Letters From the March 2/19, 2020, Issue

Letters From the March 2/19, 2020, Issue

Letters From the March 2/19, 2020, Issue

A scoutlandish story!… Love supreme… No more war… Street smarts…

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A Scoutlandish Story!

Morley Musick’s story about the Border Patrol’s youth program [“Meet the Boy Scouts of the Border Patrol,” February 3] was the scariest article I have ever read in The Nation. The attempt to tie the training and mentoring of young people to catching undocumented immigrants, along with the brainwashing of these youths in Trumpian ideology, sends up red flags for anyone who knows history. It has the smell of the Hitler Youth program from the 1930s. Is that where this is headed?

If anyone is not aware of how dangerous Donald Trump, his administration, and his cult followers are, this should convince them. This effort to create an indoctrinated Trump Youth Scouts is reason enough to make sure we elect a Democratic Senate and a new president.

Mike Boland
fishers, ind.

I was disturbed by your article “Meet the Boy Scouts of the Border Patrol.” First off, the lovely cover illustration of the young Border Patrol Explorers poses them as little Nazis; please do not try to tell me that was not what you wished to imply.

Perhaps you would rather these kids get into drugs, smuggling, or other sorts of mischief. Instead, they are learning discipline, law enforcement, first aid, and other useful skills. The slant of your article is obvious and disgusting. You should be praising these kids as good examples, but your liberal agenda is to drag them down and make them look like they are minions of the Border Patrol.

Go ahead and laugh at them in a few years when they are making more than $125,000 a year.

Ray Harris
las vegas

Love Supreme

I enjoyed Connie Schultz’s piece 
”Love and Rockets” [February 3]. 
I so wish her husband, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, had run for president. He could have stood up to Donald Trump’s lies, bullying, and lack of knowledge. I fear the current leaders in the race for the Democratic nomination do not have the stamina, determination, or ability to confront Trump or to appeal to a broad group of people.
Debbie Cassetari
chino hills, calif.

No More War

Kudos for your editorial “Stop This War” [January 27]. The murder of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani was indeed a useless and dangerous escalation of our needless ongoing war with Iran. All the reasons given to support the attack are only the usual claptrap from jingoistic flag-wavers.
George Batts
jacksonville, fla.

Street Smarts

I want to express support for Jeet Heer’s view that activism is essential to getting Congress and our other leaders to act [“Impeachment Needs to Move to the Streets,” December 30/January 6]. Without it, there would have been no civil rights legislation. If not for three years of activism against the depredations of the Trump presidency, there would have been no impeachment effort. Yes, there is the rule of law, but it is only the action of citizens that prompts its enforcement, by informing elected representatives of their demands.
Henry Steen
austin, tex.

Correction

Australia Is Burning” by Daniel Judt [February 10] incorrectly states that the Australian Labor Party formed a coalition government with the Green Party after the 2007 elections. There was no coalition government under Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

An urgent message from the Editors

As the editors of The Nation, it’s not usually our role to fundraise. Today, however, we’re putting out a special appeal to our readers, because there are only hours left in 2025 and we’re still $20,000 away from our goal of $75,000. We need you to help close this gap. 

Your gift to The Nation directly supports the rigorous, confrontational, and truly independent journalism that our country desperately needs in these dark times.

2025 was a terrible year for press freedom in the United States. Trump launched personal attack after personal attack against journalists, newspapers, and broadcasters across the country, including multiple billion-dollar lawsuits. The White House even created a government website to name and shame outlets that report on the administration with anti-Trump bias—an exercise in pure intimidation.

The Nation will never give in to these threats and will never be silenced. In fact, we’re ramping up for a year of even more urgent and powerful dissent. 

With the 2026 elections on the horizon, and knowing Trump’s history of false claims of fraud when he loses, we’re going to be working overtime with writers like Elie Mystal, John Nichols, Joan Walsh, Jeet Heer, Kali Holloway, Katha Pollitt, and Chris Lehmann to cut through the right’s spin, lies, and cover-ups as the year develops.

If you donate before midnight, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor. We hope you’ll make our work possible with a donation. Please, don’t wait any longer.

In solidarity,

The Nation Editors

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