Trump assault on Social Security would harm Americans

In his attempt to institute tax reform, President Donald Trump is floating the idea of eliminating the Social Security payroll tax to put more money into the pockets of “ordinary” Americans. Could this “president” be more tone deaf and ignorant? Has he even considered the results if Americans stop funding their Social Security retirement plans?

In his quest to destroy Obama’s Affordable Care Act and to bend upcoming budget negotiations to his will and that of the Republican Party, Trump plans to use the threat of withholding that program’s federal subsidies as a club to achieve his ends. The ACA can be destroyed without the touted “repeal and replace” legislation. Trump and his congressional cronies need only to take away subsidies that allow the un-rich among us to have affordable health insurance.

I sometimes think our nation has been overrun by a group of aliens who have no understanding of the basic purpose of our nation. These conquerors seem to think that the chief goal of our society is to make the rich richer and to leave the rest of us to die in poverty. That this “president” wasn’t even elected by majority vote makes our plight even worse.

Let’s hope that the rowdy town halls and other ground swell activism will cause Trump and his cronies to “come to Jesus.” However, this new regime only uses religion when it benefits them.

Karen Wagner, Rolling Meadows

None of your business

I remember what it was like in those pre Roe vs. Wade days. Fellow coeds would mysteriously disappear for a long weekend. It was always to New York.

None of them wore a sign saying, “I’m pro-abortion.” No one, really, is pro-abortion. At least no one I’ve ever known has purposely gone out of her way to get pregnant just so she could have an abortion.

But the battle which Trump, et al, is in the process of reopening has always been too binary, too simplistic in my opinion. You were either team pro-choice or pro-life. Not me.

I preferred a third option: “Team None of Your Business.” Nope — no president, governor, used car salesman, lawyer, evangelist, anyone has any more say about my reproductive choices than choices I make about my teeth, toes, brain, colon, elbow or any other body part. Anything related to my body is my business. Period.

Just to be clear, I have never had an abortion. I’m not even sure that faced with the decision I could have an abortion.

What I am sure of is that it’s none of your business.

Kay Catlin, St. Charles

Our history

Amid the hubbub about whether or not President Assad of Syria utilized chemical weapons and how Sean Spicer could forget about Nazi Germany’s gassing of millions, one point is never mentioned: our own nation’s history of using genocidal weaponry and tactics. We dropped two atom bombs on civilian targets in World War II, deliberately destroyed dikes in North Korea to starve the populace, used toxic Agent Orange to clear the jungles of Vietnam, introduced swine fever virus into Cuba, fired depleted uranium shells into densely populated Iraqi cities, refuse to sign the Mine Ban Treaty, etc. How can we now presume to judge others? Until we pledge to eliminate our vast nuclear weapons stockpile and create a nuclear-free world, we should cease this hypocritical finger-wagging, which is just cover for yet more aggression.

Hugh Iglarsh, Skokie

Airline workers under pressure

I’m disappointed but not surprised at the avalanche of outrage over the poor bloke dragged of the United airliner. If he were a lout causing a disturbance or threatening the captive passengers and crew, his ouster would have been cheered and his injuries celebrated. Obviously, procedures went terribly wrong in this case. But anyone observing the tension, pressure and chaos gate agents are under to please dozens, hundreds, even thousands of passengers affected by their split second decisions should have some empathy that the actors in this drama are not evil; and that overall, these folks do an extraordinarily high quality job under extremely challenging circumstances. I’m disappointed because the outrage could be much better spent protesting against perpetual war, the destruction of our environment and the lust to take away health insurance from the needy by the new administration. Where’s that outrage, indeed?

Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn