Trump’s defenders fear a crumbling of privilege
East Elmhurst, L.I.: To my knowledge, this case that earned Donald Trump 34 guilty verdicts had nothing to do with race or ethnicity. Nevertheless, much of MAGA’s motives, in my opinion, has to do with fear of the loss of white male privilege.
Under that privilege, a cop can shoot a Black boy or man — sometimes a Black woman — or even lean on a Black man’s neck for nine minutes and expect to get away with it. Then, all of a sudden, white male privilege is not as protective as it used to be. A white cop who knee-chokes a Black man to death can be convicted of murder. Teen jocks who rape a disabled girl can be found guilty. A man who sexually abuses his female employees can now end up fired, publicly disgraced or even imprisoned. The shield of white male privilege, especially rich white male privilege, is not as protective as it used to be. A rich white man who runs for office and pays his extramarital lover “hush money” and funnels it through his campaign coffers can be convicted of fraud.
“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said to his followers. Read: If I, Donald J. Trump, former president, can lose my rich white male privilege and not get away with a crime involving suppressing a lesser person, then you certainly can’t get away with it!
This may be the undercurrent of MAGA — not just obvious white supremacy, but the underlying fear of losing the privilege of using, abusing and lashing out at those who are “less” than they are, and getting away with such abuse. Melanie Lee
Unenviable environment
Manhattan: After looking at Bramhall’s cartoon in your June 13 issue about a guy in MAGA hat being addicted to Trump, it’s pretty obvious to me that his “world” must be a very angry, subjective place. Carmine Coluccio
Definition of terms
Manhattan: Since the 18th century, the word “republic” has been used more or less synonymously with “democracy.” The former means, literally, the “public thing,” i.e. a political entity that the general public creates and upholds. The latter simply means “government for and by the people” (the general public, if one prefers). The faux semantic debate in right-wing media over these terms thus appears to rely, purposely or not, on an illogical conflation of the two words. For millions of misguided voters, “republic” is being equated with Republicans and “democracy” with Democrats. As a result, many MAGA people seem to believe that they must stress the word “republic” over and against “democracy,” regardless of context. They are mistaken. Stamos Metzidakis
Bad neighbor Sam
Plainview, L.I.: Re “No honor system” (editorial, June 13): Granted, the 1964 Jack Lemmon comedy “Good Neighbor Sam” was obviously not about upside-down-American-flag-waving Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. And admittedly, this Sam has not been as bad a neighbor as imprisoned serial killer David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz would be had he not just been denied parole for a 12th time. But it’s hard to fathom how a Supreme Court justice like Alito, whose vote in a 5-4 decision could control how 330 million Americans must act, can’t control his own flag-flying wife! Richard Siegelman
Left to decay
Boston: $175 billion has gone to fund a distant war that our government — specifically, neocon zealot and former Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland — started by orchestrating a coup and installing Volodymyr Zelenskyy as president of Ukraine. It is not the first time Nuland dabbled in the destabilization of world affairs. Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan redden her resume. She has delighted in brutal overthrows and stuffing billions of taxpayer dollars down the gullet of the military-industrial complex. I suggest the 2024 candidates take a walking tour through an unfiltered America. Filthy and run-down, it reeks of urine and is smeared with feces. The perforated citizenry is hunched over in zombified euphoria. Here and there — an underpass, public library bathroom stall, in front of CVS — a needle is left jutting from a bare, grimy foot, and a head droops to the ground into unconsciousness. Perhaps, candidates, after the tour, you will recall the foremost duty of an American president. Scott R. Hammond
Selective quotes
Manhattan: A recent Wall Street Journal article focusing on concerns about President Biden’s purported loss of mental acuity relied solely on Republican sources who had every motivation to undermine Biden’s candidacy. Although the reporters also contacted sources in the current administration, along with other high-ranking Democrats who praised or found no fault with how Biden conducted himself in meetings, those on-the-record remarks did not appear in the article. Were they conveniently edited out? Moreover, the article inexplicably quoted Kevin McCarthy, who has been known for years to lie on Trump’s behalf (after initially criticizing him for his role on Jan. 6), although he has privately told allies that he has found Biden sharp in meetings. It appears that a double standard is in full force here: Would any reputable newspaper run a similar story about former President Trump’s cognitive slippage behind the scenes based on statements from the Democratic leadership alone? Denise Fortino
Widely reported
Rockaway, N.J.: I was astonished by a couple of letters by Voicer Bill Barrett and wanted to answer his question directly. Yes, 100%, I believe that Felonious Trump asked a former U.S. Marine general such a despicable question about our fallen heroes. I believe it because The Atlantic didn’t just allude to it happening, they reported that it did. You may have also missed the part where Gen. John Kelly confirmed the conversation in no uncertain terms. Here’s my question: How does a former Marine — one who bristles when someone who may not be a Marine uses the term Semper Fi (always faithful) — support a man who refers to people who violently broke into our Capitol, smearing its’ walls with feces, as “warriors,” promising to pardon them if reelected? Is that your definition of Semper Fi? I ask as a former field-trained Navy corpsman who spent his service time with the Marines. Tom Yackeren
Rocks can kill
Margate, Fla.: Why is Zuhdi Ahmed, a Hunter College student, granted supervised release after being arrested for intentionally throwing a rock that hit a Jew in the face (“Man, 20, charged with hitting pro-Israel protester with rock,” June 14). Rock-throwing is a deadly activity that has resulted in the murder of numerous Jews, including infants and young children in Israel. Supervised release will give Ahmed the continued opportunity to live out his raison d’être: murdering Jews with rocks. Richard Sherman
Lost the plot
Brooklyn: Re “Bomb threats to synagogues” (June 15): This nutjob deserves to pay for this crap! Demanding $10,000 or else! I am no conservative. I am a ’60s hippie. However, the toxicity of hate has no place in society! I am a child of Holocaust survivors, have organized smoke-ins and been a long-time activist. The movement has been hijacked by those who push hate. Demagoguery exists on both sides. Enough is enough! Aron Pieman Kay
Simple solution
San Francisco: Here’s a crazy idea for Israel’s enemies and their supporters that could save lives across the Middle East: If you don’t like how Israel responds in self-defense to a barbaric attack by a genocidal terrorist organization like Hamas, don’t kidnap Israelis, abuse them and hold them hostage. Stephen A. Silver
Religious observation
Belvidere, N.J.: Is Voicer Dan Singer an atheist? Concerning the topic of abortion, he posits: “It’s time for reason, not unscientific religious Santa Claus tales.” Really? God draws us to Him through a religious faith that believes despite not seeing. Religion is designed to be unempirical. Regarding abortion: Science determines that human life begins at conception. At that moment, a unique DNA sequence is created that instantly determines sex, eye color, hair color, skin color, etc. After that, it’s just a matter of life stages — nine months in the womb, then the rest of life is outside the womb. So, the science of when human life starts is compatible with orthodox religion that states: After conception, any willful termination of innocent human life is murder. Dan Arthur Pryor