Hoppy Kercheval too soft on President Trump
I have been neither fan nor detractor of Hoppy Kercheval during the many years I have lived in Morgantown, but I have always thought him a reasonable and honorable person. So, last Friday’s column (DP-07-24-20) about President Trump’s “warning of difficult times ahead” made me ask the following questions: What service did Hoppy think he was offering our community? Who did he imagine his audience to be? And, what opinion was he trying to offer and persuade us of in his column?
Like most of even the right-leaning columnists we can read in The Dominion Post, Mr. Kercheval wisely makes no attempt to defend President Trump’s dangerously wrong early handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and he concludes his column not with a prediction but only a hope that it is not too late to turn things around.
Nonetheless, the rest of his piece implies that President Trump’s early mistakes about the deadly pandemic are his “only” problem — and that now an otherwise able leader may be on the right track again. If that’s the case, let him say it openly, let him tell us what he, Hoppy, values and wants us to value about President Trump’s policies, language and behavior during his presidency.
Instead, unintentionally or not, Hoppy obscures the many dangers we are facing because of the president’s inconsistencies. He does this by diminishing these dangers through the cliched, sometimes joking, phrases he uses to describe Trump’s behavior: “Better late than never,” “all over the map,” “Trump got antsy,” “Trump loves to riff” and “drift off
message.”
Why is Hoppy being so gentle with President Trump? Why is Hoppy “all over the map?”
He seems to want to put some distance between himself from those he calls “ardent supporters” whom he acknowledges Trump “inspires” with his “bombast.” But where is Hoppy standing? If this is an opinion piece, let him give us his opinion more straightforwardly.
Judith Gold Stitzel
Morgantown
Mohigan is a compliment to Native Americans
What? You want to get rid of the Mohigans? You feel offended, upset? Well, your petition has offended and upset tens of thousands of Morgantown High students, alumni and staff. We are Mohigan proud! We’ve been the Mohigans for decades.
Prior to 1954, we were the Clydemen, because Arthur Clyde coached most teams. After his death, we were dubbed the Mohigans, a term invented by the yearbook staff from Morgantown High Annual (Mo Hig An). Mohigans not Mohicans.
And, yes, we did borrow some feathered headdresses, tomahawks and warpaint, but that was never meant to be disrespectful to Native Americans. It’s actually a compliment. Think Mohigan and think mighty warriors, bravery, strength. Those “Indian” trappings were honorable, praise-worthy. Do you want to erase any Native American reference?
If we are “the last of the Mohigans,” what West Virginia historical name is next to get the ax — Monongahela River? Ohio River? Watch out Logan County, Mingo County — they’re coming for you. It’s pretty hard to ignore the Native American role in developing West Virginia. Isn’t their story part of who we are?
A big element of our beloved MHS pride is tradition. Since our campus opened in 1927, we have excelled in academics, sports, marching band and choirs. Come look at our Hall of Fame in the entrance hall (we preserved the traditional portico).
Our accomplishments usually put us at the top of any great high schools list. No brag, just fact! It’s all part of Mohigan tradition. We are proud. Proud of what Mohigans have done; proud of who we are. Mohigan proud! Long live the Mohigans!
Nancy Cain
Westover
