Editor’s Note: The following letters are in response to “The Circus is Back in Town,” which ran in Publisher’s Forum, December 2019.           

A Political Circus

Lawrence,

I applaud you for attempting to shed light on the Political Circus out there. I’m imagining that your Inbox is stuffed with some incendiary emails accusing you of being a Trump supporter merely because you tried to get some discussion going. The polarity of politics is at an extreme and there is nothing that either party agrees on. Not even the current economy which affects most everybody in a positive way. 

Your friend Kim, and her attitude regarding the Trump election, is what’s wrong with the Left. The Never Trump campaign and the "resist " movement is like a disease. It’s eating into the fabric of communities and pushing those that appreciate the president for his ambitious goals to get things done into the closet for fear of reprisal. I’m a Libertarian at heart and don’t agree with many things Trump has done but….. that doesn’t mean I scream and yell and get my panties in a bunch and focus on "hate" campaigning like the Democratic party is doing. It’s all very discouraging and friendships and families are frayed over a difference of opinions. I wish I had the answer, Lawrence, but alas I simply focus on minding my own business to avoid what usually ends up in a heated exchange. 

Wish I had something groundbreaking to discuss on this subject…. but maybe we can all agree on something here locally. Something needs to change with the homeless issues here and everywhere. The inmates cannot run the asylum on this and some level of "tough love" needs to happen. Involuntary incarceration of those on the streets that are mentally unstable or addicts is a prudent step. They are dangerous to themselves and to the public. I would love to hear more discourse on this. Maybe, just maybe, we can get some alignment for both sides to address this humanitarian crisis.

-Gerard Gloisten

The Danger of Trump

Wow, Lawrence.

I can only hope that in the last 5 weeks your concern for our democracy has risen. If you are of the opinion that Trump is not an extreme danger, you needn’t read on. Unfortunately, I cannot dialogue with anyone who minimizes the danger of Trump on any level. I assume based on your position as publisher that you avail yourself of multiple news sources; so you are not a fact-challenged, Fox/Limbaugh follower.

Although I decry any deep-state conspiracy, I understand the motives. When a leader costs lives or parrots Russian talking points, the impulse to “not wait until the next election” clearly crosses one’s mind. The abandonment of the Kurds to the tender mercies of Turkey, Syria and Russia at the express disagreement of the U.S. military has cost lives unnecessarily.

You’ve now heard the Ukraine testimony. Still have doubts? Doesn’t rise to the level of impeachment?

Your right, things like criticizing NFL players (as well as boorishness, incompetence, misogyny and lying) are not impeachable actions. Is allowing a system to be put in place in which parents and children are separated AND there is inadequate tracking to reunite them? If you have children, what would your response be if that child were lost and the authorities had no means of identifying them?

“Go back” and referencing Trump as a M——F——. Equally vile??? Calling someone a name and telling someone to leave the country; equal? Comments like this do not make me question your intelligence, honesty or patriotism; it makes me question your judgment.

-David Gonzalez

The Ongoing Bash

Lawrence,

Thank you for the article. I almost didn’t read it because I’m so sick of the ongoing bashing, and worse, of our president. 

Yours was realistic, simply stating what has transpired over the last three years, and is still transpiring today.  And when the Senate kicks out the impeachment articles, all will go back to ‘normal.’ The press and the left-wing leaning power elite will continue their attack on the president, now and after he wins re-election.

The ‘silent coup’ is yelling loud and clear and everyone in this country should take notice. They should educate themselves by weighing both sides of the conversation themselves, not by the ‘snippets of information fed to us’ by the media, it’s dangerous.

Anyway, I could go on, but you know where I stand as one of the under-represented in Marin County!

-Susan

The Not-So-Silent Coup

Hi Lawrence,

Thank you for the thought-provoking [column].  You are right. Your dear friend Kim (hope that was a bogus name and that she is still your friend), who was publicly called out by you for her views, would not be well advised to organize a silent coup…not very American as you infer. 

But is there now a "silent" coup to remove the president?  This coup seems to me, to be loud, outspoken, public and enraged. On the contrary, are testimonies, non-cooperation, lies and possible cover-ups, more "silent" and dangerous than public revelations of feelings and observations of government going awry? 

Using the word sh*th*le is not an impeachable offense, but I believe it exemplifies the character of a president that the majority of "we the people" do not want to project, or embrace.

You say in your [column]: "I’m not defending Trump’s actions, regarding Ukraine and his alleged personal deeds. How could I? I’ve seen no testimony, heard no witnesses, and watched no trial. All we have are snippets of information fed to the media by both parties and spun for soft-minded viewers."

But have you not watched real tears, real anger, real lies, real bluster, real name calling, real hurt, real embarrassment, real love of country and real deflection of issue on television over the past month?  If you are a "sharp" minded, not soft-minded person, I ask if you wonder why people would put their careers on the line and have their character and testimony open to assassination for the world to see.  Why would witnesses have so much care and concern about the direction of our democracy and feel that it is being misdirected by a president of the United Sates, who they testify is serving his own interests and not those of a nation?

Did you not see [the] testimony from a fired, and publicly humiliated, lifelong servant ambassador of the U.S. government? Or, read the testimony of the whistle blower and watched countless eye witnesses of appointed state department representatives saying they were not informed, included, or involved in the Ukraine "negotiations" of Senate approved, but [presidentially] withheld funds going to Ukraine for defense against the [Russia]? Giuliani is not a U.S. representative. [Russia] is not our ally, and they in fact, helped Trump get elected.

Is the will of the people to name call, divide, be lied to multiple times daily, to lie to others, take advantage of others, other governments, employees, fellow citizens?

You say in your article:  "What we’re watching is a political circus full of clowns, jugglers, and sword swallowers from both sides."

That you say from both sides seems to be an attempt at [bipartisanship] on your part, as you do call out Democrats as a group and by individual name in the article, with no mention of Republican clowns-man-ship, or juggling, or soft mindedness. 

Funny that Trump also tells us what we are watching just as you do in your article.  He tells us, that anyone who does not defend him (not the United States) may end up going to prison, or might be indicted, or surely publicly humiliated, perhaps threatened, lied about, and smeared and that those who expose his ways of dealing with others, at the very least will be labeled a clown, a juggler, and a sword sallower, and labeled even worse, the dirtiest word possible…they may be labeled a Democrat.

I would look forward to your response, thank you,

Gary Branigin

Keep it Local

Lawrence,

First let me state that I enjoy NorthBay biz for its feature articles and coverage of community events and North Bay businesses.

That being said, I was very disappointed with your Publisher’s Forum column “The Circus is Back in Town” in the December issue.

Given the local nature of your publication, I initially thought that a circus must actually be coming to town. Perhaps part of the excellent Clover Sonoma Family Fun Series? I quickly realized that the “circus” was a reference to the current political climate in Washington. Still, I was hopeful when the column started with a personal story. Perhaps a reminder that we should put our political differences aside during this season of charity and giving?  Sadly, no – what I read was simply a political rant that had nothing to do with the North Bay.

With so many local issues to focus on, you pick “…a silent coup to remove a duly-elected president.” Seriously? When did NorthBay biz become a Fox News subsidiary?

I hope this column is an exception to the compelling local issues that you addressed in recent Publisher’s Forum columns: the growing marijuana economy, homelessness and housing, challenges of family-owned businesses.

I’m not against discussing politics per se, but I would rather keep it local or locally relevant! 

Regards,

Craig Love

Santa Rosa

Impeachment is Necessary

Mr. Amaturo,

While I agree with you that many Democrats have [looked] for an excuse to impeach Trump ever since he was inaugurated, I do think he now deserves to be impeached.

In addition to charges of obstruction of lawful investigations by congress, bribery and lying to the American people on numerous occasions. In general, he doesn’t understand or care how our government is supposed to function. I doubt he has ever read the Constitution that he swore to uphold.  He thinks he’s king. I believe he is unfit for the office. I believe he’s insane and too dangerous to have in the office of the president of the U.S. His incompetence can get us all killed. We can’t wait until the next election. Get him out NOW!

-David Sandine

The Need for a Wrecking Ball

Hi Lawrence,

I was frankly surprised, and I can only imagine what kind of emails you have gotten from “The Circus is Back in Town” editorial. Thank you for writing it. It clearly took some courage considering where we live. I am shocked at the vitriol and hypocrisy that I hear and see every day over President Trump. I find his approach something I couldn’t do myself and taught my son not to do, but what his election showed me is that our country needed a wrecking ball like Mr. Trump to expose and hopefully clean up our big bureaucratic, wasteful and corrupt government. There will certainly be some damage caused along the way, especially relating to language used and style of speaking. But if we could set that aside and are fair, I find myself saying [that] he does fight for America, and much of what he is doing will benefit us even if we don’t like how we got there.

I suppose if our neighbors are truly socialist or globalists they could never get to that place. My bigger concern however is the tribalism that is growing with lighting speed is probably not the solution for America. We have the Middle East as a lesson, if we choose to learn.

Best of luck. I would be curious to hear what the emails have been like.

Charlie Lawrence

President

Workrite Ergonomics