‘Quiet, piggy’: President’s words show how far we have deteriorated | Opinion

‘Quiet, piggy’

Where is the outrage? The president of the United States calls a reporter “piggy” because he doesn’t like a question, and the White House justifies it.

Our country has deteriorated into a school playground controlled by a bully. Clearly this administration is in desperate need of adult supervision. It is shameful!

Gregory Stock, Meridian

Words matter

The White House press secretary justified the president calling a female reporter “Piggy.” “Look, the president is very frank and honest with everyone in this room.”

The president has also suggested certain members of Congress should be executed because of “seditious behavior.” Was this just another instance of the president being “very frank and honest,” and thus no harm done, no foul?

Mary Feeny, Boise

Horrors of fascism

Rather than wasting time and energy on a toothless resolution decrying the horrors of socialism (maybe compare Venezuela to Norway or Sweden), Simpson and his GOP cronies could better serve the American people if they would highlight and push back against the horrors of the fascist regime that is the Trump administration.

Walt Gammill, Boise

Socialism

I write to concur with the Statesman’s editorial position on socialism. It is not the boogeyman. It is not communism. And it is not Marxism. However, like capitalism, and like both communism and Marxism, it is a way to organize economic and political activity. Tyrants like Mao Zedong and Josef Stalin are not the systems in whose names they claim to act, any more than terrorists acting in the name of a religion are the same thing as that religion. And Americans who fail to understand that difference betray both ignorance and prejudice, telling us more about themselves than about the ideas they condemn. It’s high time we all started remembering how to be tolerant and charitable toward those whose beliefs are different from ours.

Charles Yates, Caldwell

Simpson’s priorities

Dear Mike Simpson,

Your last newsletter and poll addressing socialism was quite frankly ridiculous. What kind of false flag are flying? You never addressed the real issues facing our nation currently, such as the nearly 5 million people set to lose health care coverage from the ACA subsidies expiring and the subsequently skyrocketing cost of health insurance premiums for the rest of us due to your Big Beautiful Bill. You never mentioned the Epstein Files, even though you only voted “yes” after voting “no” most of the time, since now the main parts of the Files will be locked up in a current investigation. How convenient!

But I’ll play along with your socialism theme. I can think of multiple current first world nations that are social democracies—capitalist governments with socialist policies. Such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany. These governments function as capitalism but provide their citizens free healthcare, paid vacation per year, paid family leave. That type of government sounds pretty great to me. It strikes me as confounding and disingenuous that you didn’t seem to attack fascism or authoritarianism as destructive forms of government—the forms of government you seem to support for America to become.

Alisa Rettschlag, Boise

Venezuela

In case anyone is asleep at the wheel (of good and constitutional governance), take a moment to assess what the Trump cabal is currently doing in the Pacific/Southern Hemisphere. Under the guise of drug trafficking it is but a dress rehearsal for what Mr. Trump wants, and will do, to confiscate Greenland. This is a drill. What Trump and his administration can and will get away with now is only a step away from what he/they will do next. The Supreme Court as it was designed to do is no longer in existence. Today this. Tomorrow, that. Make America think again. Critical thinking is the only way out of this swamp.

Jeanie Lynn, Nampa

Moscow

I’ve lived in Moscow, Idaho, for over 50 years and have observed how the anti-Christ Church worm turns, so it is with much gratitude I compliment Bryan Clark on his recent piece covering city elections. His article was informative and painted a clear, accurate picture of the reality in our community. It is possibly the best article I’ve seen written so far on this election and the local controversy.

Moscow will continue to elect genuine communitarians and refuse “Kirker” affiliated candidates whose mission it is to promote their closed-minded agenda melded with a perversion of spiritual teaching antithetical to the will of the majority of townspeople. I hope The Statesman will publish more articles on the broad, interesting array of civic-minded individuals and groups in Moscow, and how these good people build real community.

Marilyn Beckett, Moscow

Christian nationalism

Hiding behind an alleged independent opinion piece on Nov. 11 regarding Christian nationalism, the Idaho Statesman projected the usual level of misinformation and hate we have come to expect as Democrats spend millions in hopes of flipping Idaho to blue.

Moscow, the vicious blue dot in north Idaho, due primarily to the number of left wing university employees in the vicinity, is the setting of the Statesman’s 758-word hate screed, so let’s review within the 200-word rebuttal we’re offered:

For over 400 years, Christianity has been spreading the Gospel of Jesus across these United States of America. The “good news” is the message that through faith in Jesus, people can be reconciled to God and receive life among the walking dead. Sharing the Gospel is the way to hope, forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. There’s nothing new about this reality, not even in little old Moscow.

The fruit of 400 years is that our national and local laws are rooted distinctly in Judeo-Christian values. For example, you don’t get to murder your neighbor, rape them, or steal from their possessions…these are a tremendous value and benefit to all in our Republic.

Do better, Idaho Statesman.

John Wright, Moscow