A contrast in visions of better America

I had to send The Press thanks as your editorial was an excellent foil to the nasty, “wrong side of the bed” folks in “Readers Write” of Wednesday, Feb. 21. Reminding the citizens that action to help the community at large through mentoring, outreach and accomplishing good was a white flag against the spite to the right of your editorial in “Readers Write.” To heal, build and make society better in small and large ways is the best response to the ugly vitriol that captures headlines and sows fear and hatred.

The Boy Scouts has a history of spreading harmony, fellowship, sweat equity and a positive change to the people and things around them. Many organizations in our area are made up of the unheralded, giving heroes who expect nothing in return for their selflessness.

Your “Readers Write” folks on Wednesday would do well to take the Boy Scout pledge to do better and be better. As a comeback to reader Sally Hicks, who feels a loser should be kicked while they are down, rather than comforted after a disappointing loss, kids today do know the real world and a hard knock is not a stranger to most of these athletes on or off the court. We all need a hug and a pep talk when we are down.

Or to the poisonous Liningers who just keep dancing on their Trump victory and pouring gasoline on a broken society fueled by their feckless leader? Backhanded spite and strident cackling do nothing to advance a better world or society.

To Mr. Ralph Grigio, who sits back and thinks the USA and our various leaders are just perfect, regardless of children and teachers afraid to go to school every day in fear for their lives? When the NRA, Super PACs and gerrymandering have bought and paid for your politicians and canceled your vote? Until these sourpuss folks stop their finger and tongue wagging and actually make positive change to society, who are they to judge?

I hope that out of the current divisiveness, the majority of Americans will embrace Hans Neumann’s plea for a “change of heart,” whether activated through a seemingly bottomless sense of tragedy, religious epiphany or just a positive attitude to life that makes us care about and for others.

We live in a lovely place where we live good lives in the majority and our editor said it best: We should “be bringing people together, rather than ripping them apart.”

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Lynn M. Fleming is a Coeur d’Alene resident.