Trump and 7 deadly sins: Letters to the editor, Oct. 4, 2020
How are vices made to be virtues?
The “Seven Deadly Sins” are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, sloth, and wrath. The past few years have taught me that all of these vices have become virtues, personified in Donald Trump. He is a draft dodger who gets away with saying, “I know more than the generals.” Pride!
The fraudulent Trump University, Trump Foundation, bragging about not paying taxes, indicate his worship of money. What patriotic American, who takes all the advantages of living in America, brags about not paying taxes? Greed! Remember the Billy Bush tapes? Lust!
Gluttony includes selfishness, putting self-interest above the welfare of others. His mismanagement of the COVID-19 virus is only the most recent example. He envies the power of Putin, and other dictators, including his “Bro” in North Korea. Negligence is a form of slothfulness.
He reportedly can’t bother to read his daily briefings, watching himself on Fox News instead. And last but not least, wrath or vengeance. Nothing seems to energize Trump more than hating Obama, Democrats, or finding ways to hurt anyone who criticizes him. He loves calling people insulting names, belittling them, ruining careers when he can.
Should we vote for vices to become virtues?
Mike Petrovich, Fresno
Global warming is just starting
After weeks of depressingly bad air, the 160 AQI on a recent Thursday night magically dropped to 20 the next morning. My bike ride to work was thrilling – mask free!
Remember the movie “The Day After Tomorrow”? After the Earth is suddenly plunged into an Ice Age, Dennis Quaid snowshoes 40 miles into New York City to rescue a band of survivors, including Jake Gyllenhaal, proving his love for his formerly neglected son. Everyone smiles as the rescue helicopter heads back south. Their elation flying was my elation pedaling.
Until it hit me. The movie slaps this happy ending on an unimaginable disaster. Consider: half of all Americans (in the north) have frozen to death, and the other half, the “lucky” survivors will now starve to death. Wheat don’t grow on a glacier. Hollywood made half a billion on that movie, confirming their hunch that viewers wouldn’t think beyond the happy ending to the sobering one.
My happiness that morning came crashing down one block from home when it hit me: the clear skies weren’t the end of climate disaster. Fire season is not even half over. Global warming is just getting warmed up.
Bruce Ratcliffe, Fresno
Producers does not deserve public gift
Concerning Producers’ request for the gift of H Street to expand operations in the core of the city, it’s a very bad idea, not least because it sets a bad precedent – giving city property to a private enterprise. They represent a significant employer in Fresno and their philanthropy has benefitted others, but a company can do many good things and still do bad things, if they can get away with it. I can’t see any positives for the city for Producers to remain where they are, but one has to admire their chutzpah in even asking citizens for this gift.
Several things need to be done: the city should incentivize a relocation of Producers and other light industrial enterprises (taxes?) to the periphery of the city or to the county, and change the zoning for this area to mixed-use residential-commercial, which would benefit the neighborhood and the entire central part of Fresno, something stressed in the General Plan. H Street should be repaved as a major corridor and change the lane structure to one lane in each direction with a continuous left-turn lane and add bike lanes or a cycle track, benefiting all road users.
Gene Richards, Fresno
Shout-out for Terance Frazier
Thank you for publishing an op-ed written by Terance Frazier. Terance changed my life the day I met him, when I was only 16. That was the day I chose to play for his organization CenCal Baseball Academy. There is where I not only learned how to be a better baseball player and teammate but friend, son, brother, professional, and most importantly a man. Because of his guidance and leadership I would not be where I am at today. I will forever be blessed and grateful that I was one of many kids he helped in his program.
Today, Terance and I are close and continues to help guide through my path of life. I wanted to publicly thank him for helping me achieve a contract with the Giants and still being a mentor through life. He is one of the most selfless people I know for others and his community. Because of that selflessness I am blessed to call him family and help in any endeavor he needs.
JJ Santa Cruz, Madera Ranchos
This story was originally published October 4, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Trump and 7 deadly sins: Letters to the editor, Oct. 4, 2020."