Why no one should drink Donald Trump's Kool-Aid and Joe Biden's 'leadership' is lacking

Turmoil, stress, anxiety

The second debate between Republican candidates for president left more questions than answers. Who may have won the debate is not the question. Who can reach the party’s nomination and win the presidential election is the basic question.

More: Could Vivek Ramaswamy be America's new president? Republican debate on Fox Business

Pollsters would have us believe the selection is basically over.

A choice between two seriously flawed candidates is not only improbable, but also extremely dangerous. It is a choice between the lessor of two undesirable candidates: one is too old, slow in making decisions, physically unstable, mentally challenged and the other is almost as old, an obvious narcissist, and as sometimes said of children, “Does not play well with others.”

One has been indicted on numerous criminal charges. The other has been accused of wrongdoing.

President Joe Biden’s “leadership” is aimed at more concentration of government power, less control of our borders, economic instability, military vulnerability, …

Donald Trump is the “Jim Jones” of American politics. No one should be drinking his “Kool-Aid.”

“Draining the swamp” of Washington D.C. is often mentioned as one of presidential candidate’s goals, only to realize that it is pocked with pockets of “quicksand” which can suck the best of intentions into irrelevance.

Turmoil, stress, anxiety describe the mood of our country. Tell me it is not so.

David Grube, Granville

Curriculum shouldn't be partisan

I was born into Ohio politics and am a retired public-school teacher.

It troubles me that governors and legislators of all stripes have failed to correct the unconstitutional system of funding with which our public schools have struggled for more than a quarter-of-a-century since the Ohio Supreme Court made its ruling in DeRolph v. State.

However, today's problem is that the super-majority in our gerrymandered legislature is trying to undo the constitutional amendment that Ohioans passed in 1953 to guarantee that the majority of the members of the State Board of Education would be elected, rather than appointed by the governor.

And Gov. Mike DeWine is claiming this is all about the "science of reading," which those of us over 70 called "phonics."

As a reading specialist and curriculum director I have always encouraged the use of phonetic instruction in reading, but that's beside the point.

I believe it is critical that parents continue to elect their own representatives to their local and state boards of education! I don't ever want local or state curriculum to be controlled by partisan interests; it is incongruent with our democracy and free nation.

I expect those who currently hold office to abide by Judge Phipps' recent court order.

Rosemary Herbert Tolliver, Columbus

More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

Government is not the solution to obesity

Re "Should the government help stop the obesity crisis," Sept 29 by State Rep. Dontavius Jarrells: People need to take personal responsibility for handling their own obesity issues.

More government help and intervention are not the solution. There are numerous resources available outside of the government to help folks deal with the psychological and physical aspects of obesity, often for little or no cost.

More: Obesity is killing Ohio. Congress must step in to help| Dontavius Jarrells

In the brief time he has been in office, he has demonstrated a concerning attitude based on his voting record that government, not individuals, is the solution to so many issues.

Frank Stoy, Columbus

Library needs to provide more information

Why are local homeowners being asked to make up for Columbus library financial shortfalls created by tax abatements given to developers and business as acknowledged in the Dispatch Editorial Board's levy endorsement.

Columbus Metropolitan Library CEO Patrick Losinski and board chair Catherine Strauss need to provide the voters more clarity on how the library system is impacted by this issue along with outlining the depth of funding cutbacks at the state level by officials elected in part by folks in Franklin County.

More: Open to all. Here's why you should vote yes on the Columbus library levy

While the reasons set forth for supporting the library are well presented and supported by this reader, missing in the editorial is the fact that the library is asking for a permanent levy.

Homeowners should keep in mind what can happen over time with permanent tax levy funds as witnessed and reported on by the Dispatch at the Columbus Zoo.

Carl Faller, Columbus

Creative approach to climate

The Biden-Harris administration has again demonstrated its creativity and commitment in addressing the climate crisis.

It recently announced a new initiative called the American Climate Corps, which will train and pay young people “to work on a wide range of projects that tackle climate change – including restoring coastal wetlands to protect communities from storm surges and flooding, deploying clean energy, managing forests to improve health and prevent catastrophic wildfires, implementing energy-efficient solutions to cut energy bills for hardworking families and more.”

And, you don’t have to be a climate geek to get involved.

No prior experience will be required for most positions. All are welcome to apply. After completing a paid training or service program, those who serve “will gain the valuable skills necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality employment opportunities.”

Please spread the word and encourage the young people in your life to join the American Climate Corps. To get started, the website is: https://www.whitehouse.gov/climatecorps/.

Catherine Hunt, Akron

Article will save lives

I want to thank you for the excellent coverage Bethany Bruner gave in her Oct. 1 article “It’s Really Hellish” focusing on the drastic increase in domestic homicides in 2023. She picked an excellent case to study, given that Shannon Hiott apparently took many measures to protect her own life.

It is way too easy for people outside these situations to say “Just leave.”

The reality is, the most dangerous time is in the act of leaving. Hopefully there will be more attention paid to the issue of safety planning. Meantime, anyone thinking of leaving a dangerous situation (or even of surviving while staying in one) would do well to call one of the numbers cited in her article: CHOICES crisis hotline at 614-224-4663 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.

I can guarantee that Bethany Bruner’s article will save a few lives.

Susan H. (Sue) Robinson, retired mental health counselor, Newark

If we don't value education, why should kids

Re "Why are so many Ohio kids missing so much school?," Oct. 1 by David McClough. The column was well-written and worth the read, but I believe there’s more to it than what McClough discussed. The problem is no one wants to talk about it. By forcing them to stay home during COVID, we “taught” students their education was not important while simultaneously telling our teachers their jobs were not “essential” in our society.

In our zest for “equality” and “equity” we’ve lowered standards–both behavioral and academic–to the point where our dreams of all students being equal are nearly coming true, just not in the way we’d hoped. Domineering teacher unions, who have nothing to lose but money and power, have discouraged, diminished, and all but destroyed teacher autonomy in the classrooms, squelching what little passion is left from the very few teachers who still possess it.

For those students and teachers who haven’t completely given up, they still have to contend with curriculums focused more on political propaganda than on actual learning.

Collectively, there is a feeling of why should we even try within the public education system across America, which is transferred to why should we even show up?

Hence, students stop coming to class, and their parents, who are wising up to what’s taking place, have little reason to push them back through the doors. Those who can are homeschooling their children or choosing educational paths more suited to their needs, which is evident in the massive exodus public school systems are currently experiencing.

If we, the adults in society, have stopped valuing the education of our young people, why should we expect them to take it seriously and come to class?

Gabriel Spiezio, Athens

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Trump is the “Jim Jones” of American politics| Letter