An open letter to Michael Reagan

Mr. Reagan,

Your editorials are in my local newspaper every week and, quite frankly, I want to thank you for forcing me to look again at some things you seem to always complain about. However, I am wondering why you keep ranting about how bad Biden is, when you rally often for “the proven liar” Trump. You are also obsessed with saying that your father (God bless his soul) was a great president and if he were in office, the wars we have would not have happened (or if Trump was still in).

Sir, you have every right to print anything you wish, but please try to be honest (fact-based) in what you are saying. It is my prayer that you spend time being inclusive with all this knowledge you seem to promote as to how better to run this country. Please try to, instead of criticizing Biden, why don’t you be a catalyst to help him with some concrete demonstration of what you would like to see happen? I am not a politician, but I, like you, was here in the days of your father and crazy Trump.

Sir, I am sure you are aware of these facts about your father: a) He did not make his own decisions. It’s well-documented that his cronies like Baker and Meese did that for him. b) Reagan’s so-called tax cuts ended up raising payroll taxes, a substantial increase in defense spending tripled the national debt, cutting education, never submitted a balanced budget, not to mention his thoughts on supply-side Reaganomics. c) He ran on a platform of “no deals with terrorists” … remember the Iran Contra agreement? d) He literally sponsored Trump taking the cover off of racism: vetoed civil rights/restoration bills, initially did not support MLK day, openly was loyal to apartheid in South Africa and actually considered South Africa a “friend.”

I know you know about your father’s infamous conversation (as governor of California) with Nixon about the United Nations delegation from Africa: “Damn those Monkeys.’’ By the way, what does the slogan “Make America Great Again” really mean to you and your ranting about how bad Biden is and how good Trump and your father were?

I am not trying to enter into a debate with you, I ask that you please try to change your tone of editorials to being helpful and not one-sided rhetoric from your perspective. Would you not think that by now, it is time for all Americans to come together and help each other, stop the supremacist attitudes and actions? One thing that I admire about the people of Ukraine is that, although there are multiple reports about the war, we see all kinds of people that hail from there, and they all support each other. What a strong and powerful nation the USA would be if we took on that mantra and stopped hurting, lying on, and incentivizing pain and non-support, starting with you, sir. Please let me read what you are doing to help Biden and the world as a whole.

By the way, I am not a Republican nor a Democratic voter. I always try to look at the issues and the candidate’s stance on such. And I have several friends and coworkers who think the same things.

Oscar Cooks

Albany