Letters to the editor: April 15, 2022

Placing blame

As always, Steve Rutledge’s account of the causes of the Ukraine invasion was well-written and well-documented. My view, however, is that he has avoided the common-sense explanation of the true causes.

Putin did not invade Ukraine during the Trump years because he understood Trump’s America First policy and Trump’s determination to achieve that goal. I believe he respected that as equal to his own Russia First policies.

Trump was not afraid of negative opinions as he pushed other world leaders to carry the costs of their own defense. Germany and many other countries were told to spend a much larger portion of their economy on defense.

Trump introduced policies to tighten our borders and force trade policies that favored us.

America became an economic powerhouse that was energy independent and not begging unfriendly countries for oil. Prices were stable and inflation was at comfortable levels.

When Biden became president, he immediately began dismantling Trump’s effective energy and border policies. A steady flow of new policies targeted our military training, patriotism and crime prevention.

The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan showed our willingness to abandon our citizens and allies, along with $85 billion worth of military equipment. Wouldn’t the Ukrainians love to have that cache of weapons?

As a leader, Biden has been weak and predictable, and Putin seized the moment to launch his offensive. Indications are China may be emboldened to invade Taiwan as well.

Democrats have a propensity to find someone else to blame for their failures. If not Trump, then it’s the American people, the Republican minority or the greedy companies. The deep hole that America is in right now is owned by the Democrats and their failed policies.

As many presidents have said, and I quote: “May God help us all.”

Steve Wozniak

Newberg

Crime against women

When did Russia become our role model?

Republicans want government out of their gun cabinets, yet in women’s wombs.

The law allows abortion to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency. And the U.S. has the highest death rate in the industrialized world for mothers giving birth.

Using that wording and logic, because giving birth always risks death, and therefore a possible medical emergency, and because the female is more valuable to society than the fetus, having an abortion should be available to the woman on request.

Let’s stop the reversal of abortion with the same energy we showed for Black Lives Matter — that is, Black MEN’s Lives Matter — and are currently showing for Ukraine’s survival.

Get vocal! Stand on the corners of Third and Adams or Third and Baker.

Boycott Hobby Lobby, Imperial, Avis Budget Group, Love’s Travel Stops Country Stores, Accord Human Resources, Sonic, Oklahoma State University, MidFirst Bank and Helmerich & Payne.

Get bumper stickers and posters. Stick them in front yards, or on car bumpers and fences.

Do something — do ANYTHING — to stop his trend to reverse Roe v. Wade. Reversing Roe v. Wade is a heinous, premeditated, Satanic crime against women.

Sheila Hunter

McMinnville

 One nation, indivisible

Recently, I noticed a truck with an American flag sporting a blue line and the words, “We the People.”

I realized that not long ago, one could see this and be certain of its meaning. I reflected on how discouraging it is that symbols once so commonly understood now mean different things to different people.

Symbols that once united our nation have been co-opted by those who feel excluded. They have skewed national symbols that once stood for our unity into ones that stand for our disunity.

I know that this moment will pass. The disagreements, the anger, even the hate will pass. Each one of us who is struggling to be heard will pass also. The only constant — unless we succeed in destroying it — is our precious United States.

Let us keep our national symbols above this current fray. Let us leave something whole and pure to those remaining when we are gone.

Our nation gives us all the right to disagree and to argue. Our nation lets us say both kind and cruel things to one another. We must not destroy it in our struggle to be heard.

We all love this country. Believing in different things shouldn’t rend us so far apart that we cannot treasure the wisdom of our constitution and beauty of our flag.

Let us always remember that while our freedom of speech allows us to express whatever views we hold dear, this is possible only because we are all Americans, each and every one of us.

We are all witness to the horror in Ukraine and are humbled by the bravery of its people. Their flag stands as a beacon — waved and worn and flown high to remind the world who they are.

No Ukrainians wonder what their flag means.

Erma Vasquez

McMinnville

Seek the truth

Could it be that another pandemic will occur after the voting or in the near future?

Viruses come and go, like COVID and the flu, and other variants occur, with deaths. But none ever required such drastic measures as COVID.

Acceptance of these measures was gained through fear, coercion, manipulation and deceit. Those not complying were and still are villified.

Are any aware of or concerned about the destruction of the Constitution and loss of our rights and freedoms? An explanation of this was given by Michael Rectenwald of Hillsdale College in a recent speech.

It would behoove all of us to research for the truth before it’s too late to save our rights, our freedoms and law of the land.

Mary Novak

Yamhill