Letters to the Editor: Readers weigh in about Trump, diet and the environment

Blunt’s legacy of silence

It’s hard to miss the trend of naming things after Roy Blunt. A building here, a program there, I half expect the university just north to become Southwest Blunt. It’s all well-meaning but I have a cautionary tale for those who want to jump on this particular bandwagon. For those who already have, I’d keep the steel wool and Kilz handy.

History is coming for Roy and all of the others who, quite literally, stood behind an ignorant, horrible person and failed to speak out in protest. Blunt, John Thune, Mitch, Billy Long, everyone who failed to step up each and every time this man said something horrible or did something worse will be judged harshly by the generations to come.

Roy, Democrats are not vermin, pedophiles, or groomers. Immigrants are not “poisoning our blood.” Your decision to stand idly by and say nothing makes you guilty of the same moral turpitude as the so-called leader of your party. Do you laugh when he calls Haley “birdbrain” or do you cringe? Say something.

Your stated reason for voting to acquit in the second impeachment is risible and history will find it so. The point was not to punish someone who was no longer in office but to ensure that a person who had no business being in the nation’s highest office in the first place could never return.

A free press is the backbone of our democracy and since you have said nothing when it’s called “the enemy of the people” you are contributing to democracy’s decline.

You know that the election of 2020 was not stolen and that there was no widespread voter fraud. You know that is the truth. You have been very quiet each and every time the former president has claimed otherwise. Your vote to certify the 2020 election does nothing to absolve you from the duty to take a stand against those who did not. You knew they were wrong to do so then and you know it now, and yet you have said nothing. It’s time to call out Hawley, Cruz, Long, and all the rest who tried to upend democracy.

We have reached a tipping point. It’s way, way past time for you to gather the courage to speak out in defense of democracy and against those who try to cling to power by limiting its free expression.

History’s judgment will be scathing and unrelenting. You still have time to make a difference for the country you claim to love. But not a lot of time.

Chuck McDaniel, Battlefield

Protecting the environment means giving up meat, dairy

An important piece of the animal manure pollution problem is the standard American diet, which is heavy on animal products. This causes not only water pollution, but also land and air pollution as well as obesity and increased disease in the human body.

The officially recommended Canadian food plate, which was developed based on scientific research without commercial/industrial influence, recommends that meat and dairy products become an incidental, even unnecessary, condiment rather than a main course. The booming whole food, plant-based vegan diet is rich in nutrition and scientifically proves that it provides sufficient protein and calcium and it slims and greatly protects the human body against chronic disease. Removing most animal products would change land use from immense acres now used for grazing and animal feed crops to available land for growing food for humans and for reforesting, which could provide major carbon sequestration, a significant help to counter climate change.

The free YouTube documentaries, “Eating Our Way to Extinction” and “Forks Over Knives” are highly recommended on this issue.

Linda Green, Columbia

Trump's ego is not a viable political platform

I do solemnly swear to uphold the Constitution ... unless, I decide not to. Donald Trump has coveted Joe Biden’s presidency from day one. He is trying to command Congressional proceedings from outside of office. Ask yourself why would a person that cares about America and the people of this country try to keep lawmakers from reaching a consensus on how to proceed with the border crisis? Trump tells his rally attendees, it’s a bad plan. It is a bipartisan plan, it might benefit Biden’s credibility, but it benefits America.

Trump’s behavior speaks volumes about his character. He is not someone who respects or values others. He tells his followers that Democrats and Biden are persecuting him. The lawsuit in Colorado was brought by Republicans. His civil suit indictments were determined by bipartisan juries. He is being held accountable by the laws of our country, not by his political opponents. He broke the law.

More upsetting is the behavior of our elected GOP members in Congress. They swore an oath before God and man to uphold the Constitution of the United States. I don’t believe allegiance to Donald Trump was mentioned anywhere in that oath. Do they not have the guts to stand on their own moral values?

Donald Trump is bad for this country. He is not a savior. He has caused more damage with his divisive speech than anyone before him. What will it take to convince his passionate followers that what they want is not good for anyone but Donald? Yes, we have problems that must be solved, like inflation and the border. We need to put our heads together and work on solving those issues.

I have news for those who believe that God is on their side: God is neither Democrat nor Republican, God loves humanity.

Norma Salchow, Springfield

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Letters to the Editor: Readers talk Trump, diet and the environment