Letter to the editor: Let's blame Harry Truman

It seems fashionable to blame a former president for this country’s current woes, so I blame Harry Truman.

“Truman?” you might say, but let me defend my position for a moment.

If not for Truman, we might not have nuclear threats. When he gave the go-ahead to bomb Japan (twice!), other countries decided to arm similarly. So the fact that enemies like Russia, China and North Korea have bombs that could result in the self-destruction of this world rests on his shoulders.

Speaking of North Korea, there probably wouldn’t be that worrisome issue had Truman not fired general of the Army and all-around good guy Douglas MacArthur, who wanted to stop the creation of the rogue nation. I think that was our first step in showing weakness to China (Thanks, Harry!).

The former haberdasher was no friend of the environment, either. He chose a people-first agenda without considering the long-term consequences for the planet. His silence on the right to abortion reminds me of the wishy-washy nature of his administration.

Industrial development and national growth are fine if you ignore the “big” issues. His supporters said “Give ’em Hell, Harry,” and maybe he did.

Ed Klein

Shanksville