Anyone who knows me knows that I am no fan of President Donald Trump. In fact, I think Trump is a would-be dictator whose narcissism and soulless pursuit of self-aggrandizement knows no bounds. That said, I agree with Trump’s claims about “fake news.” Let me clarify.
Parsing Trump’s fourth-grade-level prattle (if I offend any fourth-graders, I do apologize), what I hear Trump petulantly asserting is that the media cherry-picks ideologically tainted information, purposefully presents unflattering images, etc., as a way to promote drama over truth. Of course, and understandably, the media does this to garner readership and to boost advertising revenue. For as we know, it’s a battle to the death within the echo chambers of the reality-starved internet, and the liberal media (remember, I’m a liberal too) is not immune to the beck and call of the almighty dollar.
Thus the media, in its effort to make another buck, reinforces the truth of Trump’s post-truth narrative. The irony is rich, but the results catastrophic, for it’s the media, in its immoral and unbounded avarice, that has unwittingly created and nourished The Donald. And it would all be totally hilarious were not the outcomes so hurtful to so many.
Dan Weintraub
Quechee
The 2020 presidential election will be won or lost by the Democrats in the industrial Midwest — the same place where Hillary Clinton fell short in 2016. This is why I support Joe Biden for the nomination.
Progressive Democrats in deep blue coastal states are not going to vote for Trump, or sit out the election, because one of their own failed to make it to the top of the ticket. They will vote, and vote Democratic, out of sheer loathing for Trump no matter who gets their party’s nod. But the swing voters of the Rust Belt might very easily be put off by a Democratic candidate who tilts too far to the left. There is too much at stake to wander significantly far from the center.
William G. Scheller
Randolph
Regarding Marguerite Tetreault, the pedestrian killed as she walked to her mailbox (“Windsor Woman Struck by Car Dies of Injuries,” Sept. 29): So, since there was no crosswalk to her mailbox, she was supposed to walk south to the first one at Trinity Church, cross, then walk north on Route 5 to her mailbox? Really?
Elaine Smith
Hartland
Foster children come from your town, your neighborhood, and your school. They are friends of your child, members of your church and kids on your Little League team. They are babies, toddlers, school-age kids and teenagers. Due to a situation beyond their control, they have to be displaced from their homes and need a safe place to call home while their family works to put itself back together. Are you able to open your home to a child from your community — enabling them to remain in a familiar school, with familiar friends?
There is a real need for foster homes in Sullivan and Grafton counties. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a foster parent, now is the time to call. Classes will be running in Claremont beginning Feb. 9 at Valley Regional Hospital and they are free. If you’d like to learn more, call 603-271-4771 or visit www.dhhs.nh.gov. Help make a difference in the life of a child.
Kaitlin Bartley
Claremont