Biden pardon sets dangerous precedent

“No one is above the law,” a notable quote President Joe Biden made on July 1, showing himself as an enforcer of the law lining up with his campaign rhetoric to bring back some semblance of unity to the U.S. Four years after his victory, on Dec. 1, Biden acted against the will of a jury of his son’s peers and pardoned him. Hunter Biden was charged for avoiding payment of over $1.4 million in taxes and possession of a firearm while lying about his abuse of narcotics. He was facing over 40 years in prison.

Biden’s undermining of the justice system has shown the true colors of the Democratic establish­ment’s hypocrisy. Instead of pardoning men like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange who exposed corruption and illegal espionage, Biden would rather ensure his son’s privilege of being a Washington patrician. Very few ever escape the charges brought forward against Hunter, especially with his guilty plea and the overwhelming evidence. The standard this sets is disastrous and leaves us at the whim of future presidents to abuse the pardon on whomever they see fit.

While many will point to the president-elect’s previous charges, we cannot ignore that the rhetoric of the Democratic Party conflicted with its actions. No one can claim to be against corruption and be for upholding the law and then undermine our republic’s institutions. This has shown us the continued willingness of DNC leadership to save their own while leaving — or causing — the opposition to suffer.

Charles Karelitz

Monroeville

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With pardon, Biden cements legacy as worst president ever

By now, I’m sure you are aware that Joe Biden has soiled himself, the Democratic Party and every Democrat who has supported that dying party by pardoning his criminal son after swearing for the past two years that he would allow the justice system to run its course, regardless of the outcome.

Even much of the legacy media, which to me is part and parcel of the Democratic Party, is shocked, or at least feigning shock. Some pundits are claiming Biden has “tainted” his legacy by lying about his respect for the law, claiming “no one is above the law,” and now publicly spitting on that concept.

But in my opinion, Biden has not tainted his legacy; he has actually cemented his legacy as not only the worst president ever, but also the worst liar ever. So much of what Everything he has ever claimed, from “the border is secure” to “inflation is transitory” to “Trump is a threat to our democracy,” has been lies. Now the Democratic Party is left in tatters, with a failed candidate who wasted $1.5 billion on a campaign that had no idea how to fix what Biden broke, but gave much of the money to the richest people on the planet for favorable, but meaningless, endorsements.

Democrats and their media allies are now lost in an ideology of identity politics, victimhood and elitism that Americans overwhelmingly rejected, and which will end up in the dustbin of history, where it belongs.

Bob Jacobs

Unity

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Strengthening our voting process

The voting process goal is not to have a large turnout, but to have a secure and accurate process. The article “Trust in election fades as lies swell” (Nov. 3) indicated people are losing confidence in our election process. I contend recent changes make the process more vulnerable. Here are some suggestions:

• Paper ballots and manual tabulation increase the time and chance for errors. Strengthen automation.

• Mail-in voting increases the chance for errors, plus there is lost mail, late arrivals and increased burden and time on tabulation. It should be discouraged, not promoted.

• Early voting is too long in some areas. Too much can happen in our fast-paced society. Pass a law to limit it to 10 days, or less.

• Same-day registration, ballot completion and voting increases chance of errors and fraud and doesn’t allow sufficient time for verification. Separate registration from voting.

• Drop boxes provide easy opportunity to destroy and/or stuff ballots. They also require extra time and effort to secure and validate ballots. Eliminate them. If people can get to a drop box, they can get to an early voting or election polling place.

• The federal government should issue rules to make the voting process more uniform among the states.

• Photo ID should be required. There is simply no reason not to have one.

Tom Cerra

Latrobe

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National Popular Vote Law

There has been a lot of squabbling about whether the U.S. is a republic or a democracy. From what I understand, it has to do with the Electoral College. If you are a Republican, you want to keep the Electoral College and thus call the U.S. a republic. If you are are Democrat, you want to abolish the Electoral College and thus call the U.S. a democracy. Basically, the Electoral College gives Republicans the possibility to achieve minority rule as in George Bush’s and Donald Trump’s first terms. The caution to Republicans is that Trump just won the popular vote.

Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, the National Popular Vote Law will take effect when enacted by states with a majority of the electoral votes (270 of 538). Then the presidential candidate receiving the most popular votes in all 50 states and D.C. will get all the electoral votes from all the enacting states. That is, the candidate receiving the most popular votes nationwide will be guaranteed enough electoral votes to become president.

The National Popular Vote Compact has been enacted into law by 17 states and D.C., including five small states (Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont), nine medium-sized states (Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Washingon) and three big states (California, Illinois, New York). These jurisdictions have 209 of the 270 electoral votes needed to activate the law. The bill has passed one legislative chamber in seven states with 74 electoral votes (Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, Virginia).

Lawrence Josephs

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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How will deportations help us?

I’m wondering exactly how deporting millions of undocumented people living in America is going to personally benefit me.

I never believed the lie told by Donald Trump and others of that ilk that Haitians are stealing and eating family pets. Nor do I understand how sending them back to their homelands will make my life better. I’m not a pet owner.

I’m wondering how deporting those brown-skinned workers who cleaned my room and prepared and served my meals while I was traveling will work to my advantage.

Knowing that many of those marked for deportation are likely to include field workers who do the back-breaking labor that puts fruits and vegetables on my table has me concerned. While occasionally missing a few meals probably wouldn’t harm me, I do wonder who will replace those toilers, identified years ago as food chain victims in the documentary film “Harvest of Shame.” Will food prices increase as a result of a labor shortage?

What of those employed in service industries already at or near the bottom rungs of our economic ladder? Do we have a population anxious to take those jobs?

It can’t be that the plans to deport millions of people has anything to do with skin color … or can it? Please don’t tell me that this just might be part of a desire and hope of those wishing to Make America White Again. Nah!

Glenn Plummer

Unity

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Hypocrisy about socialism

This Thanksgiving I was so grateful that this election cycle was over. No longer will I be assailed by diatribes from Social Security pensioners about the evils of socialism. OK, to be fair and honest, I only hear about 10 seconds of their “reasoning” before my ears involuntarily shut down to keep my head from exploding.

For many years I had the honor and privilege of working at the Pentagon with some fine military officers and enlisted men and women. However, this election cycle was almost as difficult as trying to avoid listening to certain retired career military railing against the evils of socialism as they collected their pensions, double dipped with a federal job they got with veterans preference while getting their free college degrees at taxpayers’ expense, many of them after spending the bulk, if not all, of their 20-year military careers pushing papers at the Pentagon or some other military installation.

I hope all these folks are happy when they get a taste of unbridled capitalism. Please, just don’t tell me about it.

Kathleen Acklin

Highland Park

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Russell Wilson a blessing for Steelers

Since last March when the Steelers signed Russell Wilson, up until his recent success, the word in the ’Burgh and nationally was that Wilson is washed up like Tom Hanks in “Cast Away.” But unlike Hanks and his imaginary friend Wilson, this script Russell Wilson is writing defies odds and is headed for a climax even Steven Spielberg couldn’t imagine.

Proving the naysayers wrong, he has resuscitated a Steelers franchise left dead in the water. Tired of treading in the waters of mediocrity and realizing Kenny Pickett was not capable of leading them to the promised land, a few iconic, aging veterans recruited Wilson to Pittsburgh. It’s been a match made in heaven.

Wilson’s positivity and wisdom has been infectious and united the Steelers. His aura is something I’ve never seen with any quarterback to don the black and gold. Possessing intangibles and leadership skills needed to achieve greatness on and off the field, he has been the savior the Steelers needed. A blessing from the football gods, or God himself, for Wilson, the sky is the limit.

Wilson’s unwavering faith in God is another story. Steelers fans should have the same faith that this fairy-tale story will end in New Orleans with the Steelers being “Super” again.

Josh McLachlan

South Side

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