Bible provides guidance to get us through troubling times

I do not write to newspapers much anymore, but this racial inequality is obscene. Don’t people read the Bible anymore? I am an 86-year-old Democrat: Wear your mask, keep your distance and vote.

Joan Ottolenghi, Worthington

Convention at the White House was violation, abuse of power

I am writing to you in disgust at the misuse of my tax dollars last week during the Republican National Convention. From speeches made on White House property for the president's reelection campaign by the first lady, to the speech made by our secretary of state while on official business in Jerusalem, the parade of Hatch Act violations made on behalf of reelecting this president are a disturbing abuse of the American people.

This abuse of power and misuse of resources — resources that Americans are working extra hard to pay for during this unprecedented pandemic where so many lives and jobs have been lost — is illegal, and it cannot be allowed to stand.

The White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, might claim that "Nobody outside of the Beltway really cares." Well, I care. I care a whole lot, and I'll be paying close attention to see if our elected officials do, too.

Sara Bates, Grove City

Conspiracy videos fan flames among president’s supporters

The Friday column “President Trump plays a dangerous game embracing Qanon” by Nicholas Goldberg made clear how much the Republican Party and its leader have embraced its paranoid and defamatory claims.

The president’s ongoing assault on experts, facts and science fuels a willful ignorance among his base. A relative who is a diehard Trump supporter recently shared a short video that was clearly produced by Qanon’s followers. As an array of images nearly identical to some of the GOP’S ads for the president pop up, a voice-over (in a solemn British accent, no less) ties together the usual suspects of the extreme, anti-semitic right wing: George Soros, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton and others.

Most notably, to tie the vast deep-state conspiracy together, the video claims that Bill Gates and Dr. Anthony

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, were roommates when they attended post-graduate studies at Cornell University Medical Center.

A quick internet search revealed that (1) Bill Gates never attended Cornell, and (2) he was 11 years old when Dr. Fauci graduated from medical school.

Fact-checking: Anyone can do it! It’s just so much more boring than the adrenaline rush that comes from freaking out about anything that confirms one’s existing biases.

Steve Abbott, Columbus

What if another president had used people’s house for campaign?

The use of the White House and park service grounds for political purposes by the Republican Party was shameful and embarrassing.

Some are saying it violated the Hatch Act. I don’t know about that. I know it didn’t feel right nor did it look right. As a registered Republican, it felt even worse. If the gaudy fireworks had spelled out Clinton or Bush or Obama, I would be no more or no less angry.

With this president everything is marketable. What degree of egomania does it take to put your own name up in fireworks over the people’s house, the people’s land?

I did not, nor will I vote for Trump, and I will not vote for his cowardly enablers.

If this is what he does after 3 1/2 years as president, what would he do after eight? Are we ready for a tour package that includes a stay in his hotel and a bus tour of Trumpington (formerly Washington)?

Gerald Glenn, Delaware

Young man’s T-shirt revealed rival American tire company

I love the T-shirts that Rubber City Clothing of Akron is producing in the wake of the dust-up between Goodyear and Donald Trump, with slogans like, “It’s a GOOD YEAR to vote!” and “GOOD BYE Trump. Don’t mess with Akron” (Akron Beacon Journal article, Friday’s Dispatch).

The photos showing Nathan Ramos of Rubber City producing a few of the shirts reveal an amusing irony, though.

The young man is wearing a T-shirt with “Firestone” on it.

Mike Adamkosky, Columbus

Kasich should know better than to team up with Democrats

I must comment and agree with the Friday letter from Marlene Schlemmer that former Ohio Gov. John Kasich isn’t a true Republican. I too have lived here over 70 years and have been a Republican most of these voting years. However, I will never vote for Kasich if he runs for any office, especially not president.

In previous articles he stated he joins the Democrats in calling for decency and says his conscience led him to Joe Biden.

And I agree with the Aug. 22 letter “There’s never been anything civil about American politics” from Jay Hoster. So when Kasich sets forth civility as a norm in politics, I am amazed that he has learned so little in all of his years in public life.

Jo Simmons, Delaware

Medicaid director deserves support of Ohioans during challenging time

I respond to the challenges with Ohio’s managed care plans and prescription drug problems. Maureen Corcoran, our Medicaid director, inherited a huge mess. WOSU Public Media published an article on Jan. 16 about the inherited mess she was left.

To be fair, people need to look at all she is doing behind the scenes. She is working on a huge procurement to overhaul systemic problems with the managed care plans. These are not just little issues. If you don’t believe me, go read feedback on the Medicaid procurement site. She also has had to work hard to meet Federal Electronic Visit Verification Requirements this year for home care. She dealt with COVID-19 and nursing home testing and lots of other stuff.

The Medicaid director, unlike other positions, is for the people. She works hard to make things right. She has integrity and compassion unlike any other directors in the past. She personally has impacted my life.

As a patient with several rare diseases, I have been through hell and back with managed care in Ohio. It has been a real challenge. She has worked to connect people like me with necessary contacts in the past year to get needed services and medical care. Her behindthe-scenes efforts have helped me and others stay out of the hospital and have done what managed care is supposed to do: coordinate care.

While everyone is so critical, we miss what a great leader Director Corcoran has been for Ohioans, especially Ohioans with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Alicia Hopkins, Fairlawn

Americans are looking to our leaders to do the right thing

Because colleges and universities have a strong desire to reopen for classes this fall in the safest possible manner, thousands of their students face suspension from school if they participate in any public celebrations with more than 10-12 other persons.

In these uncertain times, wouldn’t you think that we deserve for Donald Trump and his supporters — even if they somehow believe they are magically immune from the contagious effects of the coronavirus — to at least offer a good public example for the rest of us? Apparently not, because on the final night of the Republican National Convention we witnessed their blatant disregard for state and national public health recommendations by assembling hundreds of their supporters closely packed on chairs on the White House lawn, obviously with no social distancing and little evidence of masks, for the presumed purpose of stoking Donald Trump’s already-inflated ego while he delivered his nomination acceptance speech.

David Uhrick, Columbus