No one wins in war

As a veteran of the Vietnam Theater of War, I know the lasting impacts that U.S. militarism wreaks on our society, with a culture of violence and glorification of the military and war. U.S. militarism and the war industry, lavishly funded by our government, hold war or the threat of war as a higher priority than the security of our children, our communities, and our global environment and climate.

This Memorial Day I commemorate all who have died in war, and understand that no one wins in war. We must extend that national mourning to remember the civilian victims, and their families. Honoring and remembering some deaths, while ignoring others (including enemy combatants) not only perpetuates war, but also ignores the moral injuries of war, a significant cause of veteran suicide.

We should not seek to glorify either warriors or war. Rather, veterans should seek to educate the public about the follies of war and the costs of war — human, economic, political, and environmental/climate. The American War in Indochina killed over 58,000 U.S. service persons and more than 2 million Vietnamese civilians. U.S. military deaths from all of our wars exceed 1.3 million, while over 48.6 million civilians were killed. When we add in the people who continue to die from the effects of Agent Orange in Southeast Asia and those who die from exposure to depleted uranium munitions and burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, the numbers increase every year. Remember the true costs of war this Memorial Day!

Douglas M. Mason, Port Matilda

Trump’s resume for president

Donald Trump is applying for the job of president. The following is the part of his resume that he won’t share with voters.

A Trump administration will make no progress on climate change, gun violence, abortion, voting rights, immigration and numerous other issues. Trump wants to tear up the Constitution. There goes the rule of law and the protections it gives to all persons. But you can be certain that there will be more lies. It was been reported that Trump lied over 30,000 times during his presidency. You can’t believe anything he says. His justification for being president is based on hate and revenge. Shouldn’t we be focused in the future, instead of re-litigating the past?

Trump disrespects women. Would you trust him to be alone with your daughter? Trump may be in prison in 2025. Do you want the complexities of the U.S. Government to be run from a prison cell? There is much evidence that Trump is a racist and bully, has used shady business practices all his life, is potentially a felon, and supports violence when it furthers his agenda. If Trump wins, Kim Jong Un won’t be the only one writing him love letters. NATO may collapse. China may become the world’s No. 1 superpower. Do you find these prospects frightening? If Donald Trump were to go for a job interview with a resume like this would you hire him? Cast your vote as if you were hiring someone for a job that you’re paying for. Vote Democratic.

Randolph Thomas, State College