To the Editor:

Re Trump Cancels Party Conclave in Jacksonville (front page, July 24):

Even on those infrequent occasions when President Trump actually does the right thing in this case, canceling the Republican convention in Jacksonville, Fla. he is pathologically incapable of being anything other than disingenuous about it.

Although he laughably claims to be doing this to keep America safe, it is painfully obvious that his true agenda is to avoid the humiliation of sparse attendance at what he had hoped would be his coronation spectacle.

Michael SilkLaguna Woods, Calif.

To the Editor:

If it will not be safe for the Republican faithful to attend the partys convention in late August, how can President Trump continue to claim that it will be safe for parents to send their children back to school?

To the Editor:

Re Baseballs Nightmare: One Team, 14 Infections (front page, July 28):

Many Miami Marlins players and coaches have tested positive for Covid-19 now up to 17 as of this writing. Allowing the Major League Baseball season to be played in the middle of a deadly pandemic is the worst decision the league has made since allowing Roseanne Barr to sing the national anthem 30 years ago.

Kenneth L. ZimmermanHuntington Beach, Calif.

To the Editor:

Re Feeling Hopeless? Embrace It, by Eric Utne (Op-Ed, July 25):

Wow! What a scenario! Nothing left to do but eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow, we die.

Wake up! Look around you. Read history. This president and his allies are responsible for the social instability, the mismanaged pandemic, the very hard economic times, the police brutality, federal forces in Portland, Ore. all calculated to divide the Democratic Party as the election comes closer.

The president has warned that he would use executive powers we have not yet imagined to invalidate an unfavorable election return and, effectively, refuse to leave the White House.

I would recommend that Mr. Utne and his baby boomer followers suspend for a moment their blissful dreams of utopia, register to vote and work on behalf of the Democratic Party for the next 90 days.

Our united goal must be to defeat Donald Trump in November. A second term would be worse than we all might imagine. This is not the time for the baby boomers of America to drop out and turn off. There is too much at stake.

Robert S. AprilNew York

To the Editor:

Thank you, Eric Utne, for giving voice to such courageous and useful thoughts. Your words allowed me to see that hope is by definition directed toward a different future.

I am more or less your age, and my political trajectory is similar to yours. So I have recently felt the need to redefine the value of my life away from reaching a future goal, and basing it instead on making each day as filled as possible with creative energy.

Katherine EllisNew York

To the Editor:

Re A Clothier Woven Into the American Fabric Frays, by Lisa Birnbach (Styles, July 23), lamenting the Brooks Brothers bankruptcy:

I remember buying my first Brooks Brothers suit when I started working in a corporate law firm while I was in law school. I remember the wooden floors and the austere atmosphere. I was always a good dresser, even winning best dressed in high school. The preppy look was de rigueur when I attended Cornell University, so I blended in right away with a wardrobe influenced by Brooks Brothers.

It is sad to see an institution in trouble, but thanks to Ralph Lauren and other designers the all-American clean-cut look will continue. You can always order from the overseas branches of Brooks Brothers, but the store at 346 Madison Avenue is a shrine. Now when I wear a rep tie with a button-down shirt and blue suit, I will do my part to keep the tradition alive.

The outfit worked when I went to my admission interview for college and when I was hired at the Salomon Brothers investment bank. It always makes sense to dress for success. Dont forget the pocket squares.

Steven A. LudsinEast Hampton, N.Y.

See the original post here:

Why Trump Canceled the Convention - The New York Times