web1_Capitol-logo.jpg

Pa. Auditor General issues special report on reducing firearm deaths

web1_Letter-to-the-editor2.jpg

Your view: Trump’s lies and his cult-like followers

<p>Lock her up. You know who I am talking about, right? Melania Trump. She recently decorated the White House with red Christmas trees. I saw them on TV, and I will tell you I loved them: their brightness, their cheer, their impact as something artistically different while still tasteful. But some leftists were in a huff.</p><p>These critics need critics, and I volunteer, noting the obvious truth that this assault on the first lady is pathetic, still another example of petty, snobbish, misogynistic, nativist supremacy. It is more than a little interesting how our moral betters, in seeking a new America, seem to have climbed out of Hillary Clinton&#8217;s basket of deplorables.</p><p>Most people on the left tell you they love immigrants, but apparently not when it comes to a charming, sincere, caring woman whose accent gives her away. Melania Trump is not bathed in things American, and some of her choices demonstrate as much. But to make a big deal of the clothes this former model wears, for instance, is a slide down the ladder of good manners and contempt for diversity. She is not dumb, you know. She speaks five languages. How many do you speak?</p><p>Continuing my thoughts in English, even though I could once read a little French, let me state the obvious. What infuriates her critics is their hatred of Donald Trump. Support him politically and you are a racist ignoramus. Be his friend and expect ostracism for life. Work with him and you&#8217;ll get kicked out of a restaurant. And never, ever marry him. You are then the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, vinegar on ice cream, the thunder storm that canceled the football game and a female worthy of feminist fury.</p><p>It is all so unfair to a first lady who has troubles enough with a husband of nationally demonstrated peculiarities, if I may be euphemistic. He does have his virtues, such as not being Chuck Schumer, but many of his critics much of the time seem to consider him the most threatening fact of 21st century American life. They have an answer: Be worse than he is.</p><p>In the Melania attacks, as one example, Vanity Fair magazine said the Christmas decorations conveyed &#8220;a sense of menace.&#8221; That&#8217;s the kind of thing that our president says about the MS-13 gang that slices people to death with machetes, and does he get away with it? No. He carries on too much, say critics scorning him on the charge of engendering Hispanic hatred.</p><p>If you want politics of the scariest kind, look at the unprecedented, partisan aim to impeach Trump from day one and a smelly special counsel investigation. It&#8217;s not through yet and likely won&#8217;t be until someone lies to the FBI about the trees not coming from Russia.</p><p>On top of that is the way government officials have been emitting illegal leaks enough to submerge basic principles of democratic governance. There&#8217;s the Justice Department saying phooey to congressional oversight. Then we have Democrats wanting to hit back on Trump&#8217;s calls for a border wall with verbal stabs of law officers and some seeming to want the disaster of open borders.</p><p>A shame was hearings in which Democrats pulverized an excellent Supreme Court nominee with fake news and antics that should be limited to grade school playgrounds. Another shame is the replacement of rule of law and thoughtful debate with rule of mobs and thoughtless shouting.</p><p>I could go on. But listen, I believe in a two-party system, of liberals vs. conservatives to help prevent excess on either side, and I grant Republican malfeasance too. But right now we are faced with such issues as a possible cold war with China, and what I would say to those who do not like red Christmas trees is keep your sleepless nights to yourself.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_ambrose.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jay Ambrose
Contributing columnist</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_ambrose.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jay Ambrose
Contributing columnist</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Jay Ambrose</p><p>Guest Columnist</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Readers may email him at <a href="mailto:speaktojay@aol.com">speaktojay@aol.com</a>.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Their view: Oh, the horror of red Christmas trees