Letters to the Editor: Is cheaper bacon really worth throwing away our democracy?

To the editor: After the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, I watched a televised focus group of undecided voters in Pennsylvania. I came away baffled by Trump-leaning voters who cited the drastic price increases of grocery items such as bread, milk and bacon. (“How can millions of voters still be undecided between Trump and Harris? Here are their reasons,” column, Sept. 16)

Is it really not worth eating two slices of bacon versus four for breakfast (or even none at all) in order to continue to live in a county free of threats to imprison your political opponents? Do you really want to risk living in a Nazi-style nation so you can eat more bacon?

To me, that seems to be the simple choice. And yet, millions of voters remain undecided. It’s truly baffling.

Gail Molen, Austin, Texas

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To the editor: Apparently, the voting bloc that could decide the election comprises “undecideds” who haven’t been paying attention, “double-haters” who don’t like either candidate, and voters who are only paying attention to how the economy affects them in the short term.

In other words, the future of our country, even our democracy, depends on citizens who don’t know, don’t care, or don’t think it matters either way. Democracy is being eaten away by the three-headed monster of ignorance, apathy and cynicism.

Can’t we do better than this? In the Information Age, can’t we nurture an educated populace that understands how its government works, citizens who care about the future and accept their responsibility to elect leaders who will serve with integrity?

I understand that people are preoccupied with earning a living, raising their kids and trying to find some meaning in life, but if the fate of our country is decided by the “undecided,” then we are truly lost.

Laurie Jacobs, San Clemente

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To the editor: I must be living in the Twilight Zone.

Trump tried to invalidate the votes of 81 million people in a free and fair election. The loser of the 2020 election, he wanted to stay in power regardless. He inspired a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol.

During the debate that these undecided voters watched, Trump did not apologize for any of that and still claimed he won the election. He made a false, racist and dangerous claim that legal immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating peoples’ pets. His vice-presidential candidate is still defending that claim in interviews.

Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting a woman. He spread the racist lie that former President Obama was not born in this country. He was sued for defrauding students who attended his fake university, eventually settling for $25 million.

With a record like that, how can anyone believe that he cares about the American people?

Zareh Delanchian, Tujunga