How to treat the Trump political blues: Letters

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The treatment for the Trump blues

April 14 − To the Editor:

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill

Have you been depressed at seeing your 401k shrink so small that you could “drown it in your bathtub?” Are you upset about the price of your healthcare, groceries, housing, education, gas, electricity, internet connection, and heating oil going up because of policies proposed and put in place by Republican politicians in Washington and Concord? Are you worried about our state and national governments proposing and enacting laws that erode our democracy and intrude upon our rights of free speech, free press, and peaceful assembly? If so, you may be suffering from the Trump politicization blues.

President Trump and his acolytes, some of whom are Republican leaders in Concord, have used their positions of power to remove the guardrails on our democracy that prevent wealthy corporations, their even wealthier CEOs, and power-hungry politicians from preying upon ordinary Americans like ourselves and gain even more wealth and power at our expense. While most of us have lost a sizable percentage of our 401k investments since Mr. Trump retook the oval office, he has personally amassed hundreds of millions. No wonder so many of us are afraid to look at the news.

People like Donald Trump and Elon Musk have made not just a living, but a killing out of taking from others while giving little, if anything back. In the words of the Churchill quotation, they’ve made a very good living, but not much of a life. The only time Mr. Trump is genuinely happy is when he’s taking something from someone or sticking it to them.

The treatment for the Trump politicization blues is not to follow their example. They’ve become experts in making people even more miserable than they are. Instead, give to your friends, neighbors, and community. It could be something monetary, but you might find even more happiness in giving of your time. Take pleasure in comforting and reassuring others. It will remind them and yourself that there is a lot of good in this world and you are a part of it.

But kindness and caring are only the treatments. They won’t cure the depression that comes from heartless government policies. That only comes from removing the politicians who institute those policies.

James Fieseher MD, FAAFP

Dover

Trump golfs while he burns down our country

April 13 − To the Editor:

History repeats itself. As Nero played the fiddle, Rome burned. As Trump plays golf, and more golf, America and the world descends into chaos. Tariff wars will hurt the average consumer; floods, tornadoes and fires consume our land and its people. Trump is only interested in making a “DEAL”. No empathy shown toward the suffering of his own people. Protests are growing proving that the American people will not stand for the removal of their basic freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. Those put in places of power with little experience are ill equipped to keep our country safe, healthy and free! All Americans, including those who voted for this monster, are going to feel the pain. Our only hope is if our elected officials, judges and our Supreme Court are listening, waking up and start governing and protecting the Constitution. Our children and grandchildren are depending on it!

Bob and Natalie Hassold

Newmarket

Trump is not my savior

April 14 − To the Editor:

I am an evangelical Christian and Donald J. Trump is not my Savior. There is only one Savior. Jesus the Christ. Christians around the world celebrate His life, death and resurrection this Easter week.

Holy Scripture tells of the time shortly before Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross when He gathered His disciples and washed their feet. It was a sign of humility. A servant act.  Jesus also washed the feet of Judas, the one who, for the love of money, would betray him. Jesus then gave His disciples a new command in John 13:34 – “As I have loved you, so must you love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  A command that seems forgotten by many in today’s world filled with war, hunger and greed. Forgotten or ignored even by people of faith.

Jesus did not teach hate or retribution. He did not promise to make nations great or His followers wealthy. He promised forgiveness and eternal life. For the world.

M. Esther Martindale

Hampton

Universities unite against Trump threats

April 16 − To the Editor:

All America’s great universities, including the Ivy League and our Land Grant Universities must demonstrate the courage, maintain their standards and push back against Trump’s outrageous demands and threats to cut federal funds! We applaud the Presidents of Harvard, Cornell, and Princeton’s President Eisgruber, incidentally Jewish, for standing firm for the protection of free speech and academic freedom.

Larry Summers, former Harvard president made it clear: “Columbia’s capitulation was unconstructive… Harvard (should) avoid following their example.”

Cornell President Kotlikoff also joined the chorus: “Universities like the one I run aren’t afraid to let people argue…. Our colleges and universities are cradles of democracy and bulwarks against autocracy.”

This is a crucial tipping point for our education institutions. Our great universities must join together to oppose Trump’s threats to slash research funding or risk destroying the integrity of higher education and our national foundational principles of free speech.

Malcolm Odell

Exeter

The real predators are on social media

April 12 − To the Editor:The Who once sang, “The Kids Are Alright.” But that was back in 1965. The more I learn about today’s youngsters (Gen-Z), the more I arrive at the conclusion that the kids are most certainly not alright.

Speaking for myself (a millennial in his 40s) from my perspective, aside from their style of clothing which they seem to have directly commandeered from my generation, today’s youth is completely unrecognizable from how my peers and I grew up just a couple of decades ago. For a generation with limitless information right at their fingertips, Gen-Z seems to be more confused than anyone who came before them.

So many young men today are embracing toxic right-wing male role models such as Andrew Tate, Adin Ross and Joe Rogan. So many young women today are embracing the “tradwife” phenomenon – a subculture based on advocating for traditional 1950s-era Christian conservative values, where a woman’s place is not in the resistance, but in the home.Both young men and women alike, for the first time in modern American history, are espousing Christian conservative beliefs in record numbers – a far cry from the atheistic messages of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson that I was so familiar with growing up. So what’s going on here? Why has Gen-Z become so increasingly religious compared to the last few generations of young people? I can sum up the answer to that question with one word: predators.The far-right has successfully flooded the zones of social media platforms primarily used by Gen-Z, such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Every single day, young people are endlessly scrolling through video after video, influencer after influencer, many of which are subtly and steadily pushing these kids further and further to the right, whether they realize it or not. While parents were busy keeping their eyes on the playgrounds, the real predators were on social media, getting their kids’ attention at a very young age, right under their parents’ noses. This could help explain why record numbers of people between the ages of 18 and 29 voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election.But it’s not just conservative youngsters who seem to be confused nowadays. Just as easily misled, young people on the left have also been the unfortunate victims of predatory social media influencers, convincing throngs of young activists to embrace terrorist groups like Hamas and reject western media and basic American ideals. The confusion is not partisan. Gen-Z, as a whole, seems to have a difficult time recognizing who is lying to them and who is telling the truth.Frank Zappa once said, “my best advice to anyone who wants to raise a happy, mentally healthy child is: keep him or her as far away from a church as you can.” I agree. However, I would also add social media to the list of things to keep away from them.Joseph Conlon

Portsmouth

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: How to treat the Trump political blues: Letters