The Issue: Vice President Harris’ desire for a second presidential debate with Donald Trump on CNN.
Why should former President Donald Trump accept another debate with left-leaning media (“Harris agrees to second debate,” Sept. 22)?
The first debate was with CNN on June 27, pitting Trump against President Biden. The second debate was with ABC, pitting him against Harris. Trump should agree to a third debate, but only if Harris agrees to a debate on Fox News after.
Peter Provenzale
Goodyear, Ariz.
Discretion is an important part of valor — or simply put, Trump shouldn’t even entertain the idea of a second debate with Harris.
Harris, looking to solidify her lead in the polls, is baiting Trump into another debate that could destroy his chance of winning over independent voters.
Whether their first debate was fixed to hurt Trump or not, it definitely worked in Harris’ favor thanks to help from the ABC moderators.
Ron Zajicek
Cortlandt
Trump says he won’t debate Harris a second time. But Trump’s decision to decline a second debate with Harris seems sketchy, at best, to me.
No law requires presidential debates, but I believe they’re extremely important. A second debate between Trump and Harris would be good for the nation, even if it takes place in late October.
Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach, Calif.
Another debate would be the perfect opportunity for Trump to put Harris on the defensive.
But he should accept the CNN debate on the condition that she also agrees to a debate on Fox. My money says Harris will refuse.
Ezra Ini
Queens
Trump lost so badly in his first debate with Harris that he is too scared to gear up for round two — and I say this as someone who is not a fan of Harris.
It turns out it’s easier to bully a senile dementia patient than a younger woman. Trump should just take the debate anyway and lose again.
Phil Stein
Merced, Calif.
Harris can’t expect to share a debate stage with Trump again. After all, in the last debate, ABC unfairly put their thumbs on the scale for Harris and openly threw roadblocks in Trump’s way at times.
Will Graves
Winter Park, Fla.
The Issue: The mass shooting in Birmingham, Ala. that killed four people and injured 17 more.
Yet another senseless mass shooting has taken place, this time in Alabama, with four people dead and 17 others suffering varying degrees of injury (“Killer gunmen on auto,” Sept. 23).
Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were killed and injured as well as their families. When is this madness going to stop?
When will Congress break free of the NRA’s political stranglehold and work in a bipartisan manner to tighten existing gun laws and formulate and pass additional ones? This is not what life in America should be like. Our country is in serious trouble, and with continued gun violence, it will only get much worse.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
Once again, we wake up to news of a mass shooting, this time in an entertainment district in Birmingham, Ala.
I send my condolences to the victims, their families and the entire Birmingham community. People should be able to enjoy a Saturday night out safely.
This shouldn’t be happening in our country, and the American people shouldn’t have to live in fear of where this senseless violence will strike next. Mass shootings continue to happen despite an overall drop in homicides, in part due to easy access to guns in America.
Paul Bacon
Hallandale Beach, Fla.
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