Sununu and ‘reality TV’

After enthusiastically endorsing the odious warmonger, Nikki Haley, Chris Sununu now apparently refers to the charges against Donald Trump as “reality TV.”

I wouldn’t stop there. I’d call them show trials. They’re persecutions of political opposition worthy of Joseph Stalin. And every new trial causes the support for Trump to grow stronger. People see through it. So, I say, keep the charges coming.

Perhaps it will assure the re-election of the only candidate who will, at least, fight; fight to close the border, open the domestic energy supply, promote urban law and order, and negotiate an end to the relentless military aggressions leading directly to world war. These are dire problems needing real leadership.

From those of us anxious to see the Biden administration long gone, this bit of reality TV may for once actually serve a useful purpose.

Neil Meliment

Hartland

Sununu and
the ‘real threat’

It’s interesting to see two examples of today’s Republican Party in N.H. Gov. Chris Sununu and former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney. Sununu spent months telling us how Trump was not a real conservative, how he contributed to the Jan. 6 capitol riot, and other issues. But rather than call out this man and with an eye to his political future, he said he would vote for him. Contrary to his earlier position, he would support Trump even if he was convicted of felonies by a jury of his peers.

Then we have Cheney. At one time she was a true conservative and part of the Republican Party leadership. She even voted against Trump’s first impeachment. But after his actions to overturn the 2020 election, she realized the threat. Speaking out against him cost her the party leadership position and, ultimately, re-election. Unlike Sununu, she put the good of the country ahead of her political future.

Sununu rationalized his position by suggesting the Trump opposition was based, in part, on “elitism.” Cheney stated the real threat: “My view is, I disagree with a lot of Joe Biden’s policies. We can survive bad policies. We cannot survive torching the Constitution.”

There you have it, one joining his fellow Republicans in the ranks of the cowed and the other standing on principles. We deserve better.

Michael Hillinger

Etna

Spotting the signs
of aneurysm

Thank you for a lovely article about Kevin Jones (“A Life: Helping other people succeed”; April 22) . The article states that he died suddenly while teaching a class due to an “aortic aneurysm.”

While I do not have information on Jones’ medical history, he was very young and perhaps preventive care might have diagnosed this condition before resulting in his death.

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology have both published guidelines and statements on how to evaluate patients who may be at risk for aortic aneurysm and what is called “aortic dissection,” which may result in sudden death. Risk factors include being a smoker, having hypertension, a family history of aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection, certain genetic conditions (such as Marfan syndrome), and inflammatory diseases that can affect the aorta, and existing atherosclerotic vascular disease due to the buildup of cholesterol in the walls of the arteries.

Hopefully his passing can remind people and their providers of ways to prevent illness and death due to aortic aneurysm.

Merle Myerson

Etna

The writer is a cardiologist.