Letters: 'Depressing cycle of blind partisanship' threatens America

In our country’s analysis of whether President Trump’s conduct merits impeachment by the House and conviction and removal by the Senate, it has to be asked whether Republican politicians are applying the same standard as they would to Hillary Clinton had she been elected? While the question could be generically phrased as “a Democratic president,” it's most helpful to choose a Democratic politician that most closely approximates the visceral, negative feelings in partisan Republicans that Trump conjures in partisan Democrats. The answer to anyone with a shred of objectivity is “no.”

Republicans have had to become contortionists to defend Trump’s conduct. First, the talking point was there no quid pro quo. Now, with the quid pro quo apparently established, the Republican defense has morphed into a subjective standard that necessitates a corrupt intent behind the quid pro quo. Since the Republican Senate will adjudicate Trump’s conduct, it’s a foregone conclusion that the newly devised subjective standard won’t be met.

The hypocrisy that blind partisanship demands is not unique to the impeachment debate. Another example can be found in the Tea Party faction. Tea Party Republicans were swept into power by opposing Democratic deficit spending and decrying the dangers of the spiraling national debt. With Trump’s election, the truth of the Tea Party faction has been reveal — it was a partisan scam, lacking any intellectual honesty. The Tea Party hasn’t uttered a peep as the deficit has increased by 50% under Trump and the ballooned to nearly $1 trillion in 2019. 

To be sure, there are corollary examples of hypocrisy to be found within Democratic politicians and movements. But, that’s precisely the problem. The national interest has become subservient to our factional interests — we’re either team Republican or team Democratic. Listen to our politicians’ rhetoric whether they be red or blue — the opposing party and its followers are evil, unpatriotic, they “hate our country.” As a nation we buy into our team’s messaging, reinforced by the echo chambers of MSNBC and Fox, dismissing anything contrary, whether fact or opinion, as fake news. Politicians so desperately want their team to win, they’ll say anything, no matter how fine the hair that needs split to reconcile past statements.

Is our nation sustainable when its citizens are cheering only for their chosen team and our political players’ overriding aim is to subjugate their opposition? If we continue this depressing cycle of blind partisanship the only logical end is a declaration that our national union, like a marriage, is irretrievably broken and start dividing the pots and pans. The present question is whether there are a sufficient number of politicians whose devotion to country supersedes that of party. There’s little reason for optimism.

Andrew Miller

Logansport

Hogsett's budget demonstrates desire to improve Indy

I was so glad to read IndyStar’s article, “Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett's $1.2 billion budget sails through with little discussion.” The city council approved the third consecutive balanced budget since Hogsett took office.

Before Hogsett took office in 2016, the city was in an economic deficit and past budget proposals included significant cuts in areas such as public works. The mayor has been able to accomplish much more in his four-year term than those in the past have in consecutive terms and it shows in our city.

Hogsett’s budget is a huge win for our city’s residents and communities. Hogsett has an unmatched record of prioritizing our city over partisan politics. The bipartisan vote for the 2020 budget as well as the emphasis on roads, public safety and neighborhood investment highlights a strength in the mayor’s leadership and his commitment to bettering our city.

Jerry Melvin

Indianapolis

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Soften hearts and see each other as human beings

I had a thought today as I listened to the news about all the anger and hurt that is prevalent in the world. What if like on Halloween we could all take our masks off and no matter who we are, instead of seeing gender, skin color, size, dress, adornments, eye color, etc., we could see another human being who like us needs love, kindness, nourishment and most of all, understanding.

Maybe instead of wearing contacts to help our sight, we could have lenses that would soften our hearts and hide all the above that colors all the people we meet.

K. Jane Adcock

Plainfield

Growing federal deficit could have dire consequences  

Starting in the 1970s, a new reality began emerging in America. This reality concerned politicians and what it takes to be elected to the U.S. Congress and as president.

In the 1970s, it slowly became increasingly difficult for fiscally conservative political candidates to be elected. It was as though the entire American populace decided it wanted to enjoy prosperity by handing future generations of Americans ever increasing amounts of debt every year. Consequently, all politicians were forced to become less respectful to the goal of maintaining a balanced federal budget in order to be electable. This development applied to Republicans and Democrats alike.

At this time, it is beginning to appear that the government can never again balance the federal budget. The current  unreasonable expectations of the electorate dictate to all politicians to either have the federal government borrow large and growing magnitudes of wealth every year or leave office.

Countries do self destruct because of this problem. In recent time, Greece did so. I believe all Latin American countries have been harshly affected by this problem as well. Democratic countries can lose control of their public finances and eventually experience a form of bankruptcy as a consequence.

I believe Americans should be made aware that  no country's government has ever proven it possible to borrow substantial wealth every year on a never ending basis.

Joe Kinney

Danville

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Exotic snakes pose deadly threat to Hoosiers 

Reticulated pythons and other giant constrictor snakes have the ability and the instincts to inflict serious bodily harm and even death, as we saw last week when an Oxford woman was tragically killed by one of these snakes. This is the second python-related death in Indiana, and it is fair to conclude that the state has an exotic snake problem.

Reptile dealers peddle high maintenance lethal predators to unqualified people at flea markets, reptile shows, and over the Internet. These animals have complex needs and are much too dangerous to be kept as pets.

These snakes are escape artists and when they get loose, they pose a threat to people, pets, and wildlife as well as law enforcement. Our state legislators need to take action to ensure that no one in Indiana is ever harmed by one of these snakes again.

Erin Huang

Indianapolis

Stem violence by teaching morals, respect for life

The violence that continues to plague our city, state and nation will continue until people start taking personal responsibility. It isn't always someone else's fault. If you choose to pull the trigger, stab someone or assault them, you are the problem — not the system, not society. The motive behind most violent acts can be narrowed to three primary areas: greed, a perceived need for revenge and jealousy. When people make the choice to act out violently, others tend to respond violently. We need to continue teaching respect for life, respect for property and taking responsibility for our own lives, instead of expecting others to financially support us while struggling themselves. That armed robbery or home invasion may be an easy path to wealth but it is ultimately a dead end —.sometimes literally. We need to do better at teaching morals and right from wrong. Violence is a problem with the heart as much as it is access to the weapon.

David Lannan 

Indianapolis

America needs to elect a president with political experience 

Because some folks dislike the government, they immediately want a president without political experience. Isn't this Pied Piper syndrome? When did that work? Who knows history? President Ulysses S. Grant had no political experience and his administration was among the most corrupt, even if he was personally honest.

Prior political experience gives clues to one's honesty and capability. What honesty and true capability did today's president, with zero such experience and now facing impeachment, show ere inauguration? Why wasn't he a governor, senator or something? Folks must stop picking a total outsider. And President Trump's prior career should give clues; neither he — let's not forget the bone spurs — nor any son served a day in the military. He also violated anti-segregation laws. Whenever you see him hug the flag, recall these facts. 

Then we have the constant lies, insatiable greed, and his wish to have only sycophants like Attorney General William Barr who lied massively on the Mueller Report and sees his job as solely to protect Trump. Who trusts one like Barr or other members of the Trump cadre? Why can't we have a truthful administration? Ask your GOP senator.   

Donald P. Minassian

Indianapolis

Mitigate climate change by planting a tree in Indiana

Trees are a vital part of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Forests are arguably the most efficient way to combat rising CO2 levels. Thus, to mitigate climate change, plant a tree. Currently, the planet loses about 10 billion trees per year.

According to CNN, Ethiopia planted 350 million trees in 12 hours this year. How could so many be planted? There were 23 million volunteers. Indiana has no state plans to plant trees on any significant scale.

I propose that we pass a law that says that for every tree logged in woodlots over 2 acres, a replacement must be planted, whether it is in private hands or state-owned. There must be a pre-paid fee for a state inspection post-logging to ensure the new trees are in place. Furthermore, I propose that Indiana initiates a program to plant one million trees.

Norman Holly

Bloomington

Braun owes answers to 'the people of Indiana'

About a month ago, I wrote a letter to Sens. Mike Braun and Todd Young, demanding their cooperation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment inquiry. I wrote this letter because I was deeply disturbed by President Trump’s statement that those who cooperated with the whistleblower‘s complaint about his phone call with the president of the Ukraine should be treated as spies against this country.

On Sept. 30, Braun replied to my letter stating, “I was elected by the people of Indiana to support President Trump in his efforts to change business as usual in Washington, D.C. That is what I intend to continue to do as your United States Senator.” Unfortunately, Young has yet to reply.

Since our last correspondence, both William B. Taylor (the current chargé d'affaires of the Ukraine Embassy and a Vietnam veteran) and Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman (a top Ukraine expert for the National Security Council, Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient) have testified in Pelosi’s impeachment inquiry. Both men have testified about their concerns that Trump was attempting to force the new president of Ukraine to initiate an investigation of Joe Biden in order to receive aid that was already appropriated by Congress. Both men have corroborated the whistleblower’s complaint. They have also added details about Trump’s initiatives leading up to the phone call.

I'm wondering if Braun could tell us, the people of Indiana, if he believes that both Taylor and Vindman represent the swamp in Washington that Trump is attempting to drain?

Tom Atwell

Indianapolis

NFL's 'suppression of dissent' is antithesis of American flag 

A little over a year ago, the magazine The New Yorker featured a cover that showed Colin Kaepernick, Michael Bennett, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. kneeling in protest. While the origins of this protest were to draw attention to the racial injustices inherent in America’s legal system, it also caused me to realize that, for far too many years, I had been wasting valuable time and money supporting a league controlled by a cabal of racists who follow the familiar theme of exploiting African Americans for their physical labor, while denying them a voice.

So when I read how the Dallas Cowboys were reporting that Bennett would now stand for the anthem, I remembered the Supreme Court’s thoughts, in the case of West Virginia vs. Barnette, about the vacuity of “compulsory patriotism”: “Words uttered under coercion are proof of loyalty to nothing but self-interest.”

Ironically, Bennett might be the first person to accomplish a physical impossibility —kneeling by standing, because by standing for the anthem, he is kneeling before a man and an organization whose plantation mentality and suppression of dissent is the antithesis of everything the flag stands for.

David R. Hoffman

South Bend