The Democratic Partys much-needed wake up call and more: Letters to the Editor Jan. 5, 2025

From the fainting couch come comments from concussed Democrats who continue to conflate progressive confabulation as reality (“Democrats’ Only Road Forward,” Editorial, Dec.29).President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory over hapless Vice President Kamala Harris wasn’t a triumph of dolts over brilliance nor a win for fascists, but rather an achievement of the real over the facile.Trump’s secret sauce for slaying the high-flying progressive program was intuitive knowledge, riffing during his rallies with a knack for the progressive pulse before shooting it down with an apt phrase or two, as if Icarus had flown too near the sun.

Progressives are in a shambles, and they cannot get up.May they rest in peace.Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati, OhioIt was cool that New York Knicks center Victor Wembanyama played several games of chess in Washington Square Park on Saturday morning (“Victor Wembanyama plays chess at Washington Square Park in rain after asking for NYC’s ‘best’ spots,” Dec.

28).It would have been even better had he played them last season — when he was still a rook, excuse me, a rookie.He had proven himself king of the court earlier this year during the team’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs — although during the Spurs’ Christmas Day loss to the Knicks, Wemby played the role of a mere pawn.I would compare Wemby’s graceful shooting, passing, dribbling and shot-blocking moves on a basketball court to a chess queen’s virtually unlimited moves on a chessboard.Richard Siegelman, PlainviewWhen society conditions us to view animals as commodities rather than sentient beings, acts of cruelty become disturbingly accessible (“Texas cheerleader, 17, charged with animal cruelty for fatally poisoning her rival’s show goat in ugly ‘jealousy’ act,” Dec.

30).This young person’s actions reflect a broader cultural context — notably, she was recently appointed president of her school’s Future Farmers of America chapter.In a world ...