Both parties are too extreme. Biden should drop out and endorse a moderate candidate | Opinion

Both parties are too radical now

Our democracy is careening toward self-destruction. Both political parties have been co-opted by their radical wings. Compromise has ceased; party divisions are growing. Calls for retribution, secession and civil war are increasing. Politicians are expressing fear for their lives.

Radical Democrats are advancing a socialist agenda that prioritizes nonessential initiatives ahead of critical needs. These needs include restoring law and order, and common-sense border policy. Radical Republicans are advancing an autocratic agenda that favors the wealthy, oppresses non-whites and LBGTQ people, deprives women of their right to abortion, and subverts democracy.

Most Americans consider our current and former presidents unfit for the job. They are too old, and they place personal and radical party interests ahead of national unity and democracy. Trump will not abandon his candidacy; it’s his pathway to a self-pardon.

Democrats must convince Biden that his legacy will be positive if he withdraws. Otherwise, he will be remembered with scorn as another Neville Chamberlain who ignored the gravity of the moment.

Biden should endorse a younger, moderate candidate now. Considering the alternatives, the candidate would be acceptable to most independents and moderates in both parties. These groups together cast far more votes than either radical wing.

Russ Treat, Richland

Hunting helps manage game

Dan Paul submitted his opinions on bear hunting. His op-ed leads the reader to conclude that “rich“ people kill bears for trophies and seemingly (are) the only people who hunt bears. Most of the people that I know who hunt bears eat the flesh or give it to friends who eat the meat.

Mr. Paul, as stated, works for the Humane Society. That organization is opposed to all hunting. They will take every opportunity to put a stop to hunting.

Hunting is a tradition that helps maintain game animal populations. Washington state has done all it can to make hunting difficult while encouraging hunting in order to keep license money flowing to Olympia.

Dave Thompson, Kennewick

GOP on Ukraine disgusting

I find the way that Congress is playing politics over support for Ukraine disgusting. Since 1946, we have spent untold billions of dollars for weapon systems to counter the threat of the spread of communism. And overshadowing this are the lives that have been lost in Korea, Vietnam and other “police actions” around the world in the name of stopping the Red Scourge from overrunning the world.

These efforts were mostly undertaken in countries whose people didn’t give a crap about politics. They just wanted people to stop killing their water buffaloes. And now we have the Ukrainians fighting and dying to save their country from the Reds, and a bunch of our politicians want to abandon them. This is embarrassing and disgusting.

Bob Cummings, West Richland

Trump echoing the words of Hitler

I just heard on Fox News (which, by the way, lost the Dominion voting machine scandal with a $787 million judgment) some Republican leaders downplaying Trump’s recent alarming rhetoric that only a dictator like Hitler would give.

“We need to root out communists, Marxists, fascists, and radical left thugs that live like vermin...” and immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

But instead of denouncing his words, the Republican Congress, including our congressman, went to work to try to degrade President Biden by wasting time and taxpayer money to launch an inquiry to determine if he needs to be impeached.

If you love this country, the things coming out of Trump’s mouth should be taken extremely seriously since hate crimes and domestic terrorism are way up since he came into and left office.

This is the same man who has 91 federal felony crimes he is accused of, including trying to overthrow the U.S. government on Jan. 6 and (trying to) steal the election with a fake elector scheme.

Authoritarians like Trump who degrade others, including immigrants, who defraud others by cheating on his income tax and in his businesses, and can’t tell the truth have no business leading our country.

John J. Patrick, Pasco