone who advocates that only certain citizens have these rights, only certain people have value, that our laws do not pertain to all equally. It is time to make clear that, regardless of political party affiliation or individual biases, we as a people and especially our members of Congress do not stand with or for anyone who says or proposes or offers anything that abridges these treasured freedoms and principles.

It is time to speak up and deny support for Trump.

— Elizabeth S. O'Leary

Anchorage 

Museum is ‘real gem’ to visitors, a great asset for city

My cousin and her husband visited last month and, making the best of a rainy day, I took them to the Anchorage Museum. I serve on the museum's board of directors and have long been proud of our local museum, but since they live in Washington D.C., home of umpteen internationally recognized museums, I was both surprised and pleased at how much they, too, enjoyed and praised our local institution.

"This is a real gem" my cousin remarked after touring the Smithsonian Exhibit and the Alaska Gallery. "Just wait" I replied, when you come visit again you will see a completely reimagined Alaska Gallery and the new Rasmuson Wing — generously endowed by the Rasmuson Family.

Visiting the galleries and exhibits with family from Outside made me appreciate once again how lucky we are to have such an exceptional asset in our community. Continually creating, evolving and challenging our community while addressing the needs of a multitude of audiences, the museum showcases the best our city has to offer. Science is on display at the Discovery Center, Spark Lab and the planetarium; Art in the many galleries devoted to photography, contemporary art and old masters; history as viewed through the Alaska Gallery (and now transitional collections on display while the Gallery is under construction).

Last week I read that USA Today included the museum's exhibit "View From Up Here: The Arctic at the Center of the World" as one of the "top 12 must-see exhibits" in the country.

It shouldn't take the occasion of visiting family or friends to show us what a great museum we have. I encourage anyone who hasn't toured the museum lately to check it out. You will be astonished and proud of what our community has to offer the world.

— John Levy
Anchorage

Walker didn’t save Denali pack

A friend and I just returned from Denali National Park where we had hopes of seeing at least one wolf. We had heard of the sad situation of the Denali wolves before we left, but since I had seen wolves there before in my almost 40 years of living in Alaska, I thought I would see them this time. When my son and his girlfriend visited the park two weeks ago and reported they saw no wolves, I began to doubt. But I still hoped I would see at least one.

This was not to be. My friend and I came home disappointed. When I told my husband about it, he almost said, "I told you so," and went on about how the wolf population in the park was at an all-time low because of hunting and trapping on state lands just outside the northeast border of the park; how the Alaska Board of Game had discontinued the buffer zone in 2010; and how unbalanced the Game Board was in representing Alaska's public, especially those who don't want to kill wolves or bears, and only hope to see them where it's normally easiest to do that, in the park. He also said he and many others had worked hard to get the governor to intervene last week and request Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten place an emergency closure on hunting and trapping wolves in the so-called wolf townships. This did not happen.

My question is: Gov. Walker, why did you not intervene? I voted for you in the last election, and I am very disappointed!

— Jennifer Allison-Keim
Fairbanks

Political parties are racketeers

We still claim the freedom to associate, but one has to question how our political system has been corrupted. It was "news" the city wouldn't pay for an afterparty at Election Central. Why is this news?

People have a right to associate with like-minded individuals and work to get those people elected. However, why should taxpayers pay for their elections?
We have had legislators go to jail because they were "influenced" by private citizens. But no one seems to care when they are "influenced" by their party. Why are no racketeering charges brought against the political parties and legislators sent to jail?

The primary is a private election for political parties. We, the people, have little to do with party politics outside of funding their games. Let the parties pay for their own primaries.

— Arthur Solvang
Willow

Locals don’t toot Trump horn

So far, as a Democrat, I know of only one Republican friend (among many) who is actually willing to step forward and verbally declare "I'm voting for Trump!" Only one. And, after reading the tabloids over these many months, I could say much the same about the Republican constituency and GOP politicians here in Alaska. This fact speaks volumes.

— Wayne C. Jones
Palmer

Putin hopes Trump weakens US

Russia's Vladimir Putin has shown a benevolent attitude toward Donald Trump ever since the Donald launched himself toward the presidency. Perhaps this was due to past business dealings between Trump and a few Russian bigwigs.

However, the release of Russian-hacked derogatory information from the innards of the Democratic Party, and newly revealed information regarding possible Trump funding originating in Russian areas of influence, certainly indicate ongoing support for the candidate.

I guess this is OK — we have certainly been caught with our own fingers in the power struggles of countries in which we had an interest in the outcome. But I must wonder about the reason for Russia's favoring of Trump.

Does Putin favor Trump because he really wants to see the U.S. unite and grow stronger economically and militarily, eclipsing Russia on the world's stage?

Or rather because he expects to see a Trump-ruled America further divided, weakened by an erratic executive and an irresolute Congress, and easy prey for future Russian worldwide expansion?

— Don Neal
Anchorage

ADN wrote distracting headline

Pete Panarase's Aug. 13 response to my commentary (ADN, Aug. 7) is just one more example of the need for readers to remember the headlines on letters and commentaries are inserted by ADN without the input of the writer. The only recommendation I made in my commentary was to increase the brown bear hunting harvest level in the GMU 14C. Apparently ADN felt it would be more titillating to focus in the header on the suggestion made by others for a brown bear-free park.

The other pertinent information Panarase doesn't seem to be aware of: there are already brown bear hunts in undeveloped portions of GMU 14C; I did not suggest expanding hunting into residential areas; most bears that occasionally use residential areas spend much of their year in park areas where they can be hunted.

And for people who "feel fortunate to see" a brown bear "at a safe distance," I can only remember the day I saw a brown bear on a clear-cut hill about a half-mile above the beach where I was walking. When the bear spotted me, it took off running full bore down the hill toward me and only stopped about 100 yards away when I fired a warning shot over its head.

— Jim Lieb
Palmer

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