Letter to the editor: Contrasting Trump and Palmer, Rogers
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Over 25 years ago, my wife and I decided to move to the Latrobe area to raise a family. It seemed impossible to imagine a better place — after all, this was the home of Mister Rogers and Arnold Palmer, American icons known to the world for their grace, charity and kindness. People of this area were proud to be from here and seemed to want to live up to their standard.
So it has been with amazement that I’ve watched the grip Donald Trump has taken over Westmoreland County. I’m not alone. I once asked former Gov. Tom Ridge, after one of Trump’s visits to Latrobe, to contrast him with these two men of honor. He replied that Rogers and Palmer were “two uniquely American treasures” while Trump was “a man who lacks the humanity, civility and empathy that Arnold Palmer and Mister Rogers projected and lived throughout their inspired lives.”
In a town that raised men who were examples to all of America and the world — showing that character does indeed matter — here is hoping that one day soon the spell will be broken, and we can move on from this divisive nightmare and restore some level of dignity and kindness.
Robert Shaw
Greensburg