Letters: The danger of ‘so what?’; Exemplifying Christian virtues and values

Editor’s note: The Centre Daily Times welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the Nov. 5 election and will accept letters that are received by Oct. 25. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.

The danger of ‘so what?’

The recent court filing by Special Counsel Jack Smith reveals a very telling comment from Donald Trump. Informed that Mike Pence was under attack, with his life potentially in danger, DJT callously replied “So what?”

At this point, Pence had already demonstrated his integrity and patriotism by refusing to follow Trump’s call to send various electoral vote certifications back to their state legislatures for “correction.” With Pence no longer of any value to Trump in pulling off his brazen election scheme, Pence’s personal safety was not even important to Trump. His “so what?” comment powerfully demonstrates the depths of Trump’s depravity. How much lower will he sink?

And yet, nearly half the voting population still believes Donald Trump should become our president once again. Why is that?

Some say that Kamala Harris is “too much like Biden,” and they are seeking a change. But what kind of change would a Trump/Vance administration bring? Their pronouncements suggest a future where the president could investigate and incarcerate his political opponents, future elections could be fixed to keep Republicans in power forever (with blessings from the Supreme Court), Ukraine (and likely other Eastern European nations) would be taken over by Russia, rash imposition of tariffs on imported goods would lead to massive price inflation, further tax cuts would explode our already-too-high national debt, and migrant deportations would create a serious labor shortage.

The change to be created by such ill-conceived voting decisions is not the kind of change we need.

Exemplifying Christian virtues and values

A leader who touts himself as one who stands for and defends Christian virtues and values, should in fact exemplify those virtues and values. As a Christian myself, I’ve been watching and listening to Donald Trump now for years as one who claims to be such a leader. God’s Word as written in the Bible, Galatians 5:22,23 categorically lists the virtues and values of Christianity (“Fruits of the Holy Spirit”):

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Gentleness

Faithfulness

Self control

Chapter 5 also lists the antithesis of Christian virtues and values (“fruits of the sinful nature”):

Hostility

Quarreling

Outbursts of anger

Jealousy

Selfish ambition

Dissension

Discord

Factions

In the Book of Matthew 7:15-20, in Jesus’s own words he says: “Watch out for false prophets ... By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit ...”

Considering the biblical evidence, Donald Trump matches little if any of the “Fruits of the Holy Spirit,” but with his words and by his actions, seems to be the antithesis. Is this the kind man we want as our president? Is this the kind of man we want representing America? And lastly, to my brothers and sisters of faith, is this the kind of man we truly believe exemplifies Christian virtues and values, and is a likely role model for those examining or considering our faith? I for one certainly do not.

Tariffs hurt American consumers

Donald Trump has proposed imposing a 20% tariff on all imports and a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, and in one instance, a 200% tariff on John Deere tractors if the company outsources production. Kamala Harris refers to these tariffs as a sales tax that could cost American families nearly $4,000 annually.

So, how do tariffs really work?

When a company imports a product, they pay the tariff (tax) to the U.S. government and then pass those costs on to consumers. The exporting country pays nothing.

Targeted tariffs can prevent a foreign country from flooding the market with products priced below real market value and can protect industries that are crucial for national defense. However, imposing tariffs can lead to retaliation and spark trade wars. After Trump imposed tariffs on China during his first term, China retaliated by reducing agricultural imports from the U.S., which had a devastating impact on U.S. farmers. The government’s bailout of farmers cost $28 billion.

Take a look in your closet and refrigerator. How many items are from other countries? Clothes from Asia could become 20-60% more expensive. If you want winter produce from Mexico and bananas from Central America, your food costs could increase by 20%. Can you afford these price hikes?

While it’s crucial that we safeguard critical U.S. industries with the selective use of tariffs, Kamala Harris is correct in saying that blanket tariffs essentially function as a national sales tax.