To the editor: I am not sure it’s a good idea to give former President Trump a microphone, because he will use it to do what he usually does — stay in the news and lie. I was happy to see, though, that the reporters questioning Trump at the National Assn. of Black Journalists convention did the fact-checking right to his face, pointing out his falsehoods and the insults he dished out.
This was the total opposite of Trump’s debate with President Biden, where the two moderators gave him a microphone and let him lie on national TV while Biden was not able to forcefully respond.
The fact that the conversation with Black journalists at the convention lasted only 30 minutes instead of the planned full hour gives us an indication that Trump was “losing.” That’s why his staff opted to end the discussion prematurely.
Yet, Trump scored some points with his supporters, showing them he is not afraid to confront what he sees as another enemy to be defeated.
Domenico Maceri, San Luis Obispo
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To the editor: I am German; my wife was Black. And even though I resisted classifying the race of my two boys in school, because I find that process racist, my children are regarded in the U.S. as being Black.
And I often gave them “the talk,” as Black parents do. Show their photos to any police officer and ask what race they see, and they will say my children are Black — meaning, shoot first and ask questions later.
If Vice President Kamala Harris was not so prominent now, the same response about her would come from police officers.
But as usual, Trump just utters garbage. Racist and inflammatory statements are all he has.
Mathew Kundinger, Santa Monica
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To the editor: Trump knew exactly what he was doing. This was a scene guaranteed to burnish his victimhood and enrage his cult.
Trump is losing the election, he knows it, and this was his last chance to stoke more violence — straight out of the dictator’s playbook.
Melissa Verdugo, Rancho Palos Verdes
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To the editor: Based on the $200 million-plus raised and thousands of volunteers for Harris (including myself), it seems I am not the only one who finds that calling her a “DEI hire” is a call to action.
The enthusiasm for Harris gives me hope one day, my two daughters can live in a world where people are judged on their accomplishments and not their gender or race.
Marie Puterbaugh, Redondo Beach
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To the editor: Asking whether Harris is primarily Black or Indian is the wrong question. She is American, someone who puts her country first.
But what would Trump know about that?
Edward Ruttenberg, Rancho Palos Verdes