Letters to the Editor: Anyone who is only trying to receive a Nobel Peace Prize doesn’t deserve one
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To the editor: If something good is done for selfish reasons, does the fact of the base motive tarnish the benign act?
President Trump is claiming to have ended eight wars. At best, there are one or two conflicts that he may have ended. It’s too early to tell if the Gaza ceasefire deal will bring real, long-lasting peace. But the gloss comes off all of it because it looks like he took those actions in pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize (“Trump’s quest for the Nobel Peace Prize falls short again,” Oct. 10).
At the same time, he is trying to send U.S. troops into American cities, threatening to unleash their considerable force on Americans; calling the Department of Defense the Department of War; and taking flimsy legal action against his political foes seemingly motivated purely by hatred.
So back to the question. The answer is easy: Any goodness is completely degraded. Peace isn’t the absence of war while the power of vengeance is glorified at the same time. Peace is an inner quality reflected in outer actions.
When words urge hatred and set the stage for violence, no number of peace treaties will produce actual peace.
Try as he might, he will never deserve any peace prize.
Joanne Reynolds, Corona del Mar
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To the editor: Trump and the White House showed exactly why the Nobel Peace Prize went to María Corina Machado. Instead of displaying grace and good sportsmanship and congratulating the deserved winner, who incidentally dedicated her Nobel to Trump, the White House slammed the Nobel Committee for awarding it to someone else. Looks like the Norwegians got it exactly right.
Jim Kalin, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I believe Donald Trump is the worst U.S. president who has held office during my lifetime.
However, having said that, I wouldn’t have been disappointed if he were to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in obtaining a truce in Gaza. I’m also not too torn up about the results, though.
Stu Bernstein, Santa Monica
