Letters for February 27, 2020

Integral questions

Where are all the Republicans with integrity? Seems there's only one left? During the impeachment inquiry, the Republicans did not follow the facts (i.e., truth) nor defend the Constitution but rather just bloviated (actually lied) to cover up Trump's offenses. And many offenses there were, as the Mueller Report had exposed. Many instances of abuse of power and many instances (actually 10) of obstruction of justice. The GOP has become a cult with Trump as their Jim Jones and drinking his Kool-Aid. We've seen this cultism before in the 20th century with Hitler and the Nazis. Now, in the 21st century, it's happening again. In 2018, former Secretary of State Albright wrote “Fascism: A Warning.” American Democracy is in peril as our Constitution is being dismantled. Mitch McConnell turned the impeachment trial into a sham acting as Trump's henchman. We must change the Senate and the Presidency to protect this experiment of our founders. If not, as in the last century, it will not end well!

Vin Agamenone

Carson City

Caucus criticism

I arrived at the Robb Drive Library at 1:40 p.m. on Feb. 18 for early voting. I stood in line for four-and-a-half hours. While I was impressed that hundreds of my Northwest Reno neighbors waited with me, I also saw quite a few people leave without voting. Early voting or a primary are the way to go, but the Nevada Democrats need to get their act together. The people around me were all furious that it took over four hours to vote. We need to switch to a primary and to have adequate resources allocated so people do not have to spend the afternoon to vote.

Victor Morin

Reno

Caucus commendation

On Saturday, I attended my first caucus. Even though I have lived here for almost 30 years, I only became a citizen two years ago. I considered early voting but decided to immerse myself in the whole process. After arriving at Galena High School, I was checked in within minutes and heading to my precinct area. The process was straightforward even through the alignments, and I saw no signs of “funny business.” I think it should either be a caucus without early voting or a primary with. The point of a caucus is to have meaningful discussions on who to support if your candidate isn't viable, not just pre-selecting your second and third choices to avoid attending. I'd prefer keeping the caucus so you feel like you're participating in our democratic process. It was interesting and well run. Thanks to the volunteers who gave up their time for this.

Rob Douglas

Reno

Gross dish

I think the coronavirus is God's political contribution to the Democratic Party. What a sick ward of contenders for the White House! It is no surprise to see a man's male wife, a carpetbagging career politician, a communist, a socialist and assorted quid pro quo spendthrifts growing in the Democratic Party's presidential petri-dish. They should all be quarantined indefinitely! The petries call President Trump a racist and unfit for office for doing what he promised the American people he would do if elected president, while doing nothing themselves in the House but trying to undo his election for their own personal benefit. President Trump is no saint, except when compared to his gun-grabbing, anti-life, tax-and-tax Democratic rivals (and Mitt Romney on an off day).

Michael W. Jarvis

Salt Lake City, Utah

Song and dance

My first and last adventure into PRap (political rap) lyrics:

Well I don't much like that caucus but I gotta say/If you really want to vote/It seems there ain't no other way (Chorus)

They gave us early caucus voting, thought it would be fine/But as it turns out ya know/It's just another (long) line (Chorus)

Then they put your sacred vote onto an iffy app/They say its safe and see-cure/Well that's a buncha crap (Chorus)

We need to do it better, gotta be another way/We cannot put a stop to life, and stand in line all day (Chorus)

We need those paper ballots/Safe, tried and true/Hacks and foreign influence really make me blue (Chorus)

Mail in voting, ya know it's where it at/Available for everyone/That's the end of that.

Suggested chorus: Let's do the Battle-Born Ballot Box Boogie

This is why I am not a musician.

Craig Bergland

Reno