Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, February 9, 2017

Trump's acts lack justice

This weekend I heard two Trump surrogates speak of Trump as a "man of action," but they failed to speak of Trump's lack of imagination and justice.

Trump can't see the consequences of his actions. Lives of citizens, their family, friends and employers were turned to chaos. Trump's executive order banning Muslim citizens and visa holders disrupted our country's community.

Justice, which includes mercy and tolerance, is sorely lacking in his actions. Justifying the restrictions and ban as protecting the U.S. has now been shown to be arbitrary and discriminatory by the federal judiciary.

— Jim Hanlen
Anchorage

Stop tantrums over Trump win, work to make change for good

Like it or not, Donald Trump is now president of the United States. If we don't like it or approve of his prior behavior or him personally, we need to do something constructive about our current societal situation. Although there were peaceful marches in Alaska, most of the recent women's marches and protests were on the whole screeching matches laced with filthy language and unacceptable threats. They excluded anyone with contradictory thoughts or ideas. Guess they were more like "women who agree with us" marches. I also saw "feminists" from the '60s resurface with the same dialogue they had
50-plus years ago.

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Each resident of our country — not just women — has the opportunity to promote solutions for serious problems we face. Madonna, Ashley Judd, Gloria Steinem would be far more influential if they used their fame or notoriety to shine a spotlight on child sexual abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, elder care and abuse, illiteracy, hunger, slumlords, gangs, and alcohol and other substance abuse. How about leaving a bag of groceries on a needy neighbor's doorstep? We would be far better served if these people actually went into the communities and got their hands dirty than to blame and bellyache and stomp their feet and have temper tantrums because they didn't get their way.

For members of Congress angered by President Trump, instead of badmouthing and bellyaching, look at your communities. Get involved in your communities to promote better education, family units, combat violence and drugs. Get in touch with your constituency and voters. Or show up on the president's doorstep and actually sit down and have a conversation to start the ball rolling on solutions for serious community problems. I've seen 4-year old children behave more appropriately.

I was appalled to actually have an older friend angered by Trump's win refer to the new first lady of our country as looking like a "street whore" in her inauguration gown. This serves no productive purpose other than showing the accuser in a poor light. I'm not happy about what transpired during this election cycle nor about many of the things occurring now. I don't yell and scream and stomp my feet and call people names. I write letters to the editor, call my congressmen, representatives, mayor. And I quietly do things — no matter how small — to effect changes.

— Jacqueline Fries
Anchorage

Senators, votes already spoken for, don't listen to constituents

Mary Ann Chaney could have written my letter regarding Lisa Murkowski being heralded for saying she would vote against the confirmation of Betsy DeVos. Of course, she could make that stand knowing full well that Vice President Pence would break the tie and there is no way he would vote against President Trump's nominee. That is political suicide.

One thing I will say for Sen. Murkowski is that she is very correct that DeVos has no knowledge of Alaska's need for public school across our state. It is too bad that both she and Sen. Sullivan could not lobby for what matters to the majority of young Alaskans' education. I further do not believe that with all the protests and letters that have been written to Sullivan that he makes an inane comment that he has discussed all these issues with DeVos. Of course, nothing has changed his mind.

Why should any constituent "contact our senators," as we are always told to do? It never changes their mind because they will always vote with their bloc no matter what any or how many constituents express their opinion. I have gotten too many letters back from the senators that say "thank you for writing but here is why I won't vote differently." I will express my opinion at the ballot box.

— Jan Wyland
Seldovia

DeVos affair shows Murkowski will go along to get along

One view of what enabled the human species to assume the dominant, albeit destructive, role on the planet is that we learned to lie and to deceive. Sir Walter Scott spun it well: "O, what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive!" Sen. Murkowski is a consummate weaver, as her votes and comments on the DeVos affair reveal.

Adding to a previous letter by Mary Ann Chaney, it is obvious to the thoughtful that politicians will vote for or against a bill in opposition to their beliefs, certain the ultimate result will be their desired one. It's called political posturing, deceit practiced in order to court voters not in agreement.

Sen. Murkowski voted DeVos out of committee, knowing the full Senate's vote to confirm was assured. The unsinkable Molly Ivins often offered the saying, "You got to dance with them that brung you." And DeVos with her campaign donation is on the senator's gilt-embossed dance card.

DeVos, part of a multi billionaire family with ties to Blackwater, Amway and others, is a billionaire who attended private Christian schools, wants guns in schools, advocates privatizing schools and the voucher system, and offers the inherently racist choice of the so-called Alpha School vs. Beta School.

This is the DeVos Sen. Murkowski now speaks nicely of with the same old platitudes. But the senator's playing in the Congressional man cave and must go along to get along and dance to the Sousa music. Sen. Sullivan disdains such maneuverings. It's a privileged dance card with dirty, dirty, dancing, with democracy and the Constitution locked in the dark outside to peer through the windows.

— George Harbeson Jr.
Homer

Weekend changes
diminish the ADN

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As a longtime reader and occasional contributor to the ADN — first the Daily News, now the Dispatch News — I decided to withhold judgment on the new weekend format for its printed newspaper (reconfigured Friday and Sunday editions, no Saturday paper) until I'd seen a couple of editions. Having done so, here are some thoughts: first and foremost, it seems ADN management has made some peculiar choices, presumably to save money but not necessarily to benefit the reader. I'm not sure I like the hodge podge packaging of certain weekend sections; for instance Sunday's mix of sports/outdoors, obituaries, science, health, travel and comics in a single section seems odd to me (and will that mix vary week to week), though I suppose I can accept that. Much more disappointing to me is what's happened to the "We Alaskans" Sunday magazine. I loved and appreciated its rebirth in ADN as an attractive section printed on high-quality paper and with wonderfully produced images; it really stood apart from the other sections. It did feel like something of a "magazine." Now it has been greatly diminished, produced on flimsy paper, with a more muddied feel to its printed pages and especially its photographs and other images. Sometimes presentation does make a big difference and "We Alaskans" now feels and looks much more like just another section of the newspaper. That's too bad.

I also wonder if part of the cost-cutting process has been to go to inferior paper generally. Its pages do seem flimsier overall and tend to curl at the corners, a minor annoyance I suppose, but telling. Again, as someone who likes the feel of a newspaper, this one now feels less substantial, of lower quality. It seems odd that the "new" ADN features daily full-color comics while one of its most attractive features, "We Alaskans," has been downgraded.

As one whose morning rituals include reading the sports section, I miss the Saturday paper for that small enjoyment, but it's something I can live with. It does seem strange, though, that ADN management has decided Friday news isn't important or newsworthy enough to be reported in a timely manner, for those of us who prefer holding a newspaper in our hands to staring at a screen. On the upside, I've so far appreciated/enjoyed Friday's new "Arctic Now" section.

Bottom line: the newspaper, like "We Alaskans," has been diminished. In my view, management may profit from the changes, but your readers — at least those, like me, who prefer the old-fashioned newspaper — are the losers.

— Bill Sherwonit
Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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