Letters to the editor, July 23: ‘Democrats recognized that Mr. Biden’s cognitive decline is an elevator that only goes down’

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Biden steps aside, Harris steps up

Re “Biden withdraws from U.S. presidential race” (July 22): Kudos to Joe Biden for putting his country first, ahead of any personal or other agenda. I only wish politicians in this country would do the same.

Scott Cuthbertson Toronto

Re “Will the Democrats be undone by the chaos of democracy?” (Opinion, July 22): Debra Thompson’s suggestion that what happened with the Democratic Party was chaotic is an inaccurate assessment. The reality is, unlike the Republican Party, whose candidate is far more unfit than Joe Biden, the Democrats recognized that Mr. Biden’s cognitive decline is an elevator that only goes down and the man we saw in the debate was going to be making increasingly regular appearances, if by some miracle he won the election. Within hours of him stepping down, the party had coalesced around his VP, Kamala Harris, injecting a massive shot of adrenalin into a moribund campaign. At 59 years old and a former prosecutor, Ms. Harris, will be able to confront all of Mr. Trump’s failings, including his age and his own obviously declining cognitive function. This change was in fact a smooth and orderly process that came to the right conclusion and was the farthest thing from chaos.

Frank Malone Aurora, Ont.

Democracy is necessarily unpredictable. However, in the past month, I haven’t seen “conflict and chaos” within the U.S. Democrats. What I’ve seen is a mature political party trying its very best to work its way, humanely, though a very difficult situation involving a sitting President who, over the past four years, against huge challenges, has managed to implement a coherent and effective agenda. To assume that, in a situation like this, legislators and party staff don’t work hard in the background on options A, B, C and D is naive. Especially because the timing has gone down to the wire in this instance, the party realizes that, whatever method is used to choose the next presidential and VP candidates, unity is critical. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.

Julie Mathien Toronto

Canada first

Re “Joy in Newfoundland after ‘Lucky 7′ fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea” (July 22): I get it that the big story of the day was U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to end his campaign for a second term. But the story took up virtually the entirety of the first five pages of Monday’s Globe and Mail. Did I really have to wait until page 7 – page 7 – to read a genuinely Canadian good news story? The last time I checked, The Globe had a Canadian head office. A little home country bias would have been forgiven to properly celebrate the survival and safe return of some true Canadian heroes.

Michael Rende Thornhill, Ont.

Get Carney

Re “On second thought” (Letters, July 22): A letter writer suggests fast-tracking Mark Carney into cabinet. With the Liberals listing disastrously and plummeting in the polls, why would Mr. Carney join such a rapidly sinking ship being piloted headlong onto the rocks by Mr. Trudeau? If he has any designs on leading the party, that’s the last harbour he’d steer his political fortunes into.

Nancy Marley-Clarke Cochrane, Alta

Religion and politics

Re “Trump supporters see shooting as ‘good versus evil’” (July 20): The “good versus evil” narrative is particularly stark and easily interchangeable between both parties in such a polarized American political arena. Donald Trump’s recent brush with death may or may not have been, as many MAGA supporters believe, a case of “divine intervention.” While one suspects that most U.S. citizens would not choose Mr. Trump as the poster boy for Christian values in view of his blatant disregard for several of the Ten Commandments, among numerous other indiscretions, at least one thing is certain: The potential future of the most successful democracy in the history of the world just received an incredible boost from a selfless, deeply religious and highly honourable world leader.

Jeffrey Peckitt Oakville, Ont.

Food safety

Re “Death and cashews: Eating at a restaurant shouldn’t be dangerous, but for Canadians with allergies, it can be” (Opinion, July 20): I was born with anaphylactic allergies to nuts, peanuts, fish and seafood. I’m careful about informing friends, restaurant and catering staff about my allergies, and people are mostly patient about the issue. However, due to misinformation or obliviousness, I survive several scary incidents a year. I recently spent two weeks in England and have never felt so cared for, so safe, due to Natasha’s Law, which requires retailers to display full ingredient and allergen lists on every direct-sale food item. Staff were attentive and concerned, and everywhere I ate, I was handed binders or laminated cards listing the allergens or ingredients of every item on menus, enabling me to make safe choices. What will it take to make us that pro-active and concerned in Canada?

Karen Schwinghamer Ottawa

A place to lay your head

Re “Hotel Hell” (Opinion, July 20): John Lee asks, “When was the last time you stayed in – or even saw – a motel that didn’t look like a potential crime scene?” Our answer: every time we travel. On our regular long-distance car trips, we’re rarely disappointed in finding a clean, quiet, family-run, reasonably priced motel. During a recent excursion through B.C., we enjoyed friendly and comfortable welcomes at motels in Creston, Golden, Vernon and Powell River. Smaller cities (in B.C. and across Canada) usually have everything we want: excellent restaurants, scenic walking, friendly residents, unique local attractions and entertainment. Many of these motels appear to be owned by recent arrivals to Canada, and I wish them all the success they could hope for. Sometimes they don’t even charge extra for the dog.

Jamie Syer Bergen, Alta.

Proof of age

Re “Hot stuff” (Letters, July 20): A letter writer and a fellow senior reflects with gratitude on the kindness of a stranger who offered assistance on a hot day. To my great discredit, in a somewhat similar situation, I have reacted much less gracefully. A few years ago, while barely on the cusp of decrepitude, a young person offered me his seat on a city bus. Amused by this entirely new development, I politely declined, only to have my composure shattered an hour later on a streetcar as I was again deemed too feeble to stand. Flustered, I desperately rummaged through my pants and jacket pockets for that incontrovertible evidence of youthfulness. “Here, look, look,” I sputtered as my fellow passengers stared fixedly at anything but me. “I have an iPhone. I’m not old. I have an iPhone.” (Sent from my iPhone.)

Farley Helfant Toronto

Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com