The source of our violent undercurrent is clear
Richmond Hill: To Voicer Michael Pravica: In response to your statement that there is Democratic violence against Donald Trump, are you walking around with your eyes and ears closed? Trump is the civil war provoker. You need to explain exactly how the Democrats advocate violence. Trump has been the aggressor with his lies, anger, childish name-calling and autocratic behavior.
Republicans immediately — wrongly — accused President Biden of the assassination attempt. Biden compassionately reached out to the family of the innocent man murdered (because of Trump). Trump did not. He has been the originator of violence. His hate and anger at Nancy Pelosi caused severe harm to her husband. He continues to promote gun use in spite of all the gun violence, which even he experienced. Trump told his followers to “fight like hell,” which caused deaths and injuries to many. He encouraged “hang Mike Pence!” because Mike did not do his bidding. Remind me, who is the violent person?
It is repulsive that Trump is merchandizing off of this horrible shooting. He is selling T-shirts and sneakers with his bloodied face. How insensitive, especially when a death and serious injuries resulted from this attempted assassination. Trump tries to cling to power through violence. He said to shoot immigrants in the leg to slow them down, said shoplifters should be shot on sight, said Gen. Mark Milley deserves the death penalty and claimed anyone who disagrees with him is “corrupt.” There have been many acts of violence and threats in the name of Trump. He spews anger and inspires violence. I do not choose to be governed by a violent dictator. Ene Kelly
Nothing new
East Elmhurst: Everyone is shocked that an attempt was made on the life of Donald Trump. Political assassinations are as American as apple pie. Four presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy. Attempts were also made on the lives of Teddy Roosevelt, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. Not to mention Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Sadly, political assassinations have become a part of the American fabric. It is who we are. Clifford Jacobs
Take heed
Manhattan: The religious right is so befuddled by their golden boy that they mistake divine intervention with God’s warning shot. Michele P. Brown
False idol
Wyckoff, N.J.: Re “I had God on my side” (July 19): Anyone who believes that God intervened to protect Donald Trump from serious injury or death, but didn’t intervene to protect 6 million Jews, 26 innocent lives at Sandy Hook Elementary or countless other senseless tragedies befalling innocents, is violating the first of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Marc Schaeffer
Branded bandage
Central Islip, L.I.: Enough about Trump’s ear patch! My God, it’s a little scratch. What’s next, an ear patch that says Make America Great Again? LMAO! Thomas Sarc
Mixed emotions
East Elmhurst: About Trump’s RNC speech as he droned on: How can I be laughing so hard and be so bored at the same time? It’s the tickle torture! Melanie Lee
Sacred sentiments
New Rochelle, N.Y.: Your Voice of the People yesterday was, in a word, inspiring. It came from a man who has my deepest respect and love: Voicer Scott R. Hammond is a reminder of who we need to be; from a complementary perspective, who we must be to survive as a nation and a world. You do not have to be someone who embraces a particular spiritual faith to see the sacredness of human life. A great Latin phrase, “omnia vincit amor,” covers what this gentleman presented. We are all human, and political strengths, although not trivial, must pale before the sting of death. Hammond wisely notes all who died that bleak day. God bless him for his wisdom and courage, and the wonderful Voicers column, which does not hesitate to publish views that represent vox populi. Blessings to all readers and thank you, Mr. Hammond. Warren Gross
Big-guv Repubs
Manhattan: The Republican Party claims they want government to reduce control and keep a distance from the hard-working American citizen. They say they will do this by getting rid of 85,000 IRS agents and opening the country up to more automatic rifles. They plan to overhaul the courts so that white-collar crime goes unpunished. Then they plan to lower the corporate tax rate. It is obvious that all of this will give the big cheaters and crooks a pass similar to the pass Donald Trump expects. The hypocrisy of all of this is evidenced in the control a Republican government wants over women and their bodies by regulations controlling those bodies and childbirth. They also want to control what children learn in school, calling everything they don’t like “woke.” The Republican Party is asleep and out of step with democratic principles. Leonard Smoke
Schadenfreude shift
Brooklyn: To Voicer David Tulanian: You hit the nail right on the head, and I agree with you all the way! Sure, you have Biden blasting off his big mouth and pointing his finger at Trump trying to make him look bad. Meanwhile, Biden should think before he talks and look before he leaps because now the shoe is on the other foot! Now let’s take a look at Hunter Biden and the trouble and crime he has put himself in. Now the shame and embarrassment is on Biden! Julianne Viola
Call out sick
North Bergen, N.J.: It saddens me to have to say this, but because we can’t afford a chaotic Democratic National Convention, we need the vice president at the head of the ticket. I respectfully suggest that, having been diagnosed with COVID, President Biden has been given an opportunity to gracefully resign for health reasons. Doing this would allow Vice President Kamala Harris to step into the presidency before the convention, then pick her running mate. With her at the head of the ticket, Trump will fall. Irving A. Gelb
New successor
Bronx: How alike these two presidents are, but we have hope that #47 will be someone different, as we work to get that someone (Jill Stein, Cornel West, Chase Oliver, RFK Jr., you or me) more press and presence on the next national primetime debate stage. Time to prove that America is truly a place of equal opportunity to present your views, and security to protect your personage. Dale Benjamin Drakeford
Sophisticated complications!
Chirnside Park, Victoria, Australia: Re the catastrophic world-wide computer failure, this bloke — with apologies to Sir Isaac Newton— has long said: “With each new so-called, new sophistication; we have an equal, and opposing…complication.” And my so sage late dear friend Alistair, often said: “Installation of the newest, and most powerful technologies; without the implementation of the soundest, and most proven, methodologies; leads to the most mind-boggling apoplexies! Howard Hutchins
Hokey hosts
Brooklyn: To Howie Mandel of “America’s Got Talent”: Please send your hat and eyeglasses back to the clown at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. And Terry “Don’t Try This At Home” Crews: Go home and rehearse changing your stale lines. The panel of judges is doing a great job. Bill Glassman
No future for fracking
Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.: New York already banned fracking. Now it’s time for Gov. Hochul to ban it again. Gas companies have figured out an even more harmful workaround to the old water-based fracking: They want to use carbon dioxide shipped from out of state to shoot into shale formations to extract natural gas — just what we need less of if we’re going to combat out-of-control atmospheric and oceanic heating. Even piping the carbon dioxide causes dangers along the way. It is unregulated, and smothers people in the vicinity of leaks. Even the so-called carbon sequestration that the new fracking would hypothetically power is a load of baloney. The bottom line is that carbon dioxide fracking releases more net methane gas, and is another way for gas and oil companies to perpetuate themselves in the face of the human need to reverse the damage they have caused. Norman J. Sissman