Robert Mueller will challenge Donald Trump's 'no collusion' claim: Readers sound off

Mueller will challenge 'no collusion' claim

Letter to the editor:

In his statement on Russian interference during the 2016 election, special counsel Robert Mueller said he “would not go beyond our report.” Now, he will testify before Congress on July 17.

Although the report states the investigation didn’t find evidence of conspiracy from the Trump campaign, Russian interference was seemingly rampant. As reported by The New York Times, 140 contacts existed between Trump’s team, Russians and WikiLeaks.

Among the possible obstructions of justice, one stands out: Donald Trump’s attempt to fire Mueller. In 2017, Trump allegedly called then-White House counsel Don McGahn and “directed him to have the special counsel removed,” according to Mueller’s report. Trump denied the account, suggesting McGahn lied under oath.

Mueller’s testimony may not be the silver bullet Democrats want, but it will shoot holes in the false narrative of “no collusion, no obstruction.”

Jim Paladino; Tampa, Fla.

Harvard revokes Kashuv acceptance, prompts debate

Harvard University revoked former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Kyle Kashuv’s admission on the basis of past racial slurs made online.

Letter to the editor:

In Larry Strauss’ June 20 column, “Harvard should have stuck with Kashuv. We can’t educate only students who need us least,” he suggests Harvard is a lower quality university because of its rescission. His premise is off-base. It isn’t Harvard’s job to teach basic morality, just as it isn’t its job to teach basic arithmetic. When my children attend college, I expect they will be among peers with basic morals and prosocial skills, much like I expect their classmates will be able to read and write. A racial bigot doesn’t deserve to learn how to treat people of color with human dignity on my children’s time.

Harvard passed the test: Harvard right to dump Kyle Kashuv for racist remarks: Today's talker

Harvard doesn’t owe Kashuv anything, nor do his peers of color. It’s a ruthless oversimplification to make this into an acceptance of different values.

Corinne Fiagome; Mansfield, Texas

Letter to the editor:

Originally I considered both sides of the matter, until I read Strauss’ article. As an educator, I agree with his closing statement, that by rescinding Kashuv’s admission, Harvard isn’t among the world’s best educators. How do we educate someone if we turn people away?

Those on the correct path don’t need the same help that a brilliant Harvard educator could offer.

College is more than just what we learn intellectually. This young man needed the chance to grow in other ways, and Harvard has robbed him of that opportunity. I, too, find it a shame.

Suretta Bronstein Must; Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Slavery built America: Pay reparations

Letters to the Editor:

America was built on slavery. It helped create the white middle class, as companies profited off the slave trade.

Yet it’s clear that Republican leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is against reparations for the atrocities perpetrated on descendants, some of whom are their constituents. Although no living white person is responsible for slavery, they all have benefited, just as all living black people wear the scars of slavery.

By dismissing reparations, Republicans show they don’t intend to be on the right side of history. As the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’ But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.”

William J. Booker; University Park, Ill.

Reparations debate: We need a debate over reparations until inequality is no longer with us: Today's talker

Letter to the editor:

Questions remain about reparations. First, will future generations of slave descendants receive reparations? If not, why? Is it only the current generation of living slave descendants who will receive reparation? Do our leaders think money will magically fix the long-lasting handicaps that have been put on African Americans?

Reparations key to ending inequality?: How to shrink the wealth gap for minorities and everyone else while we study reparations

Second, thousands of Union soldiers, of various backgrounds, died in order to end slavery. With so many soldiers from the North dying, in addition to those suffering from postwar casualties and diseases, families were struck with economic challenges. Should their descendants receive compensation, too?

It’s easy to look at this issue and think money will fix it. There must be a better answer.

Greg Bachmann; Parker, Ariz.

Supreme Court undermines transparency

Letter to the editor:

Monday’s Supreme Court ruling expanded the classification of “confidential,” a bad direction for transparency and accountability. The Freedom of Information Act, which allows people to request government documents, holds public officials accountable.

The ruling increases secrecy through, as Justice Neil Gorsuch writes, “assurance of privacy” for private businesses that give records to the government. The government can keep these documents confidential. For now, public records are open to request, but this ruling may limit their accessibility. This is a step backwards for transparency when Americans are demanding more.

Bill Miller; Las Vegas

Opposing view: Gerrymandering ruling a constitutional victory

Photo of border deaths fuels continued disagreement on immigration policy

Salvadoran migrant Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his 23-month-old daughter, Valeria, drowned attempting to cross the Rio Grande near Matamoros, Mexico on Monday.

Letter to the editor:

No one is for open, insecure borders, but we can provide a humane process for these innocent people while they’re vetted, and granted or denied entry.

I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. I’m an American, a citizen of a country that I believe uplifts people so that we may have the opportunities of freedom. I hope we continue to be a beacon of light, the hope that Martínez sought for his family. Have we become so ungodly that we can’t speak up for what is right? Our inaction did this to migrants. We are the monsters! Our country has reached a moral crossroad. Speak up now!

Latham Staples; La Jolla, Calif.

Letter to the editor:

Desperate people will do desperate things, seen in the gut-wrenching photo. Parents shouldn’t risk their or their children’s lives. As loved ones grieve, let’s hope this doesn’t happen again.

JoAnn Lee Frank; Clearwater, Fla.

The importance of the photo: Why we must look at the photo of a drowned migrant father and daughter: Today's talker

Letter to the editor:

I am perplexed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asking President Donald Trump to withhold action on the deportation of illegal immigrants. She has said, “No one is above the law.”

She now appears to do just that. I’m not looking for emotional verbiage; why won’t our leaders follow the laws?

Tom Tyschper; Gilbert, Ariz.

Letter to the editor:

The washed out bodies of father and little daughter face down floating on the banks of the Rio Grande, with empty beer cans littered on the side, speak volumes about the ‘ebbing banks of humanity and compassion on the American side.

Why we published the photo: Photos of drowned father and daughter are gut-wrenching. Why we decided to publish them.

I can visualize drops of tears rolling down from the Statue of Liberty and flooding its pedestal with the iconic inscription that defines the spirit of America. How ironic that the "golden door" inscribed on Lady Liberty has now been replaced by a shut door.

If letting America be an open sanctuary is not the way to address this humanitarian catastrophe, the least we can do is deal with the migrant issue with a measure of compassion and care.The rest will be a part of the world’s history, perhaps a dark chapter in this unfolding and unprecedented border crisis.

Atul M. Karnik; Woodside, NY

What people want to hear at the first Democratic debates

Tweets to the editor:

I want to know each candidate's plan for doing two things: shutting down the detention centers at the border and reestablishing and enforcing anti-corruption norms in the government.

@MichaelArtz

I'm looking for sound progressive policies and a clear plan to defeat President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

@akobilarov

I want to know what unilateral actions a potential president is willing to take to curb climate change, as I don’t trust Congress to move fast enough unless there is a shift in Senate control. I would also like a commitment to take marijuana off Schedule 1 status

@iamScottInman

I'm hoping we narrow the field to 10 candidates or less. Sheesh!

@ThePattyB

Debate hopes: What people want to hear at the first Democratic debates: Readers sound off

I want debates to not occur 17 months before the election, but I'm used to never getting my way politically.

@LanceStorm6

I'm looking for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Vice President Joe Biden to stumble in comparison to the brighter stars on stage, so they can finally move out of the way to allow for real change and leadership.

@BetterGop

I am looking forward to hearing actual policy talk from someone other than Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., or Sanders.

@bemusedchunk

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert Mueller will challenge Donald Trump's 'no collusion' claim: Readers sound off