Listen to Sen. McCain’s warning on Putin

Regarding the July 22 Forum essay “Putin Plots His Next War” by Radoslaw Sikorski: The concerns of the author (a Polish political figure) are virtually identical to those espoused by Sen. John McCain in his most recent book, “The Restless Wave.”

Mr. McCain, who has served in the Senate for 30 some years and has been on the Armed Services Committee for much of that time, expresses grave concerns regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin and his sly and revanchist tactics — such as the annexation of Crimea and fomenting of discord in eastern Ukraine with those “little green men” (masked soldiers with Russian arms in Ukraine). Mr. McCain also outlines the various human rights transgressions, suppression of free press, and involvement without acknowledgment in the jailing and murder of citizens in Russia and elsewhere by Mr. Putin. Sly and conniving indeed.

President Donald Trump must proceed with caution in his freewheeling overtures with Putin. ROBERT L. CARRELL

Hampton

Watch Russia

As reported in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Russian hacker groups have successfully infiltrated utility companies to the point where they are capable of causing mass outages. This is another example of Russian attacks on our national security and the safety of American citizens. Through election interference and now threats on our utilities, we know that Russia is not an ally. And yet President Donald Trump continues to align himself with Vladimir Putin.

I am counting on our members of Congress — U.S. Rep. Michael Doyle, Sen. Patrick Toomey, Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. — to stand up for our democracy and the safety of our citizens by doing whatever they can to minimize the Russian threat, protect our national security, and hold Mr. Trump accountable for enabling a foreign enemy. VALERIE Y. NANCE Penn Hills

Heads in sand

The Post-Gazette editorial board had a meeting with Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency’s new acting administrator, after which the board, in the July 23 editorial “Eyes on the EPA,” concluded as follows: “The Trump administration’s decision to adopt a minimalist view of the EPA — in which the agency focuses on bread-andbutter work like tackling Superfund sites rather than lofty Obama-era goals like promoting renewable fuel requirements — is a choice the executive is entitled to make.” Yes, that’s true, just as Nero was entitled to fiddle while Rome burned.

Just consider the following fact: We’re running out of sand. When I heard that, my first response was to snicker. But when the statement finally sunk in, I got more scared than I have ever been in my life. We have been using up tons of sand for centuries, building and manufacturing homes and malls and roads and glass and the countless other things that lock sand away for eternity, and the results of this heedlessness are now becoming obvious.

The situation is so bad that companies are digging up and hauling away our beaches by the truckload and we can’t find any replacement that will protect our coastlines from tidal erosion. (I know we have acres and acres of sand in places like the Sahara, but desert sand can’t be used for building, manufacturing, or beaches.)

The shortage of sand is just one more indication that we are pushing our planet toward extinction.

The “lofty Obama-era goals” were set in place bec a u s e President Barack Obama had the horse sense to realize that we’ve got a lot of trouble coming our way and had the courage, despite the ridicule of the know-nothings, to start the ball rolling to salvage as much of our planet as we could.

In contrast, the Trump administration has chosen to put the interests of business over those of the United States and to divert our resources into busy-work, such as “tackling Superfund sites.” And the PostGazette editorial board says that’s OK. PAUL ALTER Wilkinsburg

Too old?

I read with interest Marina Posvar’s July 23 letter “Support for Screening to Catch Cancer,” regarding colorectal cancer screening and a Medicare loophole. I lost my mother and my grandfather to colorectal cancer and have required screening every three years due to polyps and family history.

I was shocked last month after a screening when my doctor of many years politely told me it would be my last screening due to my age (82). I am active and healthy and don’t understand the “age discrimination.” BOB AIKEN Collier

On thin ice

The ancient historian Tacitus called patriotism “this praiseworthy competition with one’s ancestors.” He meant trying to do in our time better than our forebears did in theirs. Most of us never see combat. So, patriotism for us is taking the time to know what we are voting for. Patriotism is accepting that sometimes taxes need to be raised even if it hurts. Patriotism is knowing we are all in this together even though we are not all the same.

I never understood how the diehard defenders of the Vietnam disaster were “patriots” while those of us who protested against it were “traitors.” I thought in time that would change. It hasn’t. For 50 years, the “patriots” led us to more Vietnams while the “traitors” were vilified for fighting them. Patriotism has been perverted into what Samuel Johnson called it: “the last refuge of scoundrels.” The president called football players taking a knee S.O.B.s who disrespected the flag. Some cheered.

We are now on thin ice. We face the possibility that the president of the United States may have been involved in treasonous acts. Still, the flagin-the-lapel crowd hide under their desks, emerging only to stop the investigation that may settle the question. Flying a flag from one’s porch does not make one a patriot. Nor does a knee-jerk attack on politicians who suggest taxes might need to be raised. Or saying they are all crooks. Or not voting. ROBERT SUPANSIC

McKeesport