Re: “Letter to the editor: Trump is unjustly damned if he does or doesn’t” (Aug. 16):

President Trump is guilty as sin of being a racist and a bigot, among other things not fit to print.

Furthermore, the hypocrisy of the letter writer, Andy Page of Biddeford Pool, who immediately vilifies the “left” before complaining of everything being politicized – thus politicizing it himself – is pretzel logic twisted to suit his argument. What he means is: If you don’t agree with his views, you’re wrong and just don’t understand.

The day before Mr. Page’s letter was published, Trump held an impromptu press briefing (his third on the matter) and blamed the left equally (maybe more so) for the tragic events of last Saturday. The body language of Trump and his open hostility toward the media Tuesday afternoon showed much about the president’s true character, and it’s not pretty.

In the same edition, a letter to the editor by Jon Spinner of Scarborough seized upon the new right-wing dog whistle: asking whether we’d next be tearing down statues of and monuments to Presidents Washington and Jefferson.

Let me explain the difference. Owning slaves was wrong, period; most agree on that, just not the “alt right.” It was, however, the law at the time. Open rebellion and seceding from the Union is treason, and as unlawful today as it was in 1860 (Texas v. White). Understand?

Everything about the Confederacy’s attempt to leave the Union was illegal. Robert E. Lee lost his U.S. citizenship as a result and was not a U.S. citizen at the time these statues were erected, having not regained citizenship until 1975. He fought an illegal war. Understand?

The headline the newspaper staff wrote for the letter by Mr. Page got one thing right: Trump is damned, in the eyes of God.

Randy Wakefield

Portland