Bumps on the campaign trail

Re “A Muslim president?” Opinion, Sept. 24, “Carson takes aim at PC culture,” Sept. 23, and “Trump under fire for Town Hall exchange,” Sept. 19

I have to take exception to one detail of Andrew Burt’s concise opinion piece — his statement that it is clear Ben Carson is “treading on long-settled territory about Americans’ freedom to practice their religion without discrimination or fear.”

When it comes to our beloved Constitution, nothing should be taken as long settled.

It is only through constant vigilance and the willingness of citizens and officials to speak up against misinformed or erroneous characterizations that the Constitution can be preserved and its precepts honored.

James Lashly Ojai

Really? GOP presidential candidate Carson wants to disallow adherents of a particular religion — Islam — from becoming president?

And his rationale is that “Muslims feel that their religion is very much a part of your public life and what you do as a public official, and that’s inconsistent with our principles and our Constitution”?

Time for a hypocrisy check: At the next GOP debate, ask Carson whether he believes a professed Christian should let her religion govern what she does as a public official.

Gloria Martel Los Angeles

Being that Carson, a neurosurgeon, is unequivocally against a Muslim as president, I was wondering if he would operate on a Muslim patient?

I think Carson has paranoid, irrational fears of our 2.7 million American Muslims. Why would we want anyone in the White House who has this prejudice?

And, yet, his support went up as soon as he expressed those delusional and unfounded fears. To think there are a significant number of American citizens who feel as Carson does is truly scary.

Benny Wasserman La Palma

So Carson says he wouldn’t support a Muslim for president. So what?

I’m sure the majority of Americans would agree with him. It’s an unlikely hypothesis anyway, so why all this irrelevant fuss and meaningless posturing?

Let’s get to the really important issues facing this country and with how they must be dealt.

James Antonio Los Angeles

Donald Trump continues to make news, with words that should make every American shudder.

Trump asked recently if he was “morally obligated to defend the president.”

Not something bad or controversial, Mr. Trump, but certainly your moral compass should direct you to correct a statement that has long since been proved untrue.

And to those of us who are looking for a candidate to support, this should head the list of our criteria.

Edith M. Grady Pasadena

I watched Trump listen patiently to the question about Muslims and President Obama at the town hall meeting. I watched his face, and it seemed to me he was waiting for the man to get to the point and there wasn’t one.

So Trump gave a generic answer. He honestly didn’t feel the need to correct the lie.

I am a Democrat, and a progressive one at that, but Trump had no interest in spending any more time on such a stupid comment one way or the other.

Dennis Grossman Woodland Hills

You’re right, Donald Trump, it’s not your job to defend the president. But if you’re the one at the podium, it is up to you to talk back to someone who you selected to speak, and who made a fool of himself.

It is up to you, as someone who is running for president, to be a statesman, and at least show some respect for the person who is the president, instead of appearing to agree when the person is belittling the president out of complete ignorance.

But apparently, you do not know how to do that.

Gary M. Barnbaum Woodland Hills