Editor,

In your opinion section of the Nov. 23 paper you published a letter that was headlined “Trump meets the definition of fascist.” Given the vitriolic bickering that our country has endured for the last few years, perhaps this type of ad hominem should have been avoided. If the headline was the choice of the editors, such partisanship is unseemly. If it was the writer’s choice, then the editors could have noted such to lower the temperature of the discussion. Our nation needs more effort to repair fences and less divisiveness.

As to the 14 contentions of the writer, although some but not all would fit into the broad classic definition of fascist, most could not be applied to the president-elect. One that stands out is “rampant sexism,” which certainly could not be true of his cabinet picks, starting with the first woman White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles and continuing with many other women selected for important positions. Women have been selected for Homeland Security, National Intelligence, Labor, Agriculture, Attorney General and more. There are more examples of an evident misunderstanding on the part of the writer, but rather than try to demean someone by pointing out perceived errors it would be well to ask them to re-examine their motive for attacking the next leader of the United States.

The will of the citizens of this constitutional republic has been made clear: we cannot continue on the destructive path of identity politics, censorship of political dissent and class warfare promulgated by a coastal elite; nor can we continue to forget the needs of blue-collar workers and the middle class who made us a beacon of freedom and achievement to the world. As a nation we must regain our sense of national unity, refrain from divisiveness and focus on rebuilding our great country.

Richard Stanford

Oak Harbor