our readers write

I had never heard of Dennis Praeger before his opinion piece appeared in the Chronicle. I decided to read about him to better understand his line of thinking.

Mr. Praeger’s choice of words made me uneasy. Words affect our way of thinking.

Our newspapers, I hope, are careful to be factual and select their words so that the information they relate doesn’t intentionally sway their readers.

Mr. Praeger has made his radio shows and videos for the purpose of swaying the reader and listener and convincing them that our society is collapsing. He does this by demonizing the left.

The use of emotionally laden words like radical and indoctrination put me on the alert for bullying tendencies.

An article in Psychology Today stated that “Studies show that bullies lack prosocial behavior, are untroubled by anxiety, and do not understand others’ feelings. They misread the intentions of others, often imputing hostility in neutral situations. They typically see themselves quite positively.”

Mr. Praeger’s rhetoric may not only be bullying but also be quite dangerous. If we are to see ourselves as United States, then shouldn’t we have a more inclusive mentality? It is one thing to express your opinion and state specific facts about issues and quite another to lump people into a category like leftist or right. It would seem to me that a more inclusive view of our neighbor is warranted. I would invite Mr. Praeger and anyone who follows his programs to reach across the table. It is not the “leftists who are chipping away at our confidence in Western civilization.”

Cassandra Fralix. Lexington

We welcome your letters

Letters to the editor give Chronicle readers a way to raise concerns. Our deadline for letters is 3 p.m. Friday. Send them to chronicleletter@gmail.com