Letter: Kontos sources are old and irrelevant
To the Editor-
Last week I challenged Kontos’ September 15 column, “Make plans to vote, vote early, and bring friends,” as misleading, containing factual inaccuracies, and voicing Trump/Vance/MAGA propaganda.
Today amid platitudes to his opinion column on local matters he takes those that disagree with him to the proverbial woodshed. Then he doubles down on that September 15 column at the close of today’s column.
He states in today’s column he backs up his opinions with facts and sources. A look at only a couple of his sources from last week’s column:
He states real wages are declining and his source is a February 2024 blog post by Nomura Research Institute, a Japanese think tank, commenting on real wages in Japan NOT America! The reader is to believe based on source documentation that real wages in America are declining and they are not.
He states our borders are open. His source is a Pew 2021 report on encounters at the border, way up. But encounters do not mean open borders. Open borders mean absolutely no controls. Those encountered at the border are denied entry or detained. This Pew report appears not to mention open borders. Open borders in MAGA speak is “the immigrants are poisoning are blood.” This is Trump‘s number one issue.
In my opinion, very important to call out the lies surrounding immigration as evidenced by Vance admitting he lied about Haitians eating their neighbors’ cats. And this smarmy Vance character doubles down and says the media made him do it. Remember a couple of months ago Trump killed an agreement to a bipartisan bill to strengthen border control so as to not destroy his main campaign issue.
All of Kontos’ sources in the September 15 column are old and/or not relevant to his stated facts. At least one source was someone else’s opinion.
It is not my desire to engage Kontos in a squirt gun contest. But I believe the constant drumbeat on MAGA-type alternate facts and outright lies only reinforces our divided country.
If you do not believe in immigration, say so but why say we have open borders? If you do not believe in DEI policies, say so but don’t call them racist. If you believe wages are declining, back it up but not with a report on Japanese wages.
Finally, are we to believe that men in women’s bathrooms and genial mutilation of our children referred to in his September 15 column are policies of liberal Democrats, for God’s sake where is there ground for compromise?
So with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about it, boldly, honestly, sporting “I voted” stickers, and with a healthy respect for each other.
David Rosin
Plover