Letters: Corman now on the ‘Trump Clown Car’; Benninghoff continues divisive rhetoric

Corman now on the ‘Trump Clown Car’

With his call for a “forensic” investigation of the 2020 presidential election, like the debacle in Arizona, Jake Corman has jumped on board the Trump Clown Car. Driver Rudy Giuliani had his law license suspended for spreading lies about voter fraud. Earlier this month, clown Mike Lindell, better known as the pillow guy, promised evidence of widespread fraud that would have Trump reinstated. There was no evidence and there is no such thing as reinstatement. Clown Sidney Powell was recently sanctioned by a federal judge in Michigan and her license to practice law is under investigation. Her defense is everybody should have known she was lying about Dominion voting machines flipping votes for Trump to Biden.

The problem is not everyone knows these clowns were and are lying. Millions believe them and the lies fueled the violent and deadly insurrection on Jan. 6. Let’s stop Corman from wasting time and tax payer dollars to perpetuate Trump’s big lie.

Benninghoff continues divisive rhetoric

Rep. Kerry Benninghoff’s recent interview with the editorial staff of the Lewistown Sentinel is inconsistent, hypocritical, and — despite claims of “eyes and ears to the ground” — dismissive of the concerns and challenges facing his constituents. His insistence that the fundamental problem is a lack of “pride in America” is intentionally divisive. It deepens an “us” vs. “them” mentality while deflecting attention from his role in nearly 25 years of eroding the opportunities he claims to champion.

Access to affordable child care is a significant challenge for many working families, and is only exacerbated by the pandemic. Likewise, apprenticeships are wonderful but nowhere near as readily available as he describes — although it’s ironic that he touts these overwhelmingly union-sponsored programs, given the GOP’s long-standing opposition to worker rights. And the implication that workforce development opportunities are “virtually free” will surprise the 1 in 7 Pennsylvanians struggling under crushing student loan debt.

While Benninghoff notes that freedom implies responsibility in military service, he ignores the fact that citizens and elected officials also have a social responsibility to protect their friends and neighbors. Medical professionals have endorsed common-sense public health measures such as mask and vaccine requirements, but Kerry and GOP leadership continue their opposition or simply remain silent.

Benninghoff’s divisive rhetoric does not help the people and communities of central Pennsylvania. We must send representatives to Harrisburg who are focused not on partisan talking points, but on helping solve the very real problems of the people and communities they represent.

Vaccination rate hard to believe

I don’t think there has ever been a pandemic movie where the problem was that 50% of people don’t want to take the vaccine.

Does anyone remember a movie like that?

The pandemic movies are always about finding the cure, a vaccine, and then everything is back to normal.

Can you imagine a zombie movie where the problem is that your neighbor just doesn’t get vaccinated and infects your wife, husband, sister, brother, son, daughter, mother, father ...

Oh wait, you don’t have to imagine. It’s happening now in the USA.