Letters for July 28, 2016

Let them speak

Re “Hello, anarchy” by Evan Jones (SN&R Letters, July 21):

I agree. The folks holding the permit have the right to speak whatever they believe. That’s called freedom of speech; commies hate freedom of speech, as do Scientologists. I hate it also when the other person is speaking something I do not believe. It’s natural to want the other guy to shut up when we feel “cognitive dissonance” creeping into my well-rehearsed narratives, but we should refrain from shouting them down, because the universe is about to give us a gift, a new idea! A new idea, if better than the old idea, will change our future for the better. But first you must lose the idea that you “know it all already” and then “engage” others on subjects you’re passionate about. It really is a great way to educate yourself—maybe the best form of education! And all we have to do is engage smart folks who hold different opinions than ourselves and pay attention when they write, and when we hear a new idea, inspect it carefully. Compare it to the idea that you had used before the new one showed up. Your brain has the capacity to judge what “fact” is more important than the other facts; let it do its work. Believe what you tell yourself and don’t be uptight. The future is coming. Allow yourself to change with it.

Bob Ingram

Sacramento

Trash talkin’

Re “The United States of Trump” (SN&R Feature, July 21):

There is a sickness and depravity infecting the Republican Party. The vitriol and hate directed toward Hillary Clinton at the GOP Convention reached a new all-time low in political annals. There were aerial signs reading “Hillary for Prison,” rallying cries of “lock her up” and a public call for Hillary Clinton to be executed.

A Republican delegate from New Hampshire, Al Baldasaro, sunk even lower when he said “Hillary Clinton should be put in the firing line and shot for treason.” And remember the words of GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson: He twisted things around and came up with the idea that Hillary has loose ties with Lucifer; and the lies and ignorance went on and on. So Mr. Trump, who would be our next president, do you agree with your minions and their trash talk?

The Republican Party of religious extremists have now become a tribe of hate merchants not unlike the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Lowlifes, sickos, slime, you name it. The Republican Party has descended into hell. God, their trash talk is catching.

Ron Lowe

Nevada City

On fear-mongering

Re “The Trumpening,” by Rachel Leibrock (SN&R Editor’s Note, July 21):

It struck me that we accuse Donald Trump of fearmongering but aren’t we doing the same thing when we spell out all the horrible things that are going to happen if he gets elected president?

Denise Wilson

Grass Valley