To the Editor:
Re “Trump and the Politics of ‘Mean World’” (column, Aug. 28):
David Brooks delivers a clear moral indictment of the temper of the Republican convention. Let’s not forget that the “mean world” behavior of President Trump and his enablers goes further than apocalyptic prophecies of violence in suburbia. That behavior is only a small element of his sheer immorality: his indecency, cruelty and carelessness in the literal meaning of the word.
This immorality is not just a matter of rabid party polarization. It defines Mr. Trump’s presidency.
At the Democratic convention, Joe Biden emphasized decency, compassion and responsibility. If the opposition to Mr. Trump can make this moral distinction persuasively to the American people, they will be quite capable of choosing the candidate who represents these modest political virtues. They will be willing to get past this administration’s cynical stoking of the politics of fear.
Robert Jay Lifton
Nancy L. Rosenblum
Wellfleet, Mass.
Dr. Lifton is a psychiatrist and the author of “Losing Reality: On Cults, Cultism and the Mindset of Political and Religious Zealotry.” Dr. Rosenblum is emeritus professor of political theory at Harvard and a co-author of “A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy.”
To the Editor:
The headline “Dermatology Has a Problem With Skin Color” (Health, nytimes.com, Aug. 30) misleads readers, as it implies that dermatologists do not want to see patients of color. We unequivocally assert that this is untrue.
The American Academy of Dermatology has a deep commitment to working with educational programs and medical journals to address the issue of darker skin tones in textbooks and publications. We are making significant progress in this and other diversity and inclusion arenas.
Our investment toward this goal includes the expansion of mentorship programs and strengthening pipeline programs to provide early exposure to dermatology for college students attending Black colleges and universities. It also includes supporting and encouraging dermatology faculty to work toward the goal of equality.
The Academy will continue its efforts until the gap in care for patients of color has been closed.
Bruce H. Thiers
Rosemont, Ill.
The writer is president of the American Academy of Dermatology.