Opinion: Berkeley protests show that ‘loyal opposition’ has devolved into partisan hatred

To the editor: There used to be such a thing as the “loyal opposition.” As the violent clash in Berkeley Saturday between supporters and opponents of President Trump shows, that has sadly, and dangerously, evolved into partisan intolerance of differences of opinion. (“For many at violent Berkeley rally, it wasn’t really about Trump or free speech: They came to make trouble,” April 18)

There is great wisdom in “united we stand, divided we fall.”

When are we going to stop fighting our political opponents purely for the sport of venting our disgust of them? When will we try instead to do what it takes to negotiate our differences and salvage our republic, intact, without throwing civil liberties on the scrap heap?

Laura Kline, Valley Village

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To the editor: Last Saturday at peaceful tax marches in Los Angeles and dozens of other cities nationwide, people demanded that Trump release his tax returns. This important story was buried deep inside your Sunday paper, whereas you have published two articles about the clash in Berkeley between violent thugs from the far right and the far left.

You trivialized the imperative that Trump’s financial interests be revealed by choosing to emphasize mindless conflict over peaceful protest.

John D. Kelley, Santa Barbara

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