The U.S. must think globally and peacefully

I was walking along a train platform with my mother, when the German officer said “you go this way” and to my mother “you go that way.” I never saw her again. We have no gas chambers in the United States, but the words of Dr. Mengele echo in my head when I see children taken fromtheir parents.

The president stokes fear and loathing of the “other,” blaming “them” for all evils, creating an atmosphere of distrust of anybody different: Muslims, immigrants, people of color.

Why? Mass murders in the U.S. were committed by white guys.

White policemen shot young unarmed black guys.

White guys came to America, killed the indigenous people, stole their land and brought black people to slave for them.

Now our economy is thriving, unemployment is low and could be even lower, if all workers were paid a living wage and needed only one job to support their families. Then we will need workers — immigrants who want to build a better life for themselves here in the U.S.

In 2017, the U.S. spent $610 billion on the military, 70 percent of discretionary spending of the federal budget. Instead of building a fortress and policing the world, we can share our wealth, helping other countries, instead of bombing them.

Three percent of our military spending could eliminate hunger in the world.

Can we start thinking globally? We have one planet to share with one human race. Let’s work together to keep our planet livable for humans. EDITH BELL Highland Park

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I urge all of my fellow citizens to look at the big picture and think carefully about what is happening. BYRON GOTTFRIED Monroeville

Tony Norman expresses his bias against the right one more time in his July 3 column “We, the Enemy of the American People.”

Although I very seldom agree with his suppositions, I do agree with the content of this column. Our president is very vocal against his enemies, especially when he attacks the news media. His public attack on an American institution is not healthy. Some of President Donald Trump’s verbal attacks are justified, when you look at the media and how many of them fight him at every turn. Unlike many of the former Republican presidents, Mr. Trump does not turn the other cheek but stands up for what he believes in. As Mr. Norman points out, this can have a very dangerous effect on some of his supporters.

Assuming that Mr. Norman is writing to bring attention to injustice, I look forward to his article about the dangerous attacks by the Democrats in their call to violence against this administration. For example, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters from California has called for the harassment of any Trump official to include efforts to remove them from public places. Hollywood has called for relatives of Mr. Trump to be kidnapped and housed with child molesters. Bill Maher, an outspoken critic of the right, is hoping for a recession just to stop Mr. Trump.

If Mr. Norman wants us to take his column as a real concern for safety and not another attack against the right, then one of his upcoming pieces should deal with the left’s inflammatory attacks on the Trump presidency. BOB VINCENT

Upper St. Clair

Kudos to the management of Bethel Park during our flood situation (June 21, “Heavy Rain Causes Havoc: Bethel Park Declares State of Emergency Due to Flash Flooding”). We would receive three to four calls a day telling where to get cleaning supplies, assistance and other information. DONNA SMITH Bethel Park