Yes, unemployed workers are angry, but Trump is not their savior

He’s willing to play Russian roulette with everyone’s lives, including the lives of all those workers he cares so much about.

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A protester stands on the steps of the Kansas Statehouse during a demonstration against stay-at-home orders put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charlie Riedel/AP

I agree with Richard J. Gonzalez, the law professor who wrote in the Sun-Times on Tuesday that workers are getting angrier and angrier. But to say that President Donald Trump is “the only one fighting for us” is ridiculous. 

Trump did one thing to help stem the invasion of the virus. He stopped some travel from China. And he wants our country’s everlasting acclaim for that. By not alerting Americans far sooner to what likely was coming, by saying so many times that it will just go away (and continuing even now to say that), by encouraging people walking around with submachine guns to “LIBERATE!” their states, Trump has made things much worse than they needed to be. 

Trump cares about one thing — getting reelected so that he can avoid prosecution. He talks about opening up schools “no matter what.” It would be fantastic to get schools and everything else opened up again, but “no matter what?” He’s willing to play Russian roulette with everyone’s lives, including the lives of all those workers he cares so much about. 

Kevin Coughlin, Evanston

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Who and what to believe

On one hand, we have the right-wing media saying that calls for social distancing, avoiding large groups of people and wearing face masks are all parts of an effort by Democrats and the rest of the media to bring down the president. They say the threat of the virus is exaggerated.

And now the president and many in the right-wing media are pushing an unproven drug to treat the virus. Remember that it was Trump who suggested the nutty idea that people could ingest disinfectants to treat the virus.

On the other hand, we have medical professionals who correctly warned of the dangers of the virus and cautioned us to practice social distancing and wear protective masks. Their estimate that 100,000 people could die from the virus has proven to be correct.

If more people die because the advice of the medical professionals is being ignored, you can be sure the president will say “that’s the price of doing business.”

Victor Darst, Huntley

Could be a Trump lie

In what universe does the media believe that Donald Trump is actually taking the drug he says he is taking? The headline should read: “Trump claims to be taking hydroxychloroquine.” Trump obviously is trying to promote this drug for some reason. Perish the thought that he would actually lie when there is no way to confirm or refute his claim.

Guy Rosenthal, Wheaton

When legislators won’t wear masks

Congratulations Illinois Republicans. You’ve done the impossible — make Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan look good.

Leonard Hall, LaGrange Highlands

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