The midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet is incredibly tragic. The loss of 67 lives, many of them young people, fills me with anguish. I wonder whether they died instantly or if some survived the terror of even a brief period in the dark and icy waters of the Potomac River. I also grieve for the families and loved ones of each of these victims who have to endure replays of the crash over and over again.
I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that President Donald Trump exploited this moment of national tragedy and fear for his political gain. To suggest that former Democratic presidents or diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are to blame while first responders were risking their own lives to recover bodies still strapped to their seats is cruel and irresponsible.
The Associated Press reported that on Trump’s second day in office he fired the heads of Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard. He also gutted the aviation safety committee by eliminating all of its members. That committee, mandated by Congress after the 1988 PanAm bombing over Scotland, technically exists but all the members have been removed. This committee was established to examine and make recommendations regarding airline and airport security, many that have been adopted over the years to make the flying public safer.
Instead of blaming others, we need Trump to demonstrate true leadership by reinstating the membership of this committee immediately and by showing us what he will do going forward to protect all of us.
— Sandra Alexander, Glen Ellyn
Political hay
The crash investigation has barely begun. But Trump already knows whom to blame. Diversity, equity and inclusion? In what way? Pilots, controllers, whom? Nothing is yet known. People are grieving the loss of their loved ones and Trump is already trying to make political hay out of this. His followers will say it’s just Trump or political rhetoric. Sorry, in this case, that’s a horrible excuse. If his followers buy this, I have less respect for them than ever.
Could they just once say he was wrong without saying Biden did this or Biden did that? Could he have waited for some evidence to appear?
— Laurence Siegel, Manteno, Illinois
Trump’s lack of empathy
I would really like to understand how the president of the United States could go before the nation on the morning of a deadly plane crash where about 70 people have died, and before more than half of the victims have been pulled from the water, and there is absolutely no evidence of what really happened, and use this moment to blame this terrible loss of life on the past administration’s hiring practices. Does he really believe that only white males are capable of doing these types of jobs?
Is he really that callous, and does he have a total lack of human feelings and complete disregard for the loss of life? Does he not even have the simple human decency to allow the families the time to bury their dead and space to grieve? It should be very clear even to his supporters that he lacks any human empathy.
Instead of offering anything in a healing nature he uses this moment for purely political gain.
I guess if he wanted to, he could try and blame Biden, but he even went back to Barack Obama and blamed him for ruining the Federal Aviation Administration.
Now Trump supporters tell me if I am wrong, but if Obama really screwed up the FAA, wasn’t Trump the president following Obama, and if Trump found that the FAA was in need of fixing why didn’t he fix it?
Fact is I understand that politics is an ugly blood sport, but was this the time for human compassion or was this the time for political mudslinging?
I guess we all know where Trump stands on this.
— Jeff Carr, Carol Stream
Spinning the narrative
After reading the excellent editorial “There is too much to learn from the Washington crash to use it for political gain,” (Feb. 2) I agree that (once again) both political parties are trying to “spin the narrative” to their advantage. It seems this is a pattern with both parties.
One instance that comes to mind was in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; Democrats were pounding on the Bush administration over disaster preparation and handling. Republicans responded that we “should not play the blame game”. Back then, I was not happy with that response. But with the passage of time, I believe it was the right for keeping the focus on helping those who need it and developing better countermeasures for the future. Let’s pick up the pieces, bury our dead, give ourselves time to mourn, and figure out how to prevent this from happening again.
Those insisting on pointing fingers for political gain should be politely escorted from the room.
— Paul Wolfson, Evanston
1959 plane crash
On June 26,1959, in Olgiate Olona, Italy, my husband’s uncle (an American) was killed in a tragic plane crash. The people of that town responded immediately to try to rescue the 70 souls on board; however, their efforts were in vain. The crash made international news, as at that time it was the worst air traffic accident in Italy’s history. His entire extended family in the United States was devastated.
Of all of those who went to the site, one stood out. Cardinal Giovanni Montini who went to the crash site to pray for the victims. A newspaper of the time reported, “the cardinal — who left Milan after learning the news about the accident — gave absolution to the remains of the victims mangled, charred and trapped in the wreckage of the fuselage.” Apparently, he was not concerned about the condition of the site that he visited.
In 1963, Montini was elected pope of the Roman Catholic Church — Pope Paul the VI. In 2018, Pope Paul was canonized a saint of the Catholic Church.
Why is this relevant today? When asked if if would visit the site of the horrific plane-helicopter crash over the Potomac River, Trump told a reporter on camera that he would not be doing that. He said: “Do you want me to go swimming?” For those who haven’t seen this clip, watch it so you don’t miss the sarcasm and insensitivity.
To this day, the people of Oligiate Olona have held an annual memorial to honor those who horribly perished there in 1959 — even erecting a monument. Ask yourself where Trump’s humanity has gone?
— Arleen Armanetti, Arlington Heights
DEI
Regarding the plane crash over the Potomac River, it would appear our president has his own DEI policy — dismissive executive insults — and his own version of woke — without a kernel of empathy.
We deserve better in times of national tragedy and sadness.
— William R. Cragg, Oak Park
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