U.S. can’t afford to abandon Ukraine

Editor: This is a perfect example of the illogical fog that lives inside Donald Trump’s head: he has tasked DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) to cut government waste and inefficiency. Along with this, he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly, which will mean Ukraine will have to give up territory seized by Russia., thereby emboldening Putin, and ensuring Russia will soon threaten nearby European countries in its former sphere of influence.

Why the connection? The conservative American Enterprise Institute estimates that if Russia were to get this kind of deal, the U.S. would have to increase military spending by $808 billion over five years to help safeguard, Europe, which would be in our own national security interest.

The savings which might result from DOGE activities, which would come mostly from cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs which benefit many people who support Trump, would be a pittance compared to the cost of him making the lousy deal with Putin, one he can’t wait to make.

— Bert Silvestri, Peckville

Opinion out of place on front page

Editor: Journalism classes teach that front-page newspaper headlines should be news articles reporting facts about an event. These news articles should show only factual information without the author’s opinion or bias. Opinion pieces present the opinions of the author with the purpose of swaying public opinion.

So, I am puzzled as to why opinion pieces sometimes take the place of news articles on the front page. For example, a large percentage of readers would agree with the point of view expressed in the recent front-page Associated Press article on the Trump inauguration, “A Surreal Situation” (Jan. 22), while an equally large percentage of readers would not agree with that view. Wouldn’t those types of political articles work better on the Opinion page than on the front page?

— Carolyn Oravitz, Harveys Lake

Don’t forget Trump’s felony convictions

Editor: As I observed the Presidential Inauguration and then the first week of the nascent presidency, one key point seemed to have been repeatedly missing. Donald Trump is a convicted felon. Last May, Trump was legitimately found guilty by a jury of his peers on 34 felony counts. Just recently, the judge in the case upheld the felonies and their seriousness at sentencing. Convicted felons often face restrictions on voting, traveling internationally, owning/possessing guns, getting security clearances and obtaining employment. Yet, they apparently can still become president — an obvious flaw in the American political system. This stain on the Presidency and on the nation should not go unnoticed.

— Jeff Brauer, Clarks Summit

Musk will escape consequences for controversial salute

Editor: The kerfuffle surrounding Elon Musk’s hand salute represents historical amnesia, the national swing, and the uselessness of it. In 1892, a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy wrote what was to become our Pledge Of Allegiance. When saying the words, Bellamy requested that a salute be added — the right arm extended as in Roman times. During World War II, Congress adopted the pledge in June 1942 but did not change the salute until December of that year — from the outstretched arm to hand over the heart. “Under God” was added by Eisenhower in June of 1954.

Why Musk used the arm salute twice may have gained him more friends than enemies — the national penchant, from hatred of foreigners to attacks upon minorities to overt chauvinism, is quite evident in Trump’s reelection. Those who might be most repulsed seemed to refrain from being the harshest critics. As one of the wealthiest people on the planet who may achieve the coveted “First Trillionaire medal,” Musk risks no consequences. His wealth makes him impervious. Quite the opposite, he is the model for all businessmen, those in the private sector, and those elected to office. Businessmen know how to make money, if not the ability to govern a complex country.

Within a short period, Musk’s “misstep” will be forgotten, and he can get down to “streamlining” government.

— Joseph Elias, Wilkes-Barre