Rick Notkin: Consider Trump’s actual control before making wild claims

To The Daily Sun, 

Regarding Jon Paul’s letter (Aug. 28) and to the rest of the never Trumpers: while Mr. Paul makes some reasonable criticisms, he also dives deeply into subjects outside of the president’s control. What effect would Donald Trump have on, say, household expenses? (we were told that Joe Biden had no control), homelessness? (a local issue), global warming? (isn’t it “climate change” now? I’m so behind).

Have we forgotten that: the southern border is now effectively closed? (only Congress can do that, we were told), that DOGE made some significant progress discovering fraud and waste? (more money freed up), that violent crime is way down? (with firearm sales up), we have more freedom of speech than most other countries? (see Mr. Paul’s letter, et al.).

Government slaughtering innocent citizens? Does he mean the two citizens who were interfering with legal ICE operations? Hardly a mass slaughter.

Can anyone explain how America would be so much better under a Kamala Harris and Tim Walz administration? I won’t hold my breath.

Now for the more serious subject: the “genocide in Gaza." This includes James Ververka (Aug. 26). So many keep using that word incorrectly.

When there is a genocide, does the subject population increase or decrease? Gaza’s population has increased.

There are two groups chiefly responsible for the situation in Gaza: Hamas and the Gazans who voted for them, supported them, and joined in on Oct. 7.

If there had been no attack, if they had not taken hostages, if the hostages had been turned immediately over without additional harm — no news. The Israelis left Gaza in 2005. The Gazans made their beds and didn’t want to lie in them.

If Israeli really wanted to do so, Gaza would now be a coastal amusement park. Instead, the Israel Defense Forces lost lives working door to door to root out terrorists.

Rick Notkin

Gilford