Trump Will Cure Cancer and Alzheimer's--Sure You Will

 

Terre Haute Tribune Star, July 22, 2024

To the Editor:

I’m sure readers very much appreciated Mark Bennett’s Trib Star story, “Vigo’s GOP Delegates, others, assess Trump’s convention address,” July 20-21, 2024.

In these times, it’s more than a little scary to hear how different people hear the same political speech so differently. When possible, try reading the speech.

Vigo Republican Chair, Randy Gentry, seemed to hear, be to tuned into, a Trump speech that was soothing, a quietly delivered “chat,” a father talking to his kids. To him it carried no “wicked political attacks.” Gentry should read the transcript of the speech, reading past the first ten or fifteen minutes worth, taking some time thinking about it, and then report back to the citizens of Vigo County on Trump’s chat, and his “best speech I ever heard” initial evaluation.

Trump’s speech was filled with blood and gore to throw at Biden. (His source seems to be, literally, the movie “Silence of the Lambs”!) Time was spent on stoking fears of Russian subs with atomic weapons in close-by waters (Does he think he can talk to his buddy Putin about this?) and our nation’s skies being open to attack. (Build the dome! Remember build the wall?).

And then he fed the fear of cancer and Alzheimer's, two scourges to which he claims he will quickly find a cure. (No details and no NIH or FDA mentioned. The FDA is on his hit list. He called Dr. Fauci of NIH "a disaster." ) Trump was specific on stopping dementia in its tracks, and I quote: “We're so close to doing something great, but we need a leader that will let it be done. We will not have men playing in women's sports that will end dementia.”

All this and more wrapped in the usual bluster of he himself being the solution, the only solution, to what ails the United States in 2024. These ailments, of course, never touched us back in the day of MAGA’s “Great Again” chronology. (And just what “Again” day was that?).

A recent cartoon about the former president and convicted felon’s ninety-three minute speech gets it right. It pictures Trump operatives listening to the speech just off stage. They are showing relief, they happily agree, "The first few minutes were coherent, but he recovered nicely."

Gary Daily

Terre Haute, Indiana

On Acts of God . . . and editors

[Submitted but not published. I wonder why.]

Terre Haute Tribune Star,  July 15, 2024

To the Editor: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson stated it plainly: “GOD protected President Trump yesterday.” Republican’s, assigning themselves the role of privileged messenger’s of god’s hand and intentions, echo this in varied forms. We’re all thankful Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for President of the United States will not be a statistic in the deaths column of the Gun Violence Archive. This respected source reports guns in America have rung up 372 deaths and 912 injuries over the past week (July 4-10) and 31,345 deaths and 58,714 injuries over the past year. Donald Trump’s bleeding ear qualifies to be entered in the gun injuries column. Are any of us prepared to say, with full assurance and conviction, this is god’s work? The sad reality of the day (I’m writing this on 14 July.) is that one person at the Trump rally did die. Corey Comperatore, former fire chief and father of two daughters was killed. David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were critically injured. Given the waist deep volume of guns in this country and the penchant for violence in our culture, the gun caused death and injury toll is increasing as you read this letter. Is this god’s work? Trump’s wound and escape will be much talked about at the Republican Convention coming up this week. We can be certain screens and print media will be filled with the image of a bleeding Trump, looking for his shoes and raising his fist while being helped off the stage. Behind the on-stage turmoil, a U. S. flag framed by a blue sky stands tall. Are we supposed to believe a Republican god staged this? At the convention, you will hear speeches and on camera comments quoting all of this–the miracle ear nick wound, the fist wave, the flag proudly flying. Though nothing much about those shoes. All this and more will be presented as an Act of God. God working for Donald Trump to save America. Are we supposed to believe the Republican Party, and only the Republican Party, has the Almighty on speed dial? Yet, with grave seriousness, they will be telling us the Trump University scam artist, the man found guilty of sexually assaulting a former Indiana University cheerleader, a 34 times convicted felon, the unembarrassed Bible salesman is god’s candidate and should be yours. OMG (and yours), let us pray. Gary Daily

Debates are Performances, Not How Presidents Work

Terre Haute Tribune Star, Jume 28, 2024

To the Editor:

The not-so Great debate. 10 point scale: Biden 5, Trump 2.

So everyone has a first take, a hot response to the debate. I do. It starts in the form of a question.

Should we be more depressed about Biden's optics and delivery of basic truths and information about his policies or about Trump's lies and total avoidance of many of the questions he was asked?

Every time Biden started his 1, 2, 3 point answers, forget the sound of his voice, you either learned something or you could nod in agreement because of your experience or study of the subject.

Every time Trump avoided answering the question put to him and called Biden the worst and our nation a disaster you either said to yourself, "Well that's not true. He made that up." Or, "Who the hey does this guy think he is? He can't even say something in general supporting working mothers who can't afford child care!?"

In general, debates are a really poor indicator of who to vote for. Debates are performances. They're about optics (the look) and audio (the sound) of candidates responding, off the cuff, without the aid of policy advisors or notes, to some good and some bad questions.

But I shouldn't be so hard on Trump, after all he did tell us (again) how he's won two golf club championships. Though many who have played with him say his scorecards are "rigged,"

Gary Daily

Trump Loses to the People -- 408 - 0!

 Terre Haute Tribune Star, June 12, 2024

To the Editor:

Hunter Biden: Guilty.

Father of the convicted, President Joseph Biden: “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.” And when asked if he would ever pardon for his only son, Biden tersely replied, “No.”

Donald J. Trump: Guilty.

Former President, convicted felon, Donald Trump’s response: The judge is corrupt, the jury was biased, the trial was rigged. On pardons, the record shows with only hours to go before leaving office, President Donald Trump pardoned 74 people and commuted the sentences of 70 others. Many of these were his close associates in politics and business.

Look closely at the Trump trial and verdict.

408-0! That’s twelve jurors times thirty-four unanimous guilty verdicts.

This is the score American justice rang up against United States citizen Donald J. Trump on May 30, 2024. Donald J. Trump, as with all citizens, had full legal representation (very high priced in his case) in an American court of law. The result: 34 indictments. 34 guilty verdicts.

This picture is clear and overwhelming. Not one juror (and one is all it takes to acquit) hearing the evidence, thinking about it, discussing it with fellow jurors, could see, hear, “feel” anything to lead them to casting a not guilty verdict in any of the 34 cases presented to them.

Twelve jurors. Thirty-four unanimous guilty verdicts. 408-0.

Donald J. Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records to cover up actions he took that may have changed the results of the 2016 presidential election. His manipulations were discovered, investigated, found to be illegal under the law. Citizen Donald J. Trump was charged with felony crimes, he was tried under the law, he was found guilty by a jury of his peers.

Twelve jurors. Thirty-four crimes. Thirty-four unanimous guilty verdicts. 408-0.

Where does this leave convicted felon, Donald J. Trump?

He asks us to believe his staged, angry, desperate lies. He sneers at American justice: calling it “rigged.” The jury pool which his lawyers carefully vetted: “rigged.” The highly qualified and infinitely patient judge: “rigged.” Thirty-four felony indictments: “rigged.” The twelve jurors from all walks of life and varied experiences in life: “rigged.” Thirty-four guilty verdicts: “rigged.” 408-0, “rigged.”

This is how convicted felon Donald J. Trump and his cowed minions in Congress have reacted to the justice served up in an American court of law.

The question remaining: What will thinking, believers in law and order, Republican voters do in election 2024?

Gary Daily