Letters to the editor
A new low
After a run of sensible commentaries in recent weeks, I was disappointed to read Gary Stout’s recent foray into political nonsense in his Aug. 2 piece, “Save America Act is simply voter suppression.” His op-ed may have hit a new low in political commentary because Mr. Stout, with no supporting data, quotes, or examples, tells readers that Republicans’ strategy for winning elections is to deny voting opportunities to their opponents.
To support his thesis, Mr. Stout outlines a series of ways voter registration and voting will be suppressed by the SAVE legislation, laying responsibility for the dirty suppression deeds squarely on “Republicans.” “Republicans” are asking for onerous voter identification, like driver’s licenses. Imagine! “Republicans” are purposely causing “long lines at voting places favored by Democrats.” (He doesn’t say when or where this is occurring or why Democrats would favor voting places with long lines, but Republicans are behind it.)
The only semi-concrete example he cites occurred 10 years ago in North Carolina where Republican lawmakers passed legislation that reduced early voting opportunities. Prior to this legislation, 70% of Black voters voted early. After the legislation passed, only 61.3% of Black voters voted early — a reduction of 66,000 fewer early voters. Rather than assume those 66,000 former early voters figured out some other way to cast their ballots, Mr. Stout disingenuously implies that those were “66,000 votes” denied by those devious Republicans. This one example shows how hard Mr. Stout was stretching to make his lame theme hold water.
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), in addressing the SAVE Act in a March 2026 article, stated that verification of citizenship for voters was “the most significant trend in state elections legislation in 2025 and 2026.” NCSL estimates that states consider over 3,000 bills annually addressing election issues and enact 300 of them. The NCSL article also cites a recent University of Maryland study that found that as many as 21 million eligible voters in the U.S. don’t have easy access to documents proving their citizenship.
The SAVE Act, like similar legislation in 2024 and 2025, likely will not make it out of the Senate in 2026. But the central issue that Mr. Stout misses is one of citizenship and how to document it so “citizens” can vote for their leaders and preferred way of life. Scholars like Mr. Stout could apply their talents to addressing those issues rather than trivializing a significant national concern.
Steve Johnson
Washington
Shopping elsewhere
I read in the Aug. 2 edition that Washington is about to activate a bunch of Flock traffic cameras.
This provides yet another reason to not do business in Washington.
See you at Donaldsons Crossroads and South Hills Village.
James A. Sanford
Eighty Four
Eating crow
It is unfortunate that former Olympian David Hearn cannot hold Donald Trump and District of Columbia U.S. Attorney and Trump stooge Jeanine Pirro personally liable for his indictment under false pretenses.
When the administration was looking for a scapegoat to shift the responsibility for its botched Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool project, Mr. Hearn was the victim, charged with felony vandalism because he was seen placing his hand in the water.
Pirro said at the time that Hearn ripped up recently installed sealant on pool in “a deliberate act” that caused more than $1,000 in damage. She accused him of “forcefully and violently” pulling up the bottom liner “with both hands” and acting belligerently toward an employee who told him to stop.
“This is a case with tremendous evidence,” she said, adding that authorities have made about six other misdemeanor arrests.
Now, she has to eat crow as an untrustworthy administration has to admit that it was wrong. Mr. Hearn is innocent.
Tell us, Mr. President, how it is only Democrats who engage in the weaponization of government. We can use a good laugh.
Oren Spiegler
Peters Township
Points to ponder
One could go on and on about Donald Trump, his billions in profit last year, his sons and family earning billions in investment profits, the new Air Force One, for which millions of our tax dollars were spent to retrofit this “gift” that he will keep when he leaves office, and the millions of our tax dollars (Trump’s piggy bank) he keeps using to “beautify” our capital, like the re-do of the reflecting pool that “a knife couldn’t cut through.” Of course we have all heard so many of these stories so why repeat what we already know.
Let me move to U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler. Last year, after I wrote to our (nowhere to be seen) representative with my concerns over the actions of Trump and his administration, I received a reply from Mr. Reschenthaler. He stated in 2025 that Trump “protected our national security by … negotiating historic peace deals between Israel and numerous Arab nations, and deterring Russia, China, Iran and other foreign adversaries.”
Moving forward to a response I received from Mr. Reschenthaler in May, he wrote, “I strongly support President Trump … against the Iranian regime. To date, Operation Epic Fury has struck over 13,000 Iranian targets, destroyed over 155 Iranian ships, struck 90% of Iran’s weapons factories, and significantly depleted Iran’s nuclear base.”
I wonder if this is “another historic peace deal” that he believes Trump has achieved? Just what did we achieve? I’ve got it! Besides the billions spent in Trump’s war with Iran that Congress gave up its authority and power to approve, our tax dollars are set to now rebuild what Trump had destroyed. (Sounds a bit like the reflecting pool story: destroy it, then go to that piggy bank for more money to fix it.)
Thanks, Mr. Reschenthaler, for all you do for us in blindly rubber-stamping all that Mr. Trump wants. That piggy bank of our tax dollars is there for the taking, and Mr. Trump sure knows how to take. Remember, he “doesn’t care about inflation.”
Rev. Joseph Lewandowski (ret.)
Washington