Does ‘love it or leave it’ apply to the president?

Everyone who lived through the Vietnam War era remembers hearing the toxic mantra, “love it or leave it.” People who supported the war used the phrase to belittle antiwar protesters. Many of these protesters were actually veterans who had served our country. By the end of the war, more than 58,000 American service members had been killed.

Meanwhile, this son of privilege, Donald Trump, attended a private military academy and then obtained five questionable deferments in order to avoid serving his country.

As recently as 2019, Trump was heard to declare that he “wasn’t a fan” of the war in Vietnam. Does this opinion, which he translated into action with those phantom bone spurs, mean that he did not and does not love our country? And should “love it or leave it” apply to him? Does our constitutional right of free speech have a party affiliation?

JUDITH KAUFMAN

Cornish

A political party by any other name

The Republican leadership seems to persist in refusing Democrats the adjective “Democratic” when referring to their activities, saying instead “it was a Democrat decision,” etc., presumably to try to prove some point.

I suppose Democrats could return the compliment, calling it the “Republic Party” and referring to its actions the same way, as in, “it was a Republic decision.” The only problem is that present-day Republicans don’t appear to come close to representing either version of the moniker.

NAN BOURNE

Woodstock

Democrats must work to attract range of voters

The Democratic Party has to get real — realistic. Right now, too many of the 20-odd candidates are way ahead of the voters in what they propose to do.

The classic example is health care. I loved Pete Buttigieg’s response regarding “Medicare for All.” He’s for “Medicare for all who want it.” Too many people have health insurance they’re comfortable with and do not want to change it. It’s one thing for a candidate to be forward thinking, but another to get out of sight.

Elections are won near the center. About 60% of voters would like to see our inept president gone, including me. In order for a Democratic candidate to win, he or she must attract the votes of a wide range of voters. Otherwise, we risk seeing another four years of dangerous craziness.

ANNE HARMS

West Lebanon

Where’s the rest of the story?

How disappointing to read the lead story in the July 20 Valley News on the New Hampshire Supreme Court upholding the rejection of Eversource’s Northern Pass project, only to find nowhere in the rest of the paper its continuation, let alone on page A3, as stated. Do you proofread?

ERLAND M. SCHULSON

Hanover