After the presidential election: Glee, heartbreak, soul-searching (Your Letters)

To the Editor:
I am devastated by the fact that America decided to vote for a liar, cheater, felon, abuser of women and all the rest, but I am so, so proud to have voted for Kamala Harris, a strong, classy, smart woman of character and decency. She led a disciplined, flawless campaign and, while her opponent stooped lower and lower, running around this country telling lies and saying crazy things about just about everyone, Harris, held to a higher standard, rose to the occasion, sharing her elevated, thoughtful, articulate message with dignity and respect for all people. I am proud to be part of a political party that is still held to a standard, still holds its own standards. I am proud of being part of a party that will concede, even when it’s a bitter pill to swallow. I am proud to be part of a party that does not support someone of such undeniably low character for reasons that don’t extend beyond petty grievances and their own pockets. No, I for one am not going back, as I will remain proud of what we have done and what we will do and I will keep fighting.
Vice President Harris, I am so sorry we let you down. You deserved so much better. I hope the momentum, energy, and joy you brought to the world these last few months will be the catalyst for a new generation of change-makers.
Maggie Nerz Iribarne
Syracuse
To The Editor:I’m in my 70s, and I haven’t written into the paper in a very long time, but I find myself needing to now.I’ve voted in many elections over the years. Sometimes my guy won, sometimes he didn’t. I was disappointed, but I was content because I always knew that the person who won had the best interests of the country at heart, even if I disagreed with some of his ideas. Until 2016, when Donald Trump was elected the first time to the most important position in the free world. After four years of lying, cheating (even his own charities), chaos, and violence at our nation’s capital beyond what I could ever have imagined, I really thought we had learned a lesson and had had enough. Yet here we are again.Honesty, integrity, duty, the truth, justice, civility, respect, selflessness — all of this used to mean something. We have thrown it all away and have apparently decided that an immoral man, a prodigious liar, a cheater, a bully and a convicted criminal is who we want to hold up to our children and the rest of the world as the best person to represent us and our country. No wonder our children are depressed and the world thinks we are a joke. Who have we to look up to and be proud of? I am heartbroken to see what we have become.After going through the horrors of the pandemic and the global chaos that followed, we have managed to emerge with an economy that is stronger and is the envy of the world, but apparently this is not enough for us. We want more; we want to “feel” better, not just be better. We have become a greedy and selfish nation, a soft nation not accustomed to the hardships, patience and perseverance of generations past. We want more, we want it all, and we want it now.As a woman, a proud American and someone who has tried every day to live the Christian values I was taught as a child, I am appalled at what we have become. And our children and grandchildren will pay the price for our careless disregard for the principles and values this country was founded on, not only in the loss of the freedoms that past generations have fought and died for, “suckers and losers” though they might have been, but in the enormous financial and environmental burdens we will have placed on their shoulders for decades to come.
Donald Trump cannot “fix” what is wrong with this country because he is the biggest example of it, of the anger and vindictiveness that has taken over our country. No one knows what crises we will face in the next four years and beyond, but going back is not an option. I would have preferred someone at the helm with the integrity, compassion and temperament to handle whatever comes. Unfortunately, I don’t see any of that in Trump or those he has surrounded himself with this time around. As someone who has been and continues to be blessed to live in the greatest country in the world, a country that despite its faults has always been great and doesn’t need to be made great “again” by anyone, all I can say is God help us through this.
Marlene Slade
Baldwinsville
To the Editor:On the front page of the Post-Standard on Nov. 7, 2024, the headline reads, “A New Trump Era Begins.” Just below that, the Post-Standard feels it’s necessary to point out, “He’s the first felon to win the White House.” And in a paragraph just below Trump’s photograph, the writer asks if Trump can be a uniter. Seriously?Isn’t it interesting how all of a sudden, after the opposition party gets decimated on Election Day, that Democrats show an interest in unity? Throughout the campaign, I heard Democrats label Trump a fascist, a racist, a misogynist, Hitler, and a host of other names. I heard President Joe Biden call Trump’s supporters garbage and Gov. Kathy Hochul characterize Trump’s supporters as anti-American.Apparently, 74 million Americans felt differently. Voters didn’t buy into the lies, such as his support of Project 2025, a national abortion ban, that he’s a fascist and a racist, and favoring tax cuts for the rich. Trump will be a president for all the people, and more than half the voters in this country believed that when casting their vote.Trump will be taking office in January with a mandate to get this country back on track. With Republican majorities in the Senate and House, he will be well on his way to fix the mess left from his predecessor. He will be up for the challenge, and he will be the best hope for unifying this country.Michael P. Russo
Syracuse
To the Editor:
My fellow Americans, for those of you who in this 2024 election voted to re-elect a person and others who are at their very core mean-spirited, please remember that you should be careful of what you wish for.In the text of a book that many of you believe in, it is also written, to paraphrase, that you shall reap what you sow. Additionally, this same book states that the sins of the father shall be passed on to his children.Consequently, as the Congressional election of 2026 and then the Presidential election of 2028 approach, we shall see if our American experiment in a democratic republic shall survive. That is the question for all of us as Americans, and that is the rub.Anthony F. Gero
Auburn
To the Editor:
In his victory speech, President-elect Donald Trump said, “It’s time to unite and we’re gonna try.” I agree with him, but not in the way that he proposes.I will never unite with the hateful characterizations directed at so many individuals and so many groups. I will never unite with arbitrary, destructive policies, incarceration or deportation, directed at hard-working individuals in actions that might separate their families. I will never unite in eliminating medical care for millions whose lives have benefited from our recent years of legislation. I will never unite to deprive women and physicians of the difficult reproductive choices that need to be made so personally. I will never unite in compromising advocacy for those many minority groups that often feel threatened by the rhetoric and implicit policies that you have proclaimed. I will never unite in personally disparaging individuals with whom I disagree, politically or religiously.However, Mr. President-elect, I will unite in a pledge to respect your peaceful transfer into power that was chosen by fellow American people, although it is the opposite of mine. I will unite with those who will listen to each other respectfully and will listen for opportunities for that difficult “no man’s land” that often includes compromise without impugning one’s integrity in our fractured politics, society and world. I will unite in service to so many of the disenfranchised, the homeless, the hungry, the poor in all ways, and the marginalized. I will try to unite with anyone of good will — even with deep disagreements — as we strive personally together for the common good.Yes, we “unite” in these ways, Mr. President-elect. And although I must admit that the Psalms of Lament are more in my mind than the Psalms of praise, I will hold you and those in your administration in the light of prayer for the individuals of our nation and the whole world.Dave Pasinski
Fayetteville
To the Editor:
President Donald J. Trump will return to the White House as the 47th President, joined by Vice President JD Vance!
Oneida County played a pivotal role in this significant popular vote victory for President Trump across the country. Trump secured a 20%+ margin of victory in Oneida County. This success is thanks to dedicated supporters who organized numerous “CNY for Trump/America First” rallies in the region during the campaign.
Republicans are celebrating across the nation. We reclaimed the White House from Vice President Kamala Harris, delivering a decisive blow to the Democrat establishment with record-setting victories nationwide. Alongside this White House win, the GOP has secured a majority in the U.S. Senate and is on track to reclaim the majority in the House of Representatives, a trifecta sweep.
I extend my sincere gratitude to the many citizen volunteers of “CNY for Trump,” our new Oneida County Republican Chairman Ken Roser, and newly elected committee members who played vital roles in this campaign. Their tireless work boosted support not just locally for President Trump, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Congressman Brandon Williams and Assembly candidate Christine Esposito, but also in critical battleground states. Our team contributed to voter turnout efforts by making calls to Pennsylvania and writing postcards to voters in Georgia.
God bless America and President-elect Trump! Here’s to four prosperous and glorious years ahead.
Jim Zecca
Utica
The writer is a CNY for Trump Volunteer and member of the new Oneida County Republican Committee.
To the Editor:
If you haven’t already, you will no doubt soon hear that “most people voted for Donald Trump.” This simply isn’t true. In fact, less than a third of eligible voters cast their ballots for Trump. While it is true that Trump is a threat to democracy, the election we just experienced shows that our democracy was already on life support.
The Democratic Party, as the only opposition party with any institutional power, obviously has some soul-searching to do if it wants to excite any of the nearly 40% of eligible voters who didn’t show up to the polls — much less convince Trump voters of the obvious truth: We deserve much better than both the status quo and the future Trump promises, a future that looks bleak, indeed.
It must be noted that if Trump gets his way, the future will not be good for anyone — not even those who voted for him. The incoming inflation will not discriminate based on how one voted; the incoming climate collapse will not discriminate based on how one voted; the inevitable pregnancy complications requiring abortions will not discriminate based on voter preference; the promised mass deportations will be disruptive to us all, no matter where we were born or how we voted.
Now, more than ever, we must demand that our representatives in the House and Senate not only oppose the Trump agenda, but also provide us with an agenda worth voting for. The very idea of a future at all depends on it.
Eric Graf
Brooklyn
The writer formerly lived in Syracuse.
To the Editor:I am not a political scientist, an economist or a pundit. I am simply an older middle-class citizen who pays attention to politics and history. I am a Democrat and I voted for Kamala Harris. And of course, I am disappointed in the outcome of this free and fair election. For me, the most important issue was the Constitution, and the solvency of this democratic republic. But the majority of Americans have voted for Donald Trump. I am surprised, but not angry. I am thoughtfully trying to understand why. For years now, I have seen the growing wealth disparity in this country, and have expressed concern that it has not been addressed more forcefully by any party. And I have wondered when the “middle class revolution” would take place. I think we can say that it just did. Voters cast their vote in droves, and it appears to me that their growing dissatisfaction with their economic status quo had hit the tipping point. A disgruntled mass of people, who have felt “left out” or “left behind” in the greatest economy in the world had their say. People smarter than I can dissect that further. But when the top 1% own 90% of the country’s assets, and their lawyers and accountants help them, at some point, the pot boils over. Blame the Democrats for this? I say no. President Joe Biden was handed an economy in turmoil and here we are in a “soft landing.” He was also the sad inheritor of the worst public health crisis in 100 years. And yet many thousands of lives were saved with early testing and Covid vaccines, funded by the government. But inflation was inevitable with the government giveaways, and all the dollars that were printed. Did the government money help people stay in their homes, apartments and put food on the table? Yes. But the supply chain problems that followed fueled the inflation that has dragged many down. Although that issue is improving, it is not fast enough for the folks whose wages have not kept pace. Fuel for their resentment? You bet!Do Democrats need to do some introspection about their messaging/communication, and about reaching out to those folks who revolted? Yes! Some in that group call Democrats the Deep State, the Woke Left, while Trump tends to refer to Democrats as “the enemy within.” Or are Dems the becoming the party of what David Axelrod calls not elites, but “smarty pants, suburban, college-educated party.” Ouch! Of course that is not the complete story, but certainly is a perception. What is true is that they have failed to appeal to many working-class folks. If Democrats want to get it right, they have to have conversations with those who left for Trump. And have an agenda that communicates easily to those working-class folks who don’t have the time or patience to listen to “politician’s talk.” And that agenda has to be comprehensive enough to address the income inequality in this country. The revolution of the socioeconomic middle and lower classes was inevitable. It’s too bad that their standard bearer is a charlatan who has used their real grievances to achieve his quest for power, to become a demagogue, and begin his quest to put this democracy in jeopardy. Patricia Westcott Carranti
Manlius
To the Editor:
I disagree with your Nov. 10, 2024, editorial on the future with Donald Trump (“What becomes of CHIPS Act, economy, Ukraine under Trump?”)
Micron support is corporate welfare paid by the taxpayer. Government picks the winners, not the market. That is unsustainable and is used more to garner votes than to promote the economy. Tax cuts and fewer restrictions promote real growth.
Yes, inflation is down but prices are not! Food, gas and housing prices are all up but real wages are down and it’s crushing people.
Trump tax cuts raised more federal tax revenue than any previous year. His spending was the reason for the deficit and I agree that’s a major problem, but one that is not unique to Trump. Congress’s inability to get a balanced budget (their job) and the president’s lack of concern for a balanced budget has haunted America for a long time. The media’s concern for deficits only occurs when the party they oppose is in office. This, too, is also a major problem.
Your stance on the war in the Ukraine makes no sense. To continue funding a war that Ukraine cannot win is to condemn thousands upon thousands more to a senseless death. Wars take people and Ukraine doesn’t have them. So without soldiers from other countries — widening the war — Ukraine cannot win. Trump sees this and knows a compromise that unfortunately favors Russia is the only logical solution.
Your views are all bent against Trump, always have been. I believe you have failed in your No. 1 mission as journalists by following your bias instead of facts. The economy was rolling under Trump, his tax cuts brought in more money than before, and Russia, China, Iran and North Korea were neutralized.
Hire some editors with a difference of opinion. Diversity of thought will enrich your life, your organization and your community.Alan Pack
Manlius
To the Editor:
I’m writing to express my appreciation for your recent choice to feature an important article on climate change in the wake of the presidential election (“How will Trump 2.0 alter global climate fighting efforts,” Nov. 9, 2024). The article provides a summary of how the recent presidential election will play out on the world stage of climate negotiations, and the effect the U.S. change of leadership will likely have on the group dynamics of the big players in the negotiations. The conclusions are not particularly encouraging to those of us concerned about the future of the planet. So, is this a time for us to pull back, regroup and contemplate our options for when a climate-friendly regime retakes Washington?
I don’t think so. This is exactly the time for us to understand that, as big as this election may be, the changes in our climate will continue unabated. Over the next four years we will likely see an acceleration of billion-dollar hurricanes, floods, and wildfires; the extinctions of more and more species; and rapidly increasing prices for everything from homeowners’ insurance to groceries. Everyone — Republicans, Independents and Democrats — will suffer these consequences. The time has come for us to drop the us-versus-them mentality on what to do about the climate. We need to deploy the policy recommended by the majority of economists — making polluters pay for the damage they are doing — a policy that should be acceptable to conservatives and liberals alike. A Nov. 8, 2024, article in the Post-Standard (“Carbon pollution from high-flying rich soars”) summarizes the situation nicely:
“The [billionaires] are clinging to their private jets and oil profits, while regular people are seeing floods, hurricanes and wildfires.”
House Rep.-elect John Mannion, please demonstrate your centrist, bipartisan intentions by sponsoring legislation that places a price on carbon pollution when the bill is introduced the next Congressional session. Also, please work to protect the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, landmark legislation that is just beginning to show its positive effects on both the climate and the economy.
Robert Kuehnel
Volunteer, CNY Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby
LaFayette
To the Editor:
Have I got this right? We took a convicted felon, congenital liar, habitual cheater, serial sexual predator, draft-dodging coward, foul-mouthed blowhard and raging egomaniac and put him back in charge of the same government he tried to overthrow less than four years ago? Can that possibly be true?
If you hear a spinning sound in the distance, that would be men like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and millions of American soldiers rolling over in their graves.
Just one question: Will Nov. 11 now be known as “Suckers and Losers Day” ?
Just asking.
Dave Disinger
Syracuse