Letters to the Editor for July 27, 2019

Gaslighting on a national scale

Like many people, I have been at a loss to explain why people who lead their life in an honorable way would support a person like Trump, who has a well-documented track record of less-than-honorable acts throughout his life. This fact, along with the curious notion that he is God’s man on earth, made me wonder if we aren’t dealing with some more along the lines of a cult rather than just a political figure. Of 10 typical characteristics of cultlike groups, Trumpism meets about seven of them. Examples would be: Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry. No meaningful financial disclosure. Unreasonable fear about the outside world. Leader is always right. Leader is the exclusive means of knowing the truth and no independent process of discovery is ever credible or acceptable.

Key to creating a cult like this involves gaslighting. Gaslighting is a technique designed to alter the victim’s perception of reality. Gaslighting techniques that Trump uses are: Telling blatant lies. Deny ever making a particular statement even in the face of hard proof. They wear you down over time. They know that confusion weakens people. They project, i.e. accuse others of what they do. So when you wonder what is happening, spend a few minutes reading up on gaslighting. Trump is a master. Reason won’t help to sway the victim of gaslighting. The rest of us can only remain resolute in our knowledge of what is happening and continue to work for a more fair and just society.

Daniel Schlenger

Carson City

Reader’s commentary poorly timed with Mueller’s testimony

Poor Rick Van Alfen. His quasi-hysterical editorial rant (7/24 Appeal) accusing Trump of imaginary offenses against humanity ran on the same day as Robert Mueller’s much awaited congressional testimony. Mueller either refused to answer or deflected questions 155 times during the hearing. He had to go back and change his story on at least one occasion, but even his few direct answers failed to support, or contradicted, the Democrats’ fabulist brief against Trump.

Even the Democrats’ mainstream media toadies called it a disaster for their party’s bill of particulars against the president. Republican legislators had a field day laying a path for Mueller and the Democrats to make fools of themselves. I’m sure Van Alfen will continue his screeds as often as the Appeal’s editorial board will indulge him, but the grownups in his party had their hats handed to them on the world’s most public stage. Van Alfen’s timing reminded me of the cartoon where Elmer Fudd tries to blow up the rascally rabbit but accidentally puts the dynamite down his own pants.

After this debacle, good luck convincing the American people that Trump was ever guilty of anything.

Lynn Muzzy

Minden

Nevada’s right to choose ‘none’ means little

Kudos to Rick Van Alfen. His column on Wednesday was right on. I have been a Republican since I cast my first presidential vote for President Eisenhower. I find Trump to be all the things I could not and do not see in a person heading up this great country. From his constant hypocritical blasphemous character to his neverending bullying harassment and his pathological lying all make me embarrassed and even sick to my stomach to admit that I am an American. I only wish that the option offered Nevada voters (“none of these candidates”) meant something. I have to admit that for the first time since that option became available to us, I used it. I stood in the voting booth a long time before I made that selection as I could not see, in any of the persons on the list, the kind of individual who could competently fill the office of president. And now we suffer. With all this polarizing bickering, political hypocrisy and boldface lying, little, if anything of real importance, is being accomplished.

Franklin Holzhauer

Dayton

Have liberals hit bottom?

Rick Van Alfen really doesn’t like President Donald Trump. Although he left out homophobe, misogynist and climate denier, his rants against Trump and his supporters reveal a lot about his own intolerance, bigotry and mental health. Perhaps he has never heard that stereotyping a whole group of people for the actions of a few is racist. Or is it now OK to conclude all Muslims are terrorists and the man who shot up a congressional softball game represents all Democrats? Parroting liberal talking points with feigned indignation won’t make them true. Trump won, Hillary lost; get over it.

Trump has singlehandedly done more to help minorities achieve the American dream than anyone in the last 50 years. Job creation is at an all-time high. Unemployment for African-Americans, women, Latinos and Asian-Americans is at an all-time low. Incomes are rising and the number of people relying on government assistance is falling. Taxes are down, revenue is up, trade deals are fairer and our military is stronger. Security and prosperity are good for all Americans.

He is, however, an unapologetic nationalist. He wants America to be great and all Americans to prosper. Trump never denigrated America; he said that the people running the country had made a mess of things. He said he would fix things, and he has. He believes in America, the Constitution and the rule of law. Illegal immigration is a crime. Not only is it an economic and humanitarian crisis, it is a national security risk. Allowing criminals, drugs and terrorists unfettered access across our southern border is ludicrous. Without control of our borders, we are not a sovereign nation.

Fanning the dying embers of racial animosity for political gain is despicable. I would like to believe that the liberals have hit bottom, but I doubt it.

Mike Rodgick

Carson City