Letters to the editor for Jan. 8
Trump not exonerated
After reading Mr. Winterstein’s Dec. 26 letter to the editor in which he extolled President Trump’s outstanding management of our country, I was dumbfounded.
His claim that the Democrats were searching for a “pretext” to impeach the President who had done nothing wrong. No “pretext” required — he is a one-man crime spree. The administration refuses to produce any of the requested documents from the State Department, nor will it allow a single witness to testify. Does this behavior suggest innocence? Twenty-six subpoenas were ignored. If Trump has nothing to hide, he should be forthcoming with his witnesses.
All this white noise about the investigation being a scam, a partisan witch hunt, or outrageously unconstitutional are diversions to avoid the truth. It also sets a precedent encouraging a sitting president to do anything he wants, knowing that he can stonewall any investigation. Bad idea.
The President has been offered numerous opportunities to correct the record with his own witnesses, to have attorneys of his choice present, and to provide his own recitation of events. Read the heartfelt testimonies of our selfless State Department employees; they know their first responsibility is to the Constitution.
Trump puts personal aggrandizement first: He wants the Ukraine to do his re-election research for him. The State Department, the Energy Department and his personal attorney were all working to threaten the Ukrainians. Career ambassadors had their careers destroyed.
How can this behavior be called “outstanding management” of our country? It is nauseating and unbelievable.
New Year’s resolutions include going meatless
With the glow of Christmas barely behind us, we look forward to the new year and the customary New Year’s resolutions: reduce social media, reduce weight, and, this year, reduce animal food consumption.
One third of consumers already report reducing their consumption of animal foods. Hundreds of school, college, hospital, and corporate cafeterias have embraced Meatless Monday. Even fast-food chains Chipotle, Denny’s, Panera Bread, Subway, Taco Bell, and White Castle are rolling out plant-based options.
A dozen start-ups, led by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, are creating healthy, eco-friendly, compassionate, convenient, delicious plant-based meat and dairy products. Meat industry giants Tyson Foods, Cargill, and Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods have invested heavily in plant-based meat development. So have a number of Microsoft, Google, Twitter, and PayPal pioneers.
According to the Plant-Based Foods Association, plant-based food sales have grown by 20% in the past year, 10 times the growth rate of all foods. Sales of plant-based cheeses, creamers, butters, yogurts, and ice creams are exploding at a 50% growth rate. Plant-based milks now account for 15% of the milk market.
The plant-based New Year’s resolution requires no sweat or deprivation — just some fun exploration of your favorite supermarket and food websites.