‘Trump Must Go’ – not a moment too soon

The article Trump Must Go, printed in The Timaru Herald (January 11), by Trudy Rubin is a remarkable story of the stupidest and most dangerous President the United States ever had.

Remarkable, as it conveys the exact thoughts of most of the forward thinking citizens, not only in the United States but all over the globe.

The sooner January 20 arrives and he is removed from the White House the better, before he does something really devastating that could cause international concern and repercussions.

As Trudy wrote, ‘‘to watch a United States President behave like a despot in a banana republic, turns the world on it’s head’’. And, ‘‘the scenes of pillage at the Capital have frightened our allies and delighted our adversaries, who see Trump’s madness as proof that America is on the rocks, and this makes them more eager to test us’’.

Also, ‘‘Trump has become a global pariah, viewed as an asset and punching bag by those who seek America’s demise’’. She writes that she can only hope that, ‘‘Joe Biden is tough enough to keep the country afloat until Trump finally does himself in!’’

One wonders what would happen if, in the last days of his office he really starts something global, which, in the confusion of the Presidential office change-over, affects us all. May God give His guidance to Joe Biden and His assistance to us all, if it is necessary. D H Darling, Timaru

The tail, not the dog

Your headline Twitter ban sets a terrifying precedent – The Timaru Herald, January 12, is emotive rhetoric at its worst. Social media is only the 21st Century public square if we let it be. I am constantly alarmed at people who can only relate to technology, not people. The

Christchurch mosque shooter was seemingly one such.

It is an attitude which enables men to groom young girls on line. Connected to others by cell phone some people seem to stop thinking.

That to me is ‘‘the terrifying precedent’’. This particular article is about politics. I would say the problem here is with people not technology. In a democracy we, the people, must take responsibility. Not my problem is not an answer. Yet it is used by the liquor industry giving police a major headache, and our desire for cheap clothes enables the poor to be exploited in Bangladesh. People must take an active interest and elect those who wish to serve the community.

Politics should not be about power.

That is what alarms people about Donald Trump. As for said gentleman becoming ‘‘a digital nonperson’’ – if I may be permitted a pun I give ‘‘the fingers (digits)’’ to that idea. I rarely visit social media and I do not consider myself a digital nonperson. Technology is our servant, the tail must not wag the dog. Dennis Veal, Timaru

Bank closure upsetting

I am a long time satisfied customer of Westpac but sadly now find myself in a position where I feel compelled to write and voice my dissatisfaction over the decision to close the Northtown Mall branch in Timaru.

It is a decision that impacts myself, and many other Westpac customers in Timaru, and I believe shows little understanding of the needs of the local community. There are two areas of concern for me.

Firstly, I have been using the Northtown Mall branch for many years and find the staff to be particularly skilled and helpful.

In my mind it is short sighted to lose such assets to your bank. Secondly, the Northtown branch is positioned where there is ample parking and there is ease of access. The Stafford Street branch by comparison is positioned on the busy main street of Timaru where there is a shortage of parking. Given that many elderly people still use face-to-face banking the decision to close the Northtown branch therefore denies them stress free access to banking services.

This shows little regard for those who have been loyal customers of your bank. I would ask that you would reconsider the decision to close this branch. Stuart Croft, Timaru

Summer of sailing

I enjoyed the Summer of Sailing pamphlet supplied with your newspaper on Monday, but was disappointed that there was no reference to New Zealand on the boat. NZ would not take up much space and the world would know that it was New Zealand’s boat. Didn’t the tax payer contribute over $25 million towards the cost of producing the boat? R J Robinson, Geraldine