I thought sacrifice and hard work make America great
I’ll bet all of the local ophthalmologists picked up a lot of work from patients who suffered severe problems from excessive eye-rolling after reading David Keranen’s piece (“How great is the United States?)” in the Friday paper.
His condemnation of the United States for not furnishing all of the freebies listed in his bullet points is pretty much out of the Squad platform, but economically unsound. He proudly points to happy Scandinavians who have socialist governments. You can’t compare the U.S. with these countries because they have a wildly different demographic, and their citizens are far more likely to have a quality education, one geared toward employment in useful professions. Not like here where students spend seven years getting a degree in comparative women’s studies, then wonder why no one will hire them.
The Great Satan is, of course, the wealthy. How dare they sacrifice, take chances, work hard and succeed! Wait. I thought that’s what made America great. More power to them, but here is an undeniable fact: You could strip the wealth from every millionaire and billionaire and distribute it to the poor, and then within five years or less, they would have all their money back and the poor would be broke again.
His compassion for imprisoned murderers, rapists and child molesters is a bit of a puzzler. I, on the other hand, am vigorously in favor of the death penalty for these prisoners. I doubt it cuts down on crime, but it sure eliminates repeat offenders.
A fascist theocratic plutocracy? Wow. — Steve Clark, Bakersfield
THIS STATE IS A JOKE
The state of California needs to start following the Arab nations when it comes to drugs. With all the fentanyl pouring into this state, why don’t we put a law in place: Get caught with large amounts of fentanyl and you will receive life in prison without parole. In most of the eastern countries, it’s a death sentence.
But our politicians, they are so out of the realm of society. They only care about how fat their pocketbook gets. Shame on the Democrats and liberals who have made California what it is. — David Stiner, Bakersfield
AN IVF QUESTION
With IVF declared as children, can they be declared as dependents on taxes?
— Dick Sloan, Bakersfield
NO DICTATORSHIP FOR ME
I read with total disbelief and horror the letter (“Trump will produce a new America,” Feb. 27) written by John A. Caminiti extolling the virtues and powers he believes Donald Trump will “temporarily use” to make America great again if he becomes president.
Does he really believe that by allowing Trump to suspend the Constitution, bypass Congress and the Supreme Court and free him from any legal restraints (consequences and liabilities) that would jeopardize or prevent him from putting America back to its rightful place as the greatest nation that has ever existed will be what is needed at this point in time?
Maybe Mr. Caminiti should look up the definition of dictator! If Trump does win election, he will truly “produce a new America” as he states in his letter, but I do not want to live under a dictatorship, and I think most Americans wouldn’t want to either. — Norma Jackson, Bakersfield
U.S. IS NUMB TO VICIOUS REALITIES
The tragic murder of a precious American citizen, Laken Riley, by a suspect who is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, is sadly becoming a daily news item.
How has this country become so lost and seemingly numb from the vicious reality that permeates through almost every neighborhood in America, especially the sanctuary neighborhoods? Our politicians appear to be stumbling over each other to protect their own selfish agendas and spend the majority of the time whining about nothing, our even worse, counting their wealth through insider trading.
My Republicans have been blaming Biden and his Democrats for the open border for three years now, the Democrats have recently been blaming the Republicans and meanwhile us Americans are being slaughtered by illegal immigrants of cowardly gangs and overdosing by the oceans of illegal drugs.
We have been complacent in accepting the financial quagmire our elected officials have deemed necessary to support illegal immigrants, with our money. We are made to feel guilty for not supporting Ukraine and their borders while our borders are wide open. Shout-out to the Texas governor for trying to keep us safe.
For those who want to think that I am another Trump apostle, you are wrong. I really don’t like him personally, but I like most of his policies. What I am is a parent whose heart breaks for the parents of Miss Riley and all of the other parents who have lost loved ones because of our open borders. Nikki Haley may be correct; we made need a new generation of politicians! — Raymond Kearney, Bakersfield