'You Won!' 

Editor:

Congratulations, Trump supporters. You won! Trump won (Mailbox, Nov. 29).

He won the fight to delegitimize the free press, an essential pillar supporting our democracy, by repeating the big lie, namely, that the mainstream press is nothing but "fake news." Trump won the unraveling of the inner workings of every major governmental agency by appointing the most incompetent, ill-experienced and unqualified people possible to run those agencies. He won by appointing partisan members to the most sacred, nonpartisan body in our tri-partite government — the U.S. Supreme Court.

He won the divorce from America's essential alliance with NATO and the European Union, assuring them of no semblance of reliable partnership. He won a new trade war with the most powerful economic partner we have — China — hurting the poor the most. He won legitimizing every autocrat in the world, from Vladimir Putin to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, through his autocratic, ignorant bombast, eviscerating all norms supporting democratic principles and the rule of law. He won a tax cut through his sycophantic supporters in Congress, rewarding the top 1-percent tier of society to the detriment of those who need a tax cut the most: the middle class.

In short, he won in his efforts to disrupt every semblance of social stability in this nation by proving ignorance is strength, truth is not truth, and the poor citizens of America are the cause for our deficit. He also won by cementing the errant notion into the minds of the average citizen that Medicare and unemployment benefits are "entitlements." government "handouts," rather than assets belonging to citizens who paid for them through their paychecks. Yes, Trump supporters, you can be proud of putting your victorious yet shameful mark on history by electing the most ignorant, dangerous, divisive and ill-qualified president this nation has ever known. 

Allan Edwards, McKinleyville

Editor:

The funny thing about (white) privilege, Mr. Brennan, (Mailbox, Nov. 29), is that it is oftentimes invisible to those who have it.

Your letter is narrow-sighted in many ways, but your dismissal of the very real fear for many Humboldt State University students (and other community members) of color is appalling. Just because you personally have apparently not witnessed such instances is an example of your privilege and, in fact, your ignorance. I can list several instances I know of regarding friends, students and colleagues but most recently white supremacist propaganda was distributed across campus while white men in paramilitary gear wandered around (which HSU administration has failed to publicly acknowledge). You undermine your own argument against divisiveness by denying the tangible acts of racism that folks of color experience in our community.

Julie Slater North, Fieldbrook

Editor:

I agree with Mr. Brennan that differences of opinion are healthy in a free country. I disagree with him that what he's reacting to is the "Left's egotistical ... fantasy." What he is seeing is what happens when you live in a country where money is speech. It matters to me whose pocket my money goes into and what they value, because where they choose to spend their money, what policies they support and what politicians they help elect affect my life and the life of people I love.

This is what voting with your dollars looks like. I appreciate the Journal's commitment to making sure the information that helps me be a conscious voter is available.

Marcia Tauber, Arcata