Letters to the Editor: The tightrope for women Kamala Harris walked in her DNC speech

To the editor: Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention brought to mind the tightrope all women must walk.

Women must be strong without being aggressive; bold, but not strident; courageous, but not impulsive; attractive, but not vain; intelligent, but not snobbish; visionary, but not flighty; strong, but still womanly; caring, but not submissive; tender, but not weak; and above all, powerful without being overbearing.

She achieved all this and, even more importantly, she did it without seeming to be on a tightrope at all.

Leslie Stem, Gardena

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To the editor: I am enthusiastic about Harris’ possible presidency, but I was a little disappointed that she made little mention of climate change in her nomination speech.

Climate change will bring about dramatic disruption to the world economy, mass migration and war. When will we start to tackling the problem with the urgency that it requires?

Governments have paid lip service to climate change because of the fossil fuel industry. It is a real threat to the survival of future generations.

I wish Harris had given this issue the attention it deserves.

Linda Shabsin, Diamond Bar

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To the editor: The United States has only one real major political party now, and it’s the Democratic Party. Former President Trump has a movement cult, not a political party in the tradition of Lincoln’s Republican Party.

This could not have been more clear when Trump entered the GOP convention last month to give his nomination acceptance speech. Behind him at his entrance was no “USA” or even an animated American flag (though some flags were off to the side). The only image was the huge illuminated “TRUMP.”

This is no American political party. How sad for American democracy.

Carl Martz, Redlands

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To the editor: I am the grandmother of two girls born in 2015. When they were as little as 4 years old, I started telling them about this amazing U.S. senator from California who was also a “Blindian” like them.

They were smart enough, growing up in a household rife with political talk, to understand the significance of a woman with a shared blended racial identity, Black and Indian, being elected as vice president in 2020.

Unlike Harris, their mother is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and their father is a Black veteran. Nonetheless, the inspiration for blended families, and most especially women, Blindian and other blends, is simply phenomenal.

I am committed to do everything I can to give my granddaughters the reality of having a Blindian be the next resident of the White House.

Kiran Saluja, Walnut