Tired already of the presidential reality show | Letters
Donald Trump, as the leading Republican, is treating President Joe Biden’s announcement to run for reelection in 2024 as a challenge. I can see it now. From now on until the election, that’s all we are going to hear about. I’m sick of it already. America is going to get all stirred up again over this. It’s going to be "America: The Reality Show" for the next year and a half.
Penny Harris, Kenwood
Distracted driving portrayed as acceptable on TV
Regarding a recent Enquirer article about Ohio’s new law on distracted driving: Unfortunately, the advent of cell phones has caused a lot of distraction, but there are lots of instances of other problems.
One other thing that the state and federal governments could work on is to have the entertainment industry think about how often they show distracted driving. Almost all of the TV shows have the driver talking to their passenger, while that in itself should not be a problem, the bulk of the shows have the driver looking to their right and not at the road ahead. Even shows about police such as "The Rookie" have the officer who is driving looking at the second officer in the passenger seat.
For the young folks who are the future drivers, these shows make this practice seem like an acceptable norm. We need to make sure that being attentive is what is shown in all entertainment.
Stan Shadwell, Pierce Township
Jerry Springer's sense of fun should be remembered
Much appreciation for the full and fair coverage of Jerry Springer's life and times, particularly his years in Cincinnati. One particular event reflects his sense of fun and should be remembered. While mayor, Jerry dressed in full Victorian costume, with wig as a complete disguise, as Madame Ernestine Schumann-Heinke, the popular contralto who performed at the opening program of May Festival in 1878 and graced that stage for many years thereafter. Jerry greeted the guests of the Victorian Society on the occasion of the centennial celebration of Music Hall and until he removed the wig, played the part of the diva. It was the highlight of the celebration.
Lib Stone, Hyde Park
Conservatives must abandon culture wars to win another election
Even though (at least for some of us) it's an admirable position to take, no longer can a pro-life candidate win an election in this country by making that issue the primary staple of their campaign. There are simply too many abortion advocates who make that issue the only one that counts. In fact, it's time for independents and conservatives to abandon all of the "culture war" topics and focus solely on immigration, crime and inflation, issues that still mean something to a majority of Americans and which actually affect our day-to-day living. It's the only way we'll win another election.
Ollie Smith, Edgewood
Corporate America needs to improve poor customer service
When I call the customer service phone number for a corporation, it's because I need to speak to a human to resolve an issue. I do not want to sit and listen to a spiel about how many issues can be resolved by going to that corporation's website. Businesses need to understand that if I could have resolved it that way, I would have already done so.
I question their sincerity about the importance of my call because if these businesses were sincere, I wouldn't be on hold for so long. And why does the first question in their list of options almost always ask if I want to make a payment? That's usually followed by a litany of choices that rarely includes speaking to a live person.
Oh, and about experiencing an unprecedented volume of calls, maybe somebody in corporate should be taking a closer look why so many people are experiencing so many problems in the first place. Or maybe you should just hire a few more people for peak hours. I can only imagine how many hours are wasted on "hold" listening to some scratchy irritating music playing in the background.
Robert Sharkey, West Chester
Play might have shocked the sensibilities of theatre goers
The description of August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" (Enquirer, April 28) in the Rouse Theatre at The Playhouse in the Park was not the same play that I saw.
Seven talented actors each played a role in the complicated description of life in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. While there was very little music during the actual play, each actor played their own "guitar" through conversational exchanges, sometimes loud, sometimes soft. Often these were played directly to the audience in the front row.
Living in a minority subculture of a vibrant Midwest city was expressed in the ethnic dialogue of all seven characters. An angered frustration results in the culminating scream of the eldest: "I ain't no dog!"
The play highlights the joys and sufferings of the folks living together in their neighborhood. Perhaps it even shocked the sensibilities of some the theatre goers?
Thanks to the Rouse Theatre for the presentation of this play.
Terry Toepker, Avondale
Biden planning to run for president from his basement again
As the unofficial mouthpiece of the Democrat Party, The New York Times, in the person of senior writer David Leonhardt, said on April 27 that "strange as it may sound, the American government can function without a healthy president." Instead of pushing Joe Biden to make more public appearances to convince the public that he's healthy enough in mind and body to run for president in 2024, it sounds like the groundwork is already being laid for him to campaign from his basement again. Why not? It worked the last time.
Janice Wilson, Mason
Doctors should be heard, but it's OK to question them too
Listen to doctors! How well did that work out with the COVID-19 pandemic. We listened to the "top" doctors and were not allowed to question them or the government. We ended up with children harmed educationally, mentally and higher suicide rates. Doctors like others should be heard but not necessarily listened to just because they have a title. Doctors like all people have biases that influence their thoughts and decisions.
Peter Ulbrich, Union Township
Our system of crime and punishment is suspect at best
As an attorney for the past 46 years, it seems to me that the May 2 article titled, "Death sentence for boy's killer will be thrown out," can only lead to one of three possible conclusions:
Our justice system is riddled with gross incompetence at every level, from investigators to coroners to prosecutors to judges. The more nefarious possibility that exculpatory evidence is being routinely ignored by authorities because of laziness, closed-mindedness, or more malevolent motives such as perhaps racism.
The recent rash of releases and retrials, especially in death penalty cases, indicates that somehow or other, by whatever means necessary, anti-death penalty advocates in particular and opponents of a law and order society in general have succeeded in circumventing our legislatures and prevailed in rendering our system of crime and punishment at best suspect and unreliable and at worst perhaps deserving of universal shame and drastic reformation.
Gerard Ahrens, Westwood
Cincinnati welcomed me and Jerry Springer with open arms
The death of Jerry Springer at age 79 poignantly carries me back to the late 1960s when both he and I arrived in Cincinnati to the welcoming arms of this beautiful city. I was working on the final touches of a Ph.D. in English Literature and about to embark on several happy years teaching American Literature at University of Cincinnati, and studying at Hebrew Union College for a second Ph.D. I don’t know why Springer appeared there, but he ultimately became the mayor of this surprisingly liberal enclave in a predominantly conservative state.
The mothers of unmarried Jewish girls were thrilled to embrace two attractive and accomplished young Jewish men to the oldest Reform Jewish community in America, worshipping in the magnificent, historic Isaac Mayer Wise synagogue built in 1865. The surprising, historic architecture of this city on the verge of Kentucky, a bit southern and yet distinctly northern was built by immigrants from Germany with its strong resemblance to Rhine River cities in their home country.
To this very day, over 50 years later, I vividly recall the truly joyous years spent in my lovely apartment overlooking the Ohio River, entertaining the best friends of my life, the many loves of my youth, and the students that I taught. I wrote lovingly of the city in an essay published in 1972 called "Two on Tour" in The Cincinnati Enquirer Magazine, and of stunning Cincinnati Parks in another article published in Clifton Magazine called, "The Other Side of Things" in 1973. I can honestly say that I am sorry that I did not establish a permanent home and career in Cincinnati.
Although I live in the lush and elegant town of Greenwich, Connecticut, and have enjoyed a fulfilling third career as a realtor here, my heart remains in those best years of my life long ago. I regret that I never had a chance to discover if Jerry Springer was as glad to have lived in Cincinnati as I, but there’s a pretty good chance that he was.
Maxwell P. Wiesen, Greenwich, Connecticut
More Americans believe economic conditions are worsening
According to the Gallup poll (April 25), 75% of Americans believe that economic conditions are getting worse in the country, an increase of 7% since February. Now, the president refuses to negotiate over the debt ceiling, and it's all but certain that his intransigence won't improve things. Doesn't it make you wonder who is pulling his strings and what their agenda is?
Gil Randolph, Fairfield
Fearmongering won't deter advocates of reproductive freedom
Voters are not deterred. As a proud volunteer with the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom campaign, I speak with Ohioans with different political affiliations and religious backgrounds every day about the need to protect reproductive freedom in Ohio’s Constitution. Despite being flooded with bad-faith, factually incorrect ads from those committed to controlling people’s health care choices, Ohioans see right through it.
"The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety" proposal does not eliminate parental rights or any of the other nonsense spewed by those against bodily autonomy. The proposal simply assures all Ohioans the right to their own bodies and to the ability to make decisions with their doctors, not politicians, about personal health care choices like abortion, miscarriage care, contraception and fertility treatments. To say otherwise is an outright lie.
With so much disinformation running rampant, I’m proud of the vast majority of folks in our state who are not fooled by the opposition’s fearmongering. The energy to put this amendment to voters in November is that of unwavering excitement. I look forward to continuing collecting signatures in my community.
Jade Martinez, Anderson Township
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tired already of the presidential reality show | Letters
