Letters to the editor: Trump, TV ads, climate, open-mindedness, nuclear waste

Donald Trump

I must reply to Jim Franklin’s Nov. 21 angry attack on all Trump supporters. Jim insinuates that Trump supporters condone hatred. Yet Jim obviously hates all those who do not agree with him. Jim goes further to state that any American who does not possess an advanced education is “really stupid.” This discrimination against many successful and caring persons is sickening. I spent 30 years as a manufacturing engineer while possessing only two undergraduate degrees. I now own a successful business in Boise which on a daily basis reaches out to help our neighbors in need. Ethnic affiliation of our customers plays no role when compassion is in order. I was once told that until I completed a four year degree that I could never be in the position that I currently am in. Jim, I do not hate anyone. Being classified as stupid and hateful is insulting. And Jim, I wish that you could be more tolerant towards your fellow Americans. Extremists on both sides of the isle are those who say that our county is in trouble. I disagree. Jim, is it not your type of hatred which may be fueling the divisions in our wonderful country?

TV ads

OK. I’m going to burn a letter to the Statesman just to get this off my chest: What is it with the TV advertising agencies who insist on showing, in darn near every other TV commercial, a bunch of otherwise normal American people dancing in their homes or on their local streets or in the latest mall-store-going-bankrupt? Really?

With the possible exception of some drug-fueled downtown discotheques — nobody in middle America is dancing in their homes, backyards, streets or local malls these days.

Instead, we’re all trying our hardest to deal with the incoherent rantings of a corrupt, unhinged megalomaniac that somehow got elected to lead this great country. And the considerable damage that is being wrought by his sycophants — just to stroke his ego.

As much as some people would like it to be true again, this ain’t the ’50s folks. And our task to make things right in America is not quite finished yet. We need to stay vigilant and keep working to make our voices for humanity, our Constitution and the environment heard loud and clear in the next election cycle. And that, my friends, will be a reason to dance.

Climate change

The 4th National Climate Assessment Report has had Statesman headline coverage twice now, Nov. 20th and 24th (25th?). Despite the report’s “excessive” overreach and use of “could” triple frequency of fires, result in “MEGA” droughts, more heatwave deaths, et al, I would remind the readers that this group has yet to be right. I remind you that CO2 has far more benefits than negatives such as the increased greening of the Earth with less than 4 percent of vegetated land suffering from plant loss. That actually can slow the pace of warming. (Ref. 33 years Satellite via the Modis and AVHRR instruments it carries.) I would also remind you that Global Temperatures have been flat for the last 18 to 20 years while Global CO2 continues to rise slightly. CO2 is not a pollutant and is essential to life, nor does Global CO2 drive Global Temperature, but “lags” Global Temp. Not a single scientist on the planet can or has ever refuted that comment. Archaeological and ice core studies (e.g. Vostok) have proven beyond doubt Global temperature “leads” Global CO2. As long as scientific “group think” exists, they’ll get it wrong.

Open-minded

A response to “Typical liberal thinking,” letter published Nov. 30:

“In very typical liberal progressive non open-minded thinking Mr. Gironda wants to blame Donald Trump for the sick bomber ....” I would like to point out the Merriam-Webster definition of “open-minded” or the equivalent meanings. Synonyms are listed as broad-minded, liberal, nonconventional, nonorthodox, nontraditional, progressive, radical, unconventional, unorthodox. Antonyms are conservative, conventional, hidebound, non-progressive, old-fashioned, orthodox, stodgy and traditional. So the logical result would be more appropriate to say “liberal progressive open-minded thinking.” By definition conservatives cannot say they are “open-minded.” Please find a different word to describe your thought processes. It is very confusing for people who understand the meaning of words

Nuclear waste

Latest nuclear waste plan: Leave it. If you read this headline in the Statesman Sunday, Dec. 2; you now have all the information you need to know why allowing the Department of Energy (DOE) to bring more nuclear waste in to Idaho is a disastrous idea.

You see, when the DOE runs into a problem, or funding is decreased, or for any other reason they can dream up; they just change the rules.

Miss a project deadline? No problem, just move the date out further. Funding gets cut? No problem, just lay-off the people that actually do the work and continue to manage as before. Run into an issue that proves thornier than expected (all nuclear waste issues are thorny)? No problem, just declare that it really isn’t a problem anymore and walk away.

The DOE’s current plan to declare high level waste at Hanford as low level waste and to leave it in place is just the type of heavy handed shenanigans that Idaho needs to avoid. You avoid it by refusing to deal with the devil. Just say ‘no’ to any more nuclear waste to Idaho.