Sounding off: Political ads, Trump, secession, LGBTQIA+ hate, guns

Dumping negative political ads a smart move

I wholeheartedly approve of the Tribune-Review’s recent decision to restrict negative political ads (“Why Trib Total Media is nixing negative political ads,” Nov. 27, TribLIVE). The adjective-laden, hyperbolic diatribes really served no good purpose other than to reduce political discourse to a series of schoolyard taunts.

I also found it insulting to my intelligence for candidates to call their opponent “delusional,” or to say a candidate wants to “wreck the economy.” No candidate for office wrecks an economy on purpose. Nor do delusional people file to run for a political position, barring an intervention from their loved ones.

Politics is 95% opinion and 5% fact. Of course, we all know the old saying about the similarity of opinions and … a certain bodily opening. We all have at least one.

In politics, however, in order to sound like you’re not talking out of that … certain bodily opening, you have to understand the difference between facts and outrageous opinion.

Having candidates promote their ideas for calm comparison, instead of claiming their opponent is the spawn of Satan, should greatly aid voters in making informed decisions based on facts, existing voting records and promises made and kept.

Thanks to the editors for barring useless and insultingly childish political attack ads.

Thomas Nacey Jr.

Salem

***

Banning negative ads is censorship

Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto’s recent announcement on eliminating negative political ads was a total surprise to me (“Why Trib Total Media is nixing negative political ads,” Nov. 27, TribLIVE).

While I sometimes find your newspaper’s positions or articles objectionable, they generally do not violate my expectations of a newspaper’s basic responsibility to not control the news. Your new policy is a perfect example of censorship.

While negative ads can be annoying and misleading, they can be informative and do contribute to educating your readers about the candidates and issues. Your claim to lessen the coarseness and cheapness of politics and better serve your readers by continuing to address all aspects of political campaigns, the good, the bad and the ugly, is a direct contradiction of your new “control” policy.

I might add, if you want to better serve your readers, do something about your news services. For example, Associated Press continually runs “news” reports that contain opinion.

Louis F. D’Emilio

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

***

Looking forward to Trump back in White House

On Nov. 17, Nancy Pelosi, age 82, appeared on TV to officially announce the end of her speakership, and her plans for the future. She said she will not seek any future Democratic leadership role but will remain in Congress. She was speaker of the House for 15 years, the longest serving speaker except for Sam Rayburn of Texas, who served as speaker for 17 years.

She spoke about her political future interspersed with occasional giggles like those of Vice President Kamala Harris. After her speech, nearly everyone in attendance came up to give her a departing hug. You could feel the wokeness in the air. You could feel it exuding from the TV screen. It was sickening. Nauseating, even.

The Republicans failed to achieve a “red wave” in the midterms, but at least we’re getting rid of Pelosi. Now, in the next two years, the work needs to be done to get Donald Trump installed in the White House in 2024. Oh, if only was January 2025 and Trump was moving into the White House tomorrow.

George Wesolosky

Leechburg

***

GOP, not Trump, responsible for election losses

The media was quick in blaming Donald Trump for the outcome of the recent election. However, the Republican Party played a major role, along with the right-wing media and conspiracy followers, who elevated Trump to the status of prophet of the Republican Party.

How many times over the last six years did the GOP and right-wing media have the opportunity to speak out against his lies, misinformation and self-serving platform? For starters, there were two impeachment trials addressing his transgressions and the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, the same lie Republican candidates are using in Arizona, contesting certification of results. Who can forget Trump inciting an insurrection? His loyal followers on Jan. 6 attempted to destroy our seat of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. Then there was the removal of classified documents. These were all opportunities for the Grand Old Party to denounce his actions but instead they vilified others, made up excuses or remained silent.

The GOP has emboldened Trump, and in doing so has given a platform to others like Ron Desantis, Marjorie Taylor Green and Ron Johnson to openly spread fear and lies about LGBTQ people, Jews and minorities. They propagate hate and violence with their white supremacist, anti-democratic talking points that incite people to lash out at groups they deem not worthy of their approval.

This isn’t on Trump. This is on the Republican Party that has allowed and this neo-fascist movement to take root and threaten our democracy and individual freedoms.

Katie Forsythe

North Huntingdon

***

Disenfranchised Pa. counties should secede

As I surveyed the midterm election results county by county, one glaring truth jumped out at me. As long as the Democrats control the vote in the eastern end of Pennsylvania via Philadelphia, along with Harrisburg and Allegheny County, they will always win in Pennsylvania. There is not enough population in the other counties to offset the large Democratic population in those areas. Therefore, the majority of counties in the state have no say in who is elected.

To rectify this problem, I would suggest that all the counties whose citizens’ votes have no effect in who is elected should secede from Pennsylvania and form a 51st state where everyone’s vote will count and party politics is not in control.

I am 74 years old and have watched this problem persist in election after election with no solution in sight. The most recent redistricting ordered by the Democrat- controlled courts has put the area of Westmoreland County in which I live at a decisive disadvantage by combining us with part of Allegheny County, which has a much larger Democratic population. Fair? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

The only solution I see is for the disenfranchised counties to organize and secede without the political shenanigans that have been going on in Pennsylvania for many years and form a new and free 51st state.

John T. Watson

North Huntingdon

***

LGBTQIA+ shouldn’t live in fear

The hate-motivated shooting at Club Q in Colorado is extremely disheartening to everyone who belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community around the world. It is said that U.S. citizens live in a free country due to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but how can this be so if we are constantly being treated unequally, scared to go anywhere in fear of death?

This must be put to an end. Please check out the Disarm Hate, Send Love toolkit at studentsdemandaction.org.

Mallory Keffer

Salem

***

Guns are safe until humans get involved

Regarding the letter “Our gun culture makes ‘life’ pleas ring hollow” (Nov. 8, TribLIVE): If only it were that easy. Unfortunately, human beings are involved, and that changes the whole concept that guns are dangerous.

We have a gun safe full of guns and not once have those guns left that safe unless we moved them. Guns are not dangerous until a human picks them up.

JoAnn Patterson

Latrobe