‘Losing’ an argument can also be winning
After reading Solomon Stevens’ commentary, “Why arguments can be a constructive process” (Oct. 3), I would love to have found at least some small point among those words to argue with, but sadly I cannot.
I am fond of saying that, when two people sit down at a table for an argument, and one of them — commonly referred to as “the winner” — leaves that exercise with her position intact, she has gained nothing from the encounter. The other participant, however, often leaves with a deeper understanding of the issue, the world and perhaps even himself. So who is the real winner?
While I have always relished a good argument, whatever the outcome, nothing gives me so much pleasure as “losing” an argument and knowing that I’m still capable of deepening my understanding of the world and myself.
Zachariah Cobrinik
Lower Nazareth Township
Children, innocent residents detained in Chicago ICE raid
Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided an apartment building in Chicago’s South Shore because they said it was in “a location known to be frequented by Tren de Aragua members and their associates. Some of the targeted subjects are believed to be involved in drug trafficking and distribution, weapons crimes, and immigration violators.” Apparently ICE believed that simply living in this neighborhood made residents fair game for arrest since without any further evidence agents detained every resident of the building. While most of them were eventually released, they still suffered the trauma of being cuffed and held at gunpoint. ICE ripped doors off hinges and left holes in walls. This is what is happening in one of America’s greatest cities. As ICE continues to detain innocent people, even showing up at courthouses to arrest those who are there to keep their immigration appointments, it seems that President Trump and his minions care only about intimidation and not our Constitutional rights. This is shameful.
Cynthia Leslie Simmons
Bethlehem
Urge GOP lawmakers to say ‘enough’ to Trump
When will our president’s abuse of power reach the threshold where Republican legislators say “enough?”
So far, we’ve seen them support or consent to such actions as the harassment, arrest and/or indictment of Americans who disagree with or criticize the president; multiple troop deployments on American soil; large tariffs on key allies; threats to Greenland’s sovereignty; large funding cuts from Medicaid and important federal entities including the Social Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health & Human Services, Education Department, Environmental Protection Agency and National Parks Services; release of Americans’ personal data to unauthorized parties; inappropriate promotion of Trump cybercurrency; irresponsible claims against important medicines; habeas corpus violations; and more. Our president abuses executive power to further personal and party objectives in ways that are seemingly unconstitutional or illegal, and that often violate societal, domestic and international norms. He is tearing our great nation apart, alienating key allies and driving foreign adversaries into anti-U.S. alliances.
And Republican legislators enable him. Please call or email them regularly to tell them what you disagree with. Contact information for Reps. Ryan Mackenzie, Dan Meuser and others, Sen. David McCormick, and congressional leaders are easily found online. Speak up. Our nation’s and our children’s futures are at stake.
Harold Vandegrift
North Catasauqua
Dems set expiration date for health care subsidies
The Dec. 31 date for the expiration of health care subsidies was set by Democrats when they had control of Congress. That date was an accounting “fiction” they used to disguise the budget implications of a continuation of those benefits. Of course, they expected that a Democratic Congress would vote for an extension of subsidies after the budget implications of doing so were forgotten. The only thing wrong with their expectation was that Republicans gained control of Congress and are not willing to automatically continue those benefits. So now we have a government shutdown.
Depending on individual circumstances, a shutdown may or may not affect you. For many, the shutdown will go unnoticed, perhaps even revealing how little life depends upon government actions. Of course, you will still pay taxes. If you are a government worker, or dependent on government payments, you will likely be adversely affected.
The shutdown would not have happened if the Democrats had not attempted to disguise the budget implications of the increased health benefits that they earlier authorized. Whether an extension of those benefits and their associated costs are desirable needs to be discussed. But both sides seem intransigent. Who’s to blame? You decide.
George Heitmann
Salisbury Township
Blowing leaves off D&L Trail is a waste of time, money
The D&L Trail (technically the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor) is just that — a hiking and biking gravel (not macadam) trail that meanders alongside the two rivers for about 135 (mostly unobstructed) miles between Wilkes-Barre and Bristol. At least on the sections I have hiked, it is beautiful at any time of the year. In the summer you cannot see the river for the most part due to the foliage, but in the winter you can. On my usual 2-mile walk, I pass by and under several thousand trees. Of course, at this time of year that means there are millions of leaves falling to the ground. Apparently, somebody thought that was a problem because two days ago I was passed by a county employee who was driving a small tractor, towing an industrial sized leaf blower, blowing leaves off the trail — in the middle of the woods. The next day, the trail was again covered in fallen leaves. I wonder if Elon Musk knows about this.
Bob Magee
Lehigh Township
ELECTION LETTERS
Letters to the editor about candidates and issues in the Nov. 4 general election must be received by 10 a.m. Oct. 27. Election-related letters will not be published after Oct. 30.
The Morning Call publishes letters from readers online and in print several times a week. Submit a letter to the editor at letters@mcall.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author(s), and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication.
