À la Fareed Zakaria’s Nov. 15 op-ed, “Democrats, tear down this scaffolding,” a good example of Democratic ineptitude is the government management of Minneapolis: haphazard highway construction, poor timing of traffic signals, high taxes and lack of consideration for quality of life.
Another example of Democratic ineptitude: I keep voting for them!
Rick Charlson, Minneapolis
Fareed Zakaria’s thoughtful arguments made me want to vote for the candidate of either party who can deliver. However, he missed first base regarding Casey Stengel’s infamous remark concerning his dreadful New York Mets: “Can’t anyone here play this game?” As one who always relished Stengel’s delightfully fractured syntax, I chuckle every time I read the above quote. What actually came out of his mouth was “Can’t anyone play this here game?” Classic Stengelese.
Mickey Mantle tells the story of the time he and Stengel were summoned to a Senate hearing on the issue of baseball being exempted from antitrust laws. Stengel went first, both entertaining and confusing his audience. His claim that baseball “has been run cleaner than any other business that was ever put out in the 100 years at the present time” certainly raised a few eyebrows. Growing increasingly flummoxed by Stengel’s indecipherable 7,000-word testimony, Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-Tennessee) finally cut him off and turned to Mantle. Grinning, as he always did, the Mick remarked, “My views are about the same as Casey’s.”
Bob Wipfler, Bethesda
Parents can rein in screen time on their own
Parents are responsible for feeding their children healthy meals, but we don’t expect them to keep the food supply safe. Tech companies claim it’s up to parents and caregivers to monitor screen time, teach digital literacy and supervise what children are doing and seeing online. But no matter how dedicated parents are to ensuring their children use smartphones and social media platforms in the least harmful ways, the addictive design of this technology makes it fundamentally unsafe for kids.
The solution to this problem is not making parents spend $8,000 on a technology detox camp or hire a professional screen-time coach, as reported in the Nov. 17 Economy & Business article “Parents try out unusual solutions to rein in kids’ tech.” Instead, we need broader cultural change and action from elected officials to ensure these products are kid-safe by design.
As a result of widespread advocacy by parents and allies, more than half of the states have some form of restrictions on personal cellphones in schools, and states from Utah to New York have passed laws limiting social media companies’ ability to target kids with their algorithms. But there’s much more to do. The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, which easily passed the Senate last year, would be a step toward accountability, but it is stalled in the House. The good news is that the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on a new version of KOSA.
Big Tech cannot be trusted to do the right thing on its own.
Julie Scelfo, New York
The writer is founder and executive director of Mothers Against Media Addiction.
There is no ‘president of Taiwan’
Regarding Lai Ching-te’s Nov. 26 op-ed, “Taiwan’s president: I will boost defense spending to protect our democracy”:
Taiwan is part of China’s territory; therefore, there is no basis for a “president of Taiwan.”
“Taiwan independence” separatists and the external forces behind them are the ones changing the status quo at the Taiwan Strait. Resisting reunification or seeking independence by force is bound to fail.
The Taiwan question is not about democracy but about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. China has the right to safeguard these.
When China and the U.S. established diplomatic relations, the U.S. acknowledged that Taiwan is part of China and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China. It said it would not pursue “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan,” and it would gradually reduce, with a view to ultimately resolving, arms sales to Taiwan. The Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances run counter to the three Joint Communiqués and violate the one-China principle publicly acknowledged by the U.S. and observed by the international community.
Taiwan authorities should abide by the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and the U.S. should honor the one-China principle.
Liu Pengyu, Washington
The writer is spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the United States.
Unforgettable
The Nov. 18 news article “Listening to music most days could guard against dementia, study suggests” struck a chord. It makes sense that the soundtrack of one’s life can stimulate improved cognition. So many tunes take me back to special moments: the glorious feeling of driving in my convertible, blasting the latest hit song.
The early days of rock-and-roll were characterized by upbeat songs, simple lyrics and easy chords. I started playing guitar when I was 10, and I still play those songs as part of small concerts with friends. Perhaps elder care should incorporate that strategy to tap into long-term memory. I played guitar for my class at my Cornell reunion, and everyone knew the songs. I told friends I’d see them on hippocampus.
Steven A. Ludsin, East Hampton, New York
Regarding the Nov. 25 Style obituary “The Jamaican musician helped introduce reggae to the world”:
Jimmy Cliff, who died Monday at 81, was a true pioneer whose songs and spirit helped carry reggae across the world. His influence shaped generations of artists and listeners, and his legacy will continue to shine.
Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach, Florida
Never forget
Following John Ficarra’s Nov. 11 op-ed, “My colleague at Mad magazine was a war hero. Who knew?” — and with Pearl Harbor Day coming up on Dec. 7 — Post Opinions wants to know: Did any friends, family members or colleagues turn out to be secret war heroes? How did you find out they were downplaying their personal history? Share your response, and it might be published in the letters to the editor section. wapo.st/war_hero
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