Trump is gearing up to slur Kamala Harris. She should send him her birth certificate now.

Kamala Harris should send Trump her birth certificate

Now that Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, Donald Trump will have to invent new slurs and falsehoods in an attempt to undermine her campaign.  It would probably be worthwhile for her to send him a certified copy of her birth certificate now.

Neal Snyder, Columbus

Democrats are real power-monger

Donald Trump has been called "a threat to democracy." 

The real threat? The power-mongers of the Democratic Party who for three years have worked very hard to conceal the fact that President Joe Biden is physically and mentally incapable of executing the office of president of the United States.

Once our current president walked out on that debate stage one month ago, not even MSNBC, CNN or The View could cover for him anymore. 

Cartoons react to debate:Should Joe get out? 9 cartoons on aftermath of Biden's debate with Donald Trump

If that had not been seen by the entire world, there would not be 30 some Congressional members, including Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, asking for him to step down.

A threat to democracy? Fourteen million Americans voted for Joe Biden to be their party's nominee and the power people in the Democratic party want him to bail?

Get the popcorn out. Just like the Democratic Convention in 1968, this one will be must-see TV. 

Be sure and watch this fight as well as the Democratic platform: Abortion and Trump derangement syndrome.

Stan Fulk, Dublin

Dems kick convicted felon out; GOP... not so much

The (forced) resignation of Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was a stark reminder of a fundamental difference between America's two political parties.

As Menendez made his way through the courts, there were no calls of "witch hunt." Democrats let the judicial process play out, and when Menendez was found guilty in a court of law, they accepted the result and pressured him to resign. 

Trump's Republicans, on the other hand are questioning the entire judicial process during his multiple criminal trials, crying "witch hunt" at every turn, and attacking judges as being "crazy" and biased.

No surprise, since that's been Trump's standard playbook for years.

More:New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez will resign from Senate on Aug. 20 after criminal conviction

Clearly, one party is for the rule of law and one isn't. One party immediately forced out their convicted felon, while the other party's convicted felon sits at the top of their presidential ticket.

Steven Kretzer, Columbus

Republicans' strange tears

Republicans have vociferously stated that a vote for President Joe Biden was a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Now that Biden has dropped out the same Republicans are crying foul.

Barry S. Blank, Bexley

Diversity is how life survives

While paging through a seed catalog, I came across a picture of heirloom tomatoes. There must have been a hundred — all different shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors — very similar to humans and, indeed, all life. 

Life moves toward diversity because it is how life survives. Today, we are like puppies with eyes barely opened to the wonders and awe of the universe and why nature does what it does. 

It may be that the men who sat down and wrote the ancient texts were simply distilling, for posterity, their views of life. 

Unless willfully shut, our eyes have opened a bit since then.

Robert Grimm, Columbus

He's just not normal

"Fran and I wish President Biden and the First Lady all the best as he serves out the remainder of his term and in the years ahead," said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in response to Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the race for president of the United States and turn over the Democratic nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris, expressing the sentiments a normal human being would make. 

From the opening remark in his reply, "'Crooked' Joe Biden . . . " (and I don't think I need to go any further) it is clear that Donald Trump is not a normal human being. 

Syd Lifshin, Columbus

Lang an out-of-touch politician with an autocratic agenda

Ohio State Sen. George Lang's introductory speech at a recent JD Vance rally, which called for a civil war to save our country if Republicans lost the election, clearly shows that Ohio's gerrymandered Republican party only represents those who think and act as they do.

Any other thoughts or ideas need not apply.

His disingenuous apology was only offered because conservative extremists feared that their true autocratic agenda would turn off voters, and pressured Lang to retract his revealing statement.

We need look no further than how Ohio's Republican leadership has repeatedly ignored the majority of voters' wishes on abortion, marijuana, guns, honest state government, and their repeated attempts to restrict Ohioans' voices and votes in fair elections.

At Vance rally,Ohio state Sen. George Lang played to fears of civil war. It's a disgrace.

It is time for all Ohioans to weigh their allegiance to America's democracy or an out-of-control political party that promotes individual loyalty, violence, deceit, and dishonesty to the benefit of a select few.

Alan Masters, Granville

Do you ask?

The Dispatch article published July 22, "Delaware County Transit cut bus routes," quoted the executive director of the Powell Area Chamber of Commerce as claiming the people of Powell don't want Delaware County Transit connected to COTA because it will bring crime.

However, a person in that position represents businesses, not people, and only in Powell, not all of southern Delaware County. Only getting a quote from a single person with a relatively small constituency is not a representative sampling. 

Has anyone polled the owners and managers of southern Delaware County businesses about this? It seems many low-end job openings there go unfilled while workers living in Franklin County who rely on public transportation cannot currently get to such jobs now.

Has anyone ever polled the residents of southern Delaware County to see if they believe that a connection to COTA would induce people to travel up there to commit crimes and if that risk outweighs the benefits of such a link? 

These questions were not answered in the article.

Mark Freeman, Orange Township

There is too much at stake

My fellow Americans, please let me be bossy for a moment and give you an assignment.

All of you —no matter your color, age, religion, sexual orientation, or gender — show up for this election. At the polls, of course, but also well before. Find your nearest progressive or Democrat group and join in their efforts. 

Talk to family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to help them understand that democracy is at stake like never before. Get educated about the appalling Project 2025: Trump's plan to rule the country as a fascist, a misogynist, and a racist. Preach about the Republican plan to cut Social Security and Medicare and many other programs beneficial to Americans.

Most importantly, vote. White women, especially, you need to support Kamala Harris, who will save you from the atrocities planned for women and families in Project 2025. You did not show up enough for Hillary Clinton. There is too much at stake this time to not support the intelligent, experienced, strong, and trustworthy Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump is a 34-time convicted felon who tried to overthrow his own government so he could stay in power. Our assignment as Americans is to never again be controlled by a fascist narcissist who cares for no one but himself and the rich, white, old men who surround him. 

Please take your assignment seriously. 

Kelley Finan, Dublin