To the Editor:
Re “Pomp and Deference for Saudi Royal” (front page, Nov. 19):
With the warm White House welcome that was afforded Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, the traditional and honorable stance of our country in support of human rights has been further extinguished.
The Saudi regime has been notorious for the denial of rights to women and ruthless crackdowns on dissenters. American intelligence agencies laid blame upon the crown prince for ordering the savage 2018 murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, but the president has exonerated his friend.
At the White House the president proclaimed that the prince “knew nothing about it” and writing off the killing by saying “things happen.” He also chastised a reporter who asked about Mr. Khashoggi in the prince’s presence.
The president values his deeply intertwined business relationship with the Saudi kingdom above all, so who cares about the life of Mr. Khashoggi or what the Saudi government inflicts upon its citizens? Certainly not this president.
Oren Spiegler Peters Township, Pa.
To the Editor:
At his meeting with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, President Trump repeated Saudi falsehoods about the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi and berated a reporter who asked about it. “You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking something like that,” Mr. Trump said.
But it is the United States that should be embarrassed. Each morning at many schools across the nation, our children repeat the phrase “liberty and justice for all.” Then our president flouts those values, much like the dictator he was hosting.
Mr. Trump and his apologists like to beat their chests and proclaim American greatness. But their actions suggest that we’re no better than any other country. We can lie and cheat with the best of them.
Jonathan Zimmerman Philadelphia The writer is a professor of education and history at the University of Pennsylvania.
To the Editor:
You published a photo of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trump sitting in front of the fireplace in the Oval Office. It must be the first time that a Saudi royal was photographed somewhere more ostentatiously glitzy than his palace.
Guill Gil London
Skin Care for Little Kids
To the Editor:
Re “In Skin Care for Preschoolers, Some See Futures of Anxiety” (front page, Nov. 17):
When I was a little girl in the 1960s, I was enthralled by the little sample lipsticks that were occasional castoffs from a friend’s mother, an Avon representative, and captivated by the cosmetics aisle at the local five-and-dime (CoverGirl compacts! Maybelline mascara!).
I also used my Barbie’s miniature rollers to curl the ends of my hair.
But my mother drew a boundary as clear as my Tinkerbell lip balm between me and what she considered age-appropriate beauty products. She also controlled my budget.
Appropriate or not, there would be little revenue from these companies’ target market unless adults were primarily funding the preschool purchases.
Raleigh Mayer New York
To the Editor:
Parents would make a healthier choice for their children and better use of their money by buying good sneakers and having their kids go outside and play!
Paul Rosenberg Palm Beach, Fla. The writer is a retired psychiatrist.
When Libraries Close Their Doors
To the Editor:
Re “Rural Areas Are Losing Libraries Amid Cuts” (news article, Nov. 12):
While much has been written and debated regarding the effects of the Trump administration budget cuts and policy decisions on American colleges and public education, there should be a national outcry as libraries across our nation are closing their doors.
Benjamin Franklin noted in his autobiography around 1771, four years before the American Revolution, that “libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans.”
As we approach the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, it is deplorable that this administration undermines Franklin’s vision with policies that lead to the closing of public libraries and ultimately reduce our general conversation to little more than bluster and babble.
Peter Schmidt Phillipsburg, N.J.
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