I think of myself as someone who is able to develop an empathetic understanding of other people’s perspectives, no matter how different from my own. I have to say, however, that President Donald Trump is a particular challenge in this regard.
Take, for example, his views on mail-in voting. Despite there being no evidence of problems of fraud in states like Oregon that use it extensively, President Trump opposes its use during this election even under the continuing threat of COVID-19. Voting by mail is particularly helpful to people over age 65 who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 and should avoid public places. They are the age group that has been most supportive of the president. You would think that he would value this age group and want to keep them safe.
Similarly, people in rural areas who often have to travel considerable distances to vote and whose medical facilities are being challenged by the pandemic would benefit from mail-in ballots. It would make two groups of President Trump’s core supporters safer when they cast their votes.
Another example is the rallies he has held in Tulsa, Phoenix and at Mount Rushmore. He does not encourage social distancing or the wearing of masks and he is creating crowded situations that are ideal for COVID-19 to spread. Once again, he is putting his supporters most in harm’s way. You would think he would want to protect them.
Now he is planning a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., on Saturday, in precisely the part of New Hampshire that is still struggling with the pandemic. Again, he is proposing a crowd situation where his followers will be made vulnerable.
I am struggling to understand why he is not more concerned with their health and safety. The thing is, if President Trump had taken seriously the warnings about COVID-19 instead of denouncing them as a hoax, if he had acted forcefully and effectively in dealing with the pandemic, he probably would be coasting toward victory in November.
Perhaps he lacks empathy. Perhaps he thinks it is more important for him to get an emotional high from his rallies than to safeguard his supporters.
ROBERT M. BAUM
Norwich
The Valley News published a story that said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu did not mandate masking or social distancing at President Donald Trump’s campaign rally, set for Saturday in Portsmouth (“Sununu won’t require masks at Trump rally,” July 9).
Trump recently held a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla. The event was held in closed quarters with no mandatory personal protections in place, thus putting several thousand people at risk for catching COVID-19. Two weeks later, that state’s Department of Health saw a surge of positive coronavirus cases in Tulsa. New Hampshire is one of the few states in the country that has been successful in curbing coronavirus infections. Trump’s Portsmouth rally will undoubtedly spread the virus in our state. I’m not uninformed. I’m an epidemiologist with two advanced degrees in public health and did disaster-related research for 10 years. So the Trump rally scares me, as it apparently does the governor who, when asked if he would attend the rally, said, “I’m not going to be putting myself in the middle of a crowd of thousands of people.”
By permitting the Trump rally to proceed, especially without mandatory precautions, Gov. Sununu exposes all of our good citizens to an increased risk of a potentially deadly infection. The Trump circus should not come to town during a pandemic, especially under these conditions. If, two weeks after the rally, we see an increase in our own positive cases, we will know who to blame.
KATHLEEN SHERRIEB
Lyme
We must not let more of the novel coronavirus be spread in New Hampshire. I hope President Donald Trump will enjoy his trip to the state on Saturday, but we must not let him or his supporters spread this infection among us. He and everyone at his rally must wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Let’s keep New Hampshire healthy.
BABETTE HANSEN
Lebanon
Is there no way to curb the narcissistic, dangerous and selfish behavior of the current president? His upcoming rally, planned for Saturday in Portsmouth, N.H., is a case in point.
Our small state has been able (so far) to meet the challenges of this deadly pandemic, and I have watched my friends, neighbors and many relatives all over New England rise to its challenges by following the guidelines provided to us.
Now, Portsmouth has been chosen to hold a rally for this man, a man who gleefully chooses to wear no mask, whose family and those who work for him continue to test positive for this virus, and who will undoubtedly drag supporters from other states to this small coastal city, more than likely bringing the virus with them.
PRUDENCE FISHER
Lyme
New Hampshire’s COVID-19 case numbers are low and we need to protect our state’s health. I am asking Gov. Chris Sununu, our congressional representatives, our Executive Council members and our citizens to advocate for our communities and stop President Donald Trump’s large campaign event at Portsmouth International Airport on Saturday. This event will bring thousands of people together, many from outside New Hampshire, and then disperse them around our region.
I state this not as a political action but to preserve the health of our state. Bringing thousands of people together at this time is not responsible when we are asking people to stay healthy, wear masks, not to gather in groups and to stay at a social distance.
There is a lot at stake in our state, which has one of the highest percentages of senior citizens. We must preserve our health and not permit this gathering to expose our precious citizens of all ages to the dangerous new coronavirus that is continuing to spread around the country.
Please act to stop the event for the health of our citizens and for the sake of our elders, our families, our health care system, our schools and colleges — and the stability of New Hampshire’s economy, our future and quality of life.
We must work to maintain New Hampshire’s health and safety for all.
CAROL WEINGEIST
Hanover
Standing high up on a ladder while painting my house, I get to hear many sounds of my Hanover neighborhood. They are mostly pleasant. But there is one scary sound that is only going to get louder in the fall.
Dartmouth College students who rent houses over the summer are partying as usual. Maybe they have all tested negative for the new coronavirus, but I have already witnessed enough irresponsible behavior to surmise that the college will not be able to ride herd over thousands of returning students in September.
The students are going to congregate, party and expose themselves and others to the virus. I’m not suggesting Dartmouth should stay closed or that the students are bad people. But if the college does not enforce strict social distancing — and I don’t see how it can — we’re about to experience the equivalent of a Donald Trump rally or crowded Black Lives Matter demonstration in terms of a favorable environment for spreading the virus.
PHILIP GLOUCHEVITCH
Hanover
I am writing about the woman with long, auburn hair who was behind me at the Windsor Price Chopper on July 3. Neither she nor her partner were wearing masks. She was speaking quite loudly, an even more effective way to spread germs, with no plexiglass barrier between her and the cashier. She must have known the cashier as she was teasing her about her mask. The mask was clearly making her uncomfortable. I assume the cashier had been told by her manager to wear it in an attempt to protect her from customers like this woman and her partner who refuse to wear masks. How ironic.
Their defiance and disparaging comments about people wearing masks might make them feel good, but it sends a clear message to most of us that some people don’t really care about the health and safety of those around them, friends or strangers. That’s sad. COVID-19 is no joke.
HAM GILLETT
Windsor
Randall Balmer does an excellent job of pointing out the racist history and changes as they were forced upon organized football in America (“Can football help America tackle social change?” July 5). But when he writes that “at various moments in its history the game’s overlords have risen to their better selves. We may be living in such a moment now,” I take exception.
I submit that what we’re more likely seeing is a response by the “overlords” that has less to do with “their better selves” than with the financial handwriting on the wall. It’s easy to see an advertiser’s boycott in the wings, just like Facebook is experiencing right now. The “overlords” react to money. Better selves? We’ll see.
ABNER SCHLABACH
East Barnard