Letters to the Editor: 2017 upended our collective definitions of responsibility and decency

As one of the most tumultuous, noisy, turbulent years in recent times comes to an end, it is becoming clear that we are utterly exhausted, intellectually and emotionally, because we have been on a roller coaster ride all year long, our emotions rising and falling, our minds exposed to sudden extreme interchanges of reality and fiction.

To use a literary analogy, our experiences of 2017 can be compared to having watched a tragicomedy, which blends aspects of both tragic and comic elements.

Since Donald Trump became president, an observer’s mood was able to go from one extreme of the pendulum to the other within seconds. As spectators, viewers, witnesses and voters, we have laughed or chuckled at the absurdities that have been on display every single day, and immediately, our emotions turned into disbelief, shock, anger and frustration.

It is tragic to think how modesty, restraint, responsibility and decency have been traded for vulgarity, lies, excess and denials of facts, and as such, have become the norm for public discourse. Our children will study these times in history books and be perplexed as to how rapidly the winds started blowing the other way.

This president’s contempt for the law, procedure and decorum are so obvious, his disregard for the existence of the three branches of government so alarming, that if continued, we will witness the loss of our basic democratic beliefs and values.

However, there is hope for a happy ending to this drama, because at the end of the day, this country is ruled and governed by the law. The law applies to everyone, especially to those who want to disobey and disregard it. And again, we as citizens of this democracy will be able to witness the true interpretation of our Constitution and our American values.

Comedy and tragedy intersected constantly this year. The last act will be worth the wait!

Shiva Farivar

Irvine

Rent is higher than many mortgages

Re. “Around Town: Work complete on Baker Block apartment complex in Costa Mesa,” (Dec. 22): $2,025 for a studio? That’s more than many local mortgages. How much is a one or two bedroom? Too embarrassed to give the Pilot those little golden tidbits? Ridiculous!

Mike Aguilar

Costa Mesa

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