Sounding off: Our politically correct dinner tables - TribLIVE

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Liberalism always achieves the opposite of its stated intent. Proof is ever more government spending that yields less in return to taxpayers. This also is true for their politically correct, racial sensitivity ruse in terms of the “fairness and diversity” they claim to seek.

Consider your pantry and grocery store shelves. Thanks to the drumbeat of cancel culture — and weak-kneed corporate willingness for surrender to that mob — our food world of storied dinner- table staples, once woven into the fabric of our lives, has been purged. Mrs. Butterworth, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and the wise Land-O-Lakes Indian woman have all been canceled. Even the million-dollar smile of professional chef Frank L. White, found on boxes of Cream of Wheat since 1893, has vanished.

This systemic cleansing leaves remaining only those faces now deemed acceptable to the left. Can you detect the pattern? Little Debbie and Sun Maid are still smiling. Morton Umbrella Girl and Nabisco Raincoat Boy are playing in the rain. Colonel Sanders, Wendy and the Burger King dominate the landscape. Our very own Uncle Charley holds court with the Quaker, Chef Boyardee and the Gorton’s fisherman.

A canceled frog said “it ain’t easy being green”; will Green Giant be next?

One must admire the left’s ability to mask (pun decisively intended) their distaste for diversity and inclusion around the dinner table.

Joe Schmidt, Lower Burrell

Prioritize states following CDC guidelines

Perhaps the government should prioritize vaccine distributions and give out to those states who are following CDC guidelines. It’s unfair to the states that are following the guidelines and their citizens who have been on waiting lists for weeks to get vaccinated.

Marilyn Dvorsky, Greensburg

Why people don’t like Trump

Letter-writer Chad Sperski’s recitation of President Trump’s so-called accomplishments such as 401(k)s, gas prices and border security are dubious at best (“Trump put America first”). The former were not greatly affected by any of his actions, and the latter was more publicity stunt than anything else.

Sperski also complains that when he confronts others about why they dislike Trump, the best that they can do is call him names. Well, Mr. Sperski, let me try. Trump enacted horrifically bigoted policies toward members of the LGBTQ community, he was completely inept with regard to covid-19 and he prioritized settling petty grievances over conducting affairs of state. However, the fact that he incited a seditious mob to attack Congress because he did not like the outcome of a fair and legal election is the main reason why I do not like him.

Brian Luce, Buffalo Township

We should make voting easier, not harder

Among many quotes about voting, one made by Dwight Eisenhower in 1949 seems appropriate now: “Our American heritage is threatened as much by our own indifference as it is by the most unscrupulous office or by the most powerful foreign threat. The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.” Or is it in the hands of our legislators?

Pennsylvania Republicans have introduced 14 or more bills to affect your vote in one way or another. These bills, if enacted, would limit a voter’s access to voting by mail, make voter ID stricter, limit successful pro-voter registration policies and make it easier to purge voter rolls.

As a senior citizen, I appreciate getting my ballot by mail, returning it and getting an email from the board of elections when it’s received. I carry a card with me that says I am a registered voter, and I sign for a ballot when I vote in person or sign the outer envelope when I vote by mail. That should be sufficient. People should be encouraged, not discouraged, from registering to vote (www.votespa.com/Register- to-Vote). Voting rolls are purged monthly when deaths are reported to the boards of elections.

Voting is the responsibility of all of us in our democracy. Making the process easier, not harder, is the responsibility of our legislators, so it’s time to make some “good trouble.” Contact your legislators ASAP about making it easier, not harder, to vote. And while you are at it, tell your U.S. representative to support House Resolution 1 – it’s For the People.

Carole A. Briggs, Brookville

Tolls on bridges won’t solve problems

Putting tolls on bridges is just another knee-jerk reaction from Harrisburg. The gas tax revenue is down mostly because of the shutdown or capacity limits on many of our businesses; 25% or even 50% capacity is fatal to the chances of most of these businesses’ survival. If you allow businesses to reopen at full capacity, the gas tax revenue problem will be solved.

Employees driving to work and having money to spend would be a great boost to the economy. Everyone would have places they could go to, using their vehicles and spending money.

Trucks having to pay a toll to go over our bridges will raise the prices on the goods they transport.

This will hit the public twice, once for the tolls and once for the rise in prices on everything.

These bridges were built when the price of gas was less than the tax we now pay on gas. Vehicle registration was a fraction of what the costs are today. Fiscal responsibility is needed to resolve this ongoing problem.

Vince Poteste, Southwest Greensburg

Trump is not going away

In response to Molly Miesse Miller’s letter “Senators, representatives must stop supporting Trump”, I would point out Republican politicians merely are following the desires and wishes of their Republican constituents such as myself and millions of others who still wholeheartedly support President Trump and his policies.

I’ve got news for you: Trump is not going away. He will either be the Republican nominee in 2024, or the candidate he endorses will be the nominee. We are not going back to establishment-backed RINOs like Mitt Romney.

The reason is simple: Trump’s policies overwhelmingly benefited the vast majority of Americans. He was cruising to reelection until the covid plague hit the world, which the left and mainstream media used to prop up Joe Biden and somehow push him over the finish line.

I judge presidents by their accomplishments and not their rhetoric or morals or lack thereof. By all accounts, Jimmy Carter was a very moral person, but he was the worst president of my lifetime. In my opinion, Trump accomplished more in four years than any of his recent predecessors and was the most conservative and effective Republican president since Ronald Reagan, and this country would have been a lot better off had he been reelected.

Jeff Hoener, Swissvale

Covid-positive immigrants allowed into U.S.

It is disturbing that on Feb. 28, 108 illegal immigrants who tested positive for covid-19 were released into our country by the Biden administration.

This irrational action occurred, after we, U.S. citizens, during the last year have been locked down for months at a time. Further, our government has spent trillions of our grandchildren’s future money as stimulus; pharmaceutical companies spent billions of dollars developing three vaccines.

Sadly, more than 500,000 fellow citizens lost their lives from covid-19 virus. Tragically, family members could not visit their dying relatives in hospitals and nursing homes.

For many of our young ones, this past year’s school experience has been dismal. Our kids need to be in school.

Thousands of small businesses have been devastated, many driven out of business permanently. The result — employees who made a living from these businesses, like restaurant and other service-industry workers, are now losing money for rent, houses and feeding their families.

Under the Trump administration, we had control of our borders. President Trump’s policy of making asylum- seekers wait in Mexico until they could have a court hearing was rational and sound.

Now our borders are in disarray. The Biden administration irresponsibly released illegals who are potential superspreaders all around our country — while implementing a nationwide mask mandate.

Anthony T. McGartland, Murrysville

Categories: Letters to the Editor | Opinion