Keeping up with the times is important
A recent article in the Washington Post described President Biden’s pause to use outside experts to help him work through his approach to multiple crises facing his presidency as a diversion. The topic was the dire condition of democracy at home and abroad.
In describing the president’s effort to seek understanding in a fraught world, the writers described it as “paused during one of the busiest stretches of his presidency” and “diversion,” seemingly as though the president was wasting time when trying to learn more from knowledgeable people about the situations in which the nation finds itself.
In government, as in business and many other endeavors, acquiring information germane to one’s work is neither a “pause” nor “diversion.”
Efforts by the president to acquire information pertinent to his job are part of his job. It may be a scheduling problem, but despite the apparent beliefs and behaviors of some occupants of the Oval Office, presidents do not control everything happening in the world. Nor do they possess the knowledge and time to do everything necessary to govern a nation of 330 million people in a world of 200 countries and 7-8 billion people, especially if that nation is to succeed and remain a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Learning is a lifelong enterprise, personally and organizationally. Our world changes quickly and we cannot control everything and everyone in it. It helps to know what is happening and the context of its happening, especially during those “busiest stretches” when time is short, hard decisions must be made and perils abound.
For the president or any leader to make time for learning is a huge plus. They, like the rest of us, have only 24 hours in a day to get done all they have to do.
Bill Wyant
Morgantown
Thank you, SWA, for hazardous waste drive
I want to commend the Monongalia County Solid Waste Authority and the numerous individuals who gave their time for the extremely well-organized and smooth collection of household hazardous waste on Aug. 6.
I took advantage of this much-appreciated service last year and was equally impressed. Thank you to all who make the service available.
Connie Rush
Morgantown
Cheney’s primary loss shows power of lies
Liz Cheney’s loss in the Wyoming Primary — all due to the power of the Big Lie. We, the citizens, believe only in the power of truth.
Cheney is not a loser by any means. She has emerged stronger to unite all Republicans, Democrats and others to fight for Democracy and our Constitution. She epitomizes the Grand Old Party, standing steadfast for principles as opposed to a person.
Republicans and Democrats are waking up to the stark truth evidenced to the public as the investigations unfold. We must not and cannot underestimate the power of the people on which this republic stands tall, nor the powerful beacon of wisdom and truth.
Syamala Jagannathan
Morgantown
If justices can lie, then Supreme Court is broken
The Supreme Court is broken and badly in need of a fix. Why? Because some of the justices lied to the American public about what they believed and then voted completely different from what they said they believed. Lying about their beliefs totally destroys the court’s creditability.
This letter is not about Roe v. Wade. I’ll let greater minds than mine debate that subject. This is about potential justices in the future lying to the whole world about what they believe so they can be selected to the court, then voting completely opposite — and not suffering any consequences.
I think the three newest members of the court did more damage to the Supreme Court’s reputation in one week than had been done in the whole previous 230+ years of its existence.
If you can’t believe someone during the selection process — when can you believe them? Almost every job that I can think of has a dismissal process, but how do we dismiss a Supreme Court justice?
Tom Talerico
Morgantown
