To the editor: It saddens me to see so many negative articles written about age and the assumption that as we age, we lose value. What happened to the association of age with wisdom? (“Biden is old. Trump is too. But only one of them would destroy the Constitution,” column, June 10)
As an active woman in her 80s, I value what I have learned over many decades. I was fortunate to learn from older and very wise family members, teachers, writers, friends, and other people, all of whom were and are wise because they know how to process true facts and work to solve challenges.
My challenge to journalists covering the election is to be more responsible in how they portray the aging characteristics of both former President Trump and President Biden. It is wisdom that should be the focus, and there is no comparison between Biden's and Trump's.
In the 1970s, Vivian Clayton, a geriatric neuropsychologist, developed a definition of wisdom. After conducting her research, she determined that wisdom has three key components: cognition, reflection, and compassion.
I challenge journalists, as well as elected leaders and the public, to evaluate the importance of electing leaders who possess that wisdom, regardless of their age.
Susan Cambigue Tracey, Pacific Palisades
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To the editor: I vehemently disagree with columnist Doyle McManus' analysis of the president's recent Time magazine interview.
McManus says: “On matters of substance, he was totally convincing, often at a detailed level.” I found the president's comments extremely difficult to follow. Just an example:
“Tell me, if I want, if an American corporation wants to invest in China, it has to give up 50% of the ownership and 51% of the ownership to a Chinese operator. And that continues from there. And I said, so you're going to do that to us? (unintelligible)”
I felt my stomach drop as I read everything. Are we risking the fate of American democracy on this?
Steven James Peterson, Irvine
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To the editor: As a nonagenarian, I grew up during World War II. My God, how the country has changed since then.
Today, the best the country has to offer are two old men: one 81 years old and the other just under 78. One is a perpetual liar, a despicable man. The other has provided weapons that have helped kill more than 37,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and destroyed its territory.
We have a Supreme Court that has lost its way and lacks effective ethical standards. We have a speaker of the House of Representatives who has invited the leader of a government that is massacring Palestinians to speak before Congress. This speaker claims that all one has to do is believe the Bible, but evidently forgets that the Ten Commandments say that you shall not kill.
Finally, we have become the most materialistic country in the world, where the richest 1% own more wealth than the bottom 50%. I thank God that I am 93 years old, but I feel sorry for my children and grandchildren. They deserve better.
Bob Murtha, Santa Maria
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To the editor: Voters must remember that we are not only electing a president, but we are also electing the president's party and platform.
Choosing Biden means you care about the environment, women's rights, health care, fair immigration standards, fair judicial appointments, and student loan assistance. Our international status will sink again if Biden is not our president.
This is not the time to be a single-issue voter. There is much more at stake than Israel and the Palestinians, even if the war in Gaza is a farce.
But if we leave our international status in the hands of Trump, we will surely crash and burn again.
Linda Bradshaw Carpenter, Los Angeles
