Readers React: Media disdain for MAGA hat-wearing Trump supporters has to stop

To the editor: The story of the Covington Catholic High School students from Kentucky is a perfect example of the political climate today.

When the story first broke, the mainstream media including some conservative outlets labeled the students racist. Now we know the situation was much more complex.

Why such a sudden rush to judgment? Because politically we are now in such a place where our disdain for the other side disables our capability to reason. To some, media included, if a person is wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, he or she must be a racist. We never ask what their reason is for wearing the hat.

No reasonable discussions can take place with such assumptions. How sad for our society, and how sad that our news media have fallen so low.

Dennis Eodice, Idyllwild

..

To the editor: One could spend a letter complaining about our president’s once more shameless using of people and situations for his own benefit. That, however, is not new.

I watched a long section of the incident. What became clear, early on, was the rhetoric and religious bigotry of the young men involved in the African American Hebrew Israelites. They took turns verbally attacking the Native American people present and, then, the crowd of white people (judging them, it seems, for their MAGA hats).

A valuable takeaway would be that we are deeply challenged in America by our resident religious bigots and that a healthy society enjoys more separation of church and state, for the benefit of church and state.

Scott Hamre, Cherry Valley, Calif.

..

To the editor: These high school boys displayed their lack of maturity. I noticed similar behavior coming from some young women as I was participating in the Women’s March in San Diego on Jan. 19.

As we marched past a small group of anti-abortion demonstrators who had set up a display along the route, the young women marching in front of me started hurling expletives at the demonstrators.

Since when do we need to start stirring up trouble just because someone looks different or has a different point of view? There is no hope for humanity if this is how we choose to operate.

It starts with each one of us, in every interaction, being the change we want to see in the world. It’s amazing what there is to learn when we can actually listen to one another.

Joanna Ryder, Hermosa Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook