Letters to the editor for Saturday, November 9, 2024

The American people have reclaimed their nation with a very clear and historical mandate.  Bloomberg News reported $21 billion was spent on both presidential and congressional races and Kamala Harris alone outspent Donald Trump 2 to 1.  The media was in the Harris corner and promoted fear and hysteria if Trump were to win and Harris and her supporters labeled MAGA advocates as Nazis and fascists.  None of these condescending actions mattered.
Trump won anyway, by wide margins.  People were upset by the Biden/Harris agenda greatly influenced by progressive/socialistic policies advocated by Senator Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (AOC).  Instead, voters wanted common sense government that will rebuild our nation like it was years ago, with a strong industrial base, fair justice, economic stability, global respect, and legal immigration.
To Bernie Sanders and AOC, I hope you see the monster you created and American voters have firmly rejected.  Instead, let us all work together.  Now it is up to Trump and a Republican Congress to deliver.  I sure hope they can.  I voted for this change to save our country and our Constitution.  Senator John F. Kennedy said in 1958 “let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democrat answer, but the right answer.”
Frank Mazur, Fort Myers
Despite receiving huge amounts from billionaire donors like Bloomberg and Gates, Harris/Walz didn’t win one swing state! Those lame TV ads were ineffective, and the public quickly recognized that Kamala had no real message for the American people. She seemed inauthentic and out of touch with mainstream America. 
John Galotto, M.D., Naples
Has anyone seen or heard from DeNiro, J.Lo, Beyonce, Perry, Swift, LeBron James, Springsteen, Baldwin and more? Didn’t think so. What a worthless bunch of clueless fools. You are truly pathetic! And those of you who promised to leave the USA if Trump won, have you packed yet?
Michael Adler, Miromar Lakes
Demagogues, would-be dictators and tyrants have always been among us. Nothing new there. What is new and shocking, at least to me, is that most Americans enthusiastically embrace and elect as president someone who announced beforehand that he would govern in that manner. 
A majority of Americans want a convicted felon, with seriously flawed character traits, who has threatened to use the military against his “enemies within” etc. governing them in tyrannical fashion; hoping to get lower grocery prices and the expulsion of some immigrants. 
We have sold ourselves and democracy cheap. The high price will come soon enough.
Ed OKeefe, Bonita Springs 
Deplorables. Garbage. Stupid and weak. Policies that nearly destroyed our country. Democrats haven’t learned anything from their crushing defeat. They believe they lost because 73 million voters are mysogonist, racist, stupid, and unsophisticated. Their lack of self awareness is off the charts. Now blue state governors are warning that they are going to protect their citizens from Trump. Do they mean the illegal immigrants, crime in their cities, inflation, businesses exiting thier states? Or do they mean they don’t want the billions in federal government aid for roads, education, health care? Ha! More hypocrisy.
The billion dollars spent by Democrats went down the drain. The bait and switch didn’t work. Trump won the Electoral College, all seven swing states, and the popular vote. The GOP also won majorities in the Senate and House and governorships in 27 states. This is a complete repudiation of the progressive, radical, Marxist movement in the USA.
The incompetent, DEI/woke misfits that comprised Joe Biden’s government will soon be gone. To those that want to resist, good luck. 73 million Americans disagree with you. This time around, nobody will believe your lies nor tolerate your unlawful behavior. Nobody is listening to the Democrat Party media industrial complex and their propaganda. You just got roundly beaten. Stay mad. Stay in denial. Keep blaming the voters for your failures, and you’ll keep losing elections.
Michael Mainelli, Estero
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my friends and neighbors who thought it wise to elect to our highest office a sexual abuser, a criminal felon, a man who previously caused the death of nearly one million of our fellow citizens due to his criminally negligent handling of the COVID pandemic. I could go on and on but am limited by a word count.
Please remember, when some tragic event, like a mass shooting or denial of medical care, or perhaps a stock market crash, affects you directly, it could have been avoided had we a sane, thoughtful, concerned leader, you voted for it.Because of you, we have a man who is determined to dismantle our democracy with the help of his good friend, Putin.
Madelaine Gardner, Naples
The News-Press over the past several months has waged a hard-working campaign to keep Donald Trump from winning the recent election.
From the editorials to the “news” stories, to the columnists and letters to the  editor, the campaign has been admirable. In the past week you have called him “vitriolic” (11/25), “acidic,” “outlandish,” “racist,” “fearmongerer” (11/4), “liar,” “scary” (11/3).
And in a final effort on 10/27 (just nine days before the election) you printed 14 letters to the editor of a political nature and 13 of them were against Trump. I guess you hoped that ratio (13:1) would be seen as representative of your viewership.
You gave it your best shot.  But apparently the American people did not agree. Better luck next time.
Larry Bowman, Bonita Springs
It would appear that among his many other talents, Donald Trump is prescient.  Upon the presidential election of an astonishingly ignorant, twice impeached, convicted felon and rapist, thief, serial liar and all-around con man, the United States of America is now officially a third-world country. 
Wilburn P. Reed, Fort Myers
Was the election surprising to Fort Myers residents? Was it surprising to the larger country? Everyone that I know feels that life was better under the Trump administration, simply for the price of goods and services and most importantly, the price of fuel. For all the upset greenies out there, oil is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. Try getting your mail, air travel or food without it.
Won’t we be judged harshly by superior alien life when our society collapses due to lack of food and skyrocketing prices when we had all of this cheap fuel right under our feet?
I’m sick of the woke agenda, the public shaming of people with the suffix “phobe” needlessly tacked on and society using the term “fascist” when they have no idea what the word even means.
I’m elated that we are turning a corner. No longer must we live under edicts of those chosen by their melanin levels, how they behave in the bedroom or how much hatred they spew towards capitalism, that has pulled millions out of poverty.
President Trump will defeat the teacher’s union − one that shouldn’t exist when they abhor parents. He will stop this ridiculous Russia-Ukraine war. It was started because a red line was crossed. Putin was fine with Ukraine doing anything it wanted but would not tolerate its admission into NATO. Joe Biden was more than joyful to offer them membership and just like Afghanistan, would be responsible for countless innocents dying as a result.
American money is best used in America. I bet you cannot drive anywhere without seeing a beggar, a homeless family or a business closed down. Who better to fix it than a businessman.
My recommendation to The News-Press is to maybe be less polarized and left-leaning. Did you see the voting numbers? If you adapted to the public’s true views, perhaps you’d double your customers.
After all, you don’t build a sports bar in a dry county − neither should you try to isolate the majority based on their political beliefs.
Mick Lang, Fort Myers
There are two things that I would like to address. The first is about being a poll greeter. This is my fourth presidential election that I have participated in. In that time, I have met many people from all walks of life and many with differing opinions. The vast majority are kind and non-offensive. While this year the majority were kind or nonverbal towards me (I’m a Democrat), there were several who were very offensive towards me. I was called a f…ing commie, evil, satanic, stupid but there was one who really was way out of line. He stopped his truck that had two huge flags on the back (“Trump” and “Harris is an idiot”) as I was leaving with my Harris Walz sign. He opened his truck door and yelled at me “Harris s..ks and so do you.” In situations like this, I keep a very low cool demeanor because he might just have a gun. I quietly replied, “nice comment” and kept walking. A gentleman was nearby and just shook his head and said, “so inappropriate, why?”. I smiled at him and kept walking. I got in my car, left with a small smile on my face as I knew there are more good people than bad. But really? Do you have to be that way?
My second topic is about the abortion amendment (4) that received 57% yes and thus did not pass the threshold of 60%. While I was disappointed that we didn’t get over 60% and I really thought we might, 57% is a notable mandate that the GOP Legislature should rethink the Heartbeat Act of 2023. I would like to hope that a compromise could be met and have 15 weeks be reinstated. I ask for this knowing that Florida will begin to lose OBGYNs to go elsewhere for them to fulfill their Hippocratic Oath to do no harm to their patient. Women’s reproductive rights have been sorely pushed back against evidence-based health care. There is a reason that women have a specific doctor (OBGYN) and not just a GP. Women’s reproductive issues are vast, complicated, complex. A GP, a cardiologist, an oncologist, an ENT, a dentist etc can treat men and women. OBGYNs treat women − full stop. If you don’t have as many OBGYNs in your state, women’s health will be compromised and more than likely we will become another Texas, another Georgia when a woman dies from lack of a knowledgeable doctor (known as a OBGYN) to help. I pray that this doesn’t happen and more than likely, it could be a few years before it happens.
I ask that you contact your state rep and request that they rethink the Heartbeat Act, to perhaps acknowledge that 57% of all Florida constituents (Dems, Reps., Inds. etc.) want some compromise, some latitude for a women’s bodily autonomy. We live in a very divided nation (unfortunately) but almost 60% of Floridians asked to be heard. GOP legislators, you should respect your constituency or we will slowly but surely kick you out. Women don’t give up.
Beth Summer, Naples
My country has left me. I don’t feel as if I think and act like the majority of my fellow citizens anymore. I cannot understand why more than half of voters supported Donald Trump in the General Election. What were your reasons? Was it hatred, fear, revenge, sexism, racism, misogyny, religious hypocrisy, authoritarianism? Why did you select a psychopath and compulsive liar who has stated openly that he plans to weaponize the federal Justice department to punish his “enemies”? Why choose a bully who insults and demeans people who disagree with him?Perhaps you believe that he will carry out some of his promises? If so, you may be disappointed. Remember the border wall he was going to build that Mexico was going to pay for? I wouldn’t hold my breath for his medical insurance plan that is more effective and less costly than Obamacare – which he promised to unveil every few months during his first term but never got around to. Or that he will stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a day. Do you really think he will deport 20 million immigrants? Who will mow your lawns, clean off your tables when you eat out, work in your slaughterhouses and take on all the other jobs that you won’t do?Or you think he is macho. Do you admire how he regards women – assaulting them, grabbing their private parts?How do you Christians rationalize your support of him? How many of the Ten Commandments has he broken? He’s God’s choice just because somebody shot at him? Did Jesus call people vermin? Or tell lies every other time he opened his mouth? Did he compose an enemies list?Are you not concerned about his early stages of dementia? The way he goes off topic and rambles about nonsense?Or do you simply hate smart, competent women?Whatever your reasons, you may come to have regrets. Perhaps, very soon. We’ll see.
James G. Goodale, Fort Myers
I’m relieved that men can’t give birth and that our tax dollars won’t be used to fund sex change operations and we will not defund the police. Hopefully the election results send a strong message that voters don’t want our societal norms to change so drastically. While I consider myself open-minded, the extreme aspects of woke culture have become absurd which I feel is reflected in President Trump’s historical landslide victory.
The Democratic Party and mainstream media face significant challenges ahead unless they accept responsibility for their actions instead of continually blaming Trump and his supporters. Voters are not stupid and undermining their intelligence is not a winning strategy. Liberals don’t have all the answers and are not more intelligent than conservatives, we are equals. Disrespecting potential voters is inappropriate, and Hollywood’s influence won’t carry elections. Americans are dealing with real issues, as shown in various polls; Kamala needed to articulate her platform. I still don’t know what she stood for; all I could gather was “status quo!” Had she addressed our concerns, the results might have been different. It’s essential for the Dems to recognize their shortcomings, take responsibility and rethink their strategy for the future; I genuinely hope they can do so.
Robert Popoff, Naples
The fact that only 2/3 of the electorate actually cast a vote is abysmal. Their apathy was so difficult to fathom, especially with this election being the most critical of their lives. So what has been learned after this historical happening. Evidently, a candidate’s morals and law transgressions were not factors. Nor were the attempts to overthrow the government and pilfer classified documents. I guess Kamala was a lesser-known candidate with numerous dignitaries campaigning for her. Obviously, the star supporters meant nothing in the scheme of things. Her connection to Joe Biden was viewed as more of the same, even though, after the horrific pandemic, our economy snapped back better than all others. I personally won’t be around for many future elections so this was a real head-scratcher. Hopefully, we’ll have another Barack Obama in the wings next time. Wes Moore would make a great candidate. It’s so easy to lump voters into an intellect grouping but that doesn’t seem to matter either. The old Clinton adage “it’s the economy stupid” seems to be the mantra for this happening.
Glenn Chenot, Cape Coral
Having had a similar experience, I was pleased to see the November 6 feature story about World War II veteran Thomas Healy, who has voted in every presidential election since 1948. As a World War II Purple Heart veteran and just one month older than Mr. Healy, I was 19 at the time of the 1944 presidential election, but the minimum voting age then was 21 and I, too, had to wait until the 1948 election to cast my first vote.  And I’ve voted in every election since, a special right and privilege in our democracy.  At age 99 Healy and I may not be around for another presidential election, but if we are I hope we continue to have that right and privilege.  
Robert Hilliard, Sanibel