It’s not just whining when we have a sincere concern

Dec 25, 2024
Dec 25, 2024 Updated Apr 14, 2025
12

Editor,

Regarding Bob Wackerman’s most recent letter (“Move on” Dec. 21-22), which was in retort to Irv Brenner’s letter of Dec. 17, which supported my letter of Dec. 9 (still following?): I note that Mr. Wackerman still has not addressed or refuted a single point I made in my letter of Dec. 9. It’s not just whining when we have a sincere concern for the future of this country under a narcissistic and mercurial authoritarian. We are true patriots, after all.

(12) comments

Terence Y Dec 28, 2024 1:40pm

I agree, Mr. Wright, you and Mr. Brenner were “not just whining.” You were both also hysterically screeching based on your hatred of Trump being greater than your love for America. But don’t worry, the future of this country under a narcissistic and mercurial authoritarian, and treasonous, Biden is almost over. True patriots have made their voice heard and have re-elected our great President Trump to Make America Great Again.

Not So Common Dec 26, 2024 8:45am

Brian, you may feel your opinions are sincere, but when your concerns have been rebuked with facts over and over to nauseam, then it means you are misguided. It's time to turn off CNN & Barney, unsubscribe to the NY Times or any other far left lying tabloid you read. 2025 is going to be great, unless you stick to the same fictional ideas.

Brian Wright Dec 27, 2024 4:15pm

What "facts" do you refer to, pray tell?

Ray Fowler Dec 25, 2024 10:48am

Merry Christmas, Brian

Here's hoping your Christmas Day will kick off a healthy, happy and prosperous 2025. Let's cast out all the lumps of coal in our stockings hung over the fireplace.

There were plenty of left leaning coal bearing pundits who predicted the end of democracy if their candidate did not win the presidency... they were wrong. There are some left leaning coal bearing pundits who are now lamenting the demise of the Democratic Party... they are wrong, too.

Another long-time coal bearing left wing spox, Robert Reich, advises fellow Democrats to not invite relatives to holiday dinners if those relatives voted for the president elect. Robert is very wrong. I'm guessing all those pundits and spoxes were calling for unity four years ago. They could do so now... even George Bailey wished Henry Potter, "Merry Christmas!"

You can have a great 2025... toss those lumps of coal aside.

Brian Wright Dec 27, 2024 4:20pm

Hi Ray. I haven't seen Reich's pronouncement, but disagree (although historically, I've usually agreed with him). It's not a black-and-white world, there are shades of gray to everyone, and I maintain friendly relations with some Trump-supporting friends and relatives. We find other things to discuss and agree upon. As for the end of democracy, check back with me in four years. In the meantime, I'll go from day to day hoping for the best. I'd be happy to be wrong.

Ray Fowler Dec 28, 2024 8:17am

Good morning, Brian

I disagree. I think we are hearing whining from the left side of the aisle.

Last weekend, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) addressed such reactions from the left during an interview on ABC. He said, "If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation. And, and I'm not ever going to be where I want a president to fail. So, country first."

I'll go out on a limb a little bit... it looks like the senator doesn't believe someone rooting against the president is a true patriot.

Brian Wright Dec 30, 2024 6:36pm

Concern for the future of our country is not rooting against the president.

Brian Wright Dec 30, 2024 6:40pm

Oops, hit "post" too soon. People I know who are upset about the election are not rooting against the president. They are, like I am, simply concerned about what's going to happen in this country under Trump. Such concern is patriotic -- we want the best for this country but are afraid that's not what's going to happen. As I said, I hope I'm wrong. Others on my side presumably hope they're wrong too.

Ray Fowler Dec 31, 2024 11:35am

Good morning, Brian

Looking at your earlier posts, you seem to be concerned that the president-elect plans to toss aside our government’s system of checks and balances. Those very checks and balances prohibit one person from doing so. You seem to be concerned that the president-elect wreaked incalculable damage on our country during his first term in office. Were you concerned about an open border, rising inflation, rising crime or foreign policy gaffes during the current administration?

You insist you are merely expressing a concern re: the outcome of the 2024 election. Let’s look at the first sentence of your “Determined resistance” LTE published two weeks after last month’s election. You wrote, “We of sound mind find it appalling to lose the country to the misinformed, the ignorant, the naive and gullible, the deluded, the paranoid, the xenophobic and the extreme right with visions of an autocratic takeover.”

OK… we can call such language “grumbling” or “grousing” or any other synonym for the word “whining” but the meaning of those opening words is crystal clear. At the end of the second paragraph of your LTE, you tell us that you are mourning the “travesty” of the more than 77 million voters electing someone to the presidency other than your preferred candidate. In this instance, it’s just a case of “A rose by any other name…” Mourning is whining.

It also smacks of rooting for the next administration to fail. Sen. Fetterman (D-PA) tells us that rooting for such a failure is rooting against the nation. That’s not patriotic.

You can have a great 2025… I hope you choose to do so.

Brian Wright Dec 31, 2024 4:23pm

Hi Ray. I disagree with your analysis, conclusions, and extrapolations, but we can just agree to disagree. I will do my best to have a good 2025 and trust you will as well.

Ray Fowler Dec 31, 2024 5:40pm

Brian

One more post before the New Year begins. I only have 20 minutes before January 1 officially arrives in Nuuk, Greenland. The celebration in Nuuk will usher in the New Year in North America.

A question just leaps off the page. Were you concerned about an open border, rising inflation, rising crime or foreign policy gaffes during the current administration? When your candidate was asked what could be done about the current administration's failures, the response was, "Not a thing comes to mind." Maybe you were not concerned, but more than 77 million Americans absolutely thought those issues were serious matters of concern.

Your lamentations over the RNC's 2024 campaign bemoaned what you labeled as fear mongering and propaganda. Skrrrrip!! (sound of a stylus scraping across a vinyl record) The mantra... a Republican victory will be the end of our democracy and the Republican candidate is a racist and fascist were inescapable. There was fear mongering and propaganda aplenty coming from the left side of the aisle.

After November 5, the 2025 New Year is already off to a great start.

Dirk van Ulden Dec 25, 2024 7:16am

Brian - please get a life. Why have concerns about issues that you are apparently making up? The reason for not getting responses is that your points are irrelevant but some of us are still polite enough to make that clear. Carpe Diem, Brian!

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