From: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/winston-churchill-cigar

Letter published in the East Hampton Star July 9th 2020

To the Editor,

France declared war on Germany shortly after the German invasion of Poland in September of 1939. By June of the following year, Hitler’s armored divisions had defeated France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. With the aim of defeating the English next, German aircraft were relocated to airfields on the northern coast of France and were bombing London and other English towns incessantly night after moonlit night, while German subs were torpedoing British supply ships. The destruction was bringing England to its knees.

In the winter of 1940, Prime Minister Churchill appealed to President Roosevelt requesting American assistance in maintaining the flow of food and military supplies to England. On Monday evening, Jan. 6, 1941, at the State of the Union address, Roosevelt asked the country to grant Churchill’s request: If agreed, Roosevelt described a world to come that would be founded upon four essential human freedoms: speech, worship and freedoms from want and fear. America did not hesitate, and we all know the results.

Today, as we fight World War III — Covid19 — might we think that our current president would be man enough to have concern for others that he would wish to ease the world’s suffering? But no, he decides to buy up for America alone the world supply of the one drug, Remdesivir, which can help reduce the effects of the pandemic. Shame, shame, shame. And as for the freedoms of speech, worship, and freedoms from want and fear he has no interest, they do not affect his own future.

Like a man trapped by more and more frequent implications of wrongdoing and corruption, Trump’s response is, “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t my fault. Not my responsibility,” such as the removal of the Manhattan United States attorney. William Barr ordered the dismissal. Russian offered Taliban bounties to kill our troops? “I know nothing about that.” (Now he knows but still does nothing.) Covid-19: “States have the responsibility for the medical and economic response.” Anger at Black Lives Matter but no suggestions for change of policy. Will not wear a mask despite advice, we could go on. Clearly out of his depth, incapable, and emotionally bankrupt.

Our New York congressman, unfeeling Lee Zeldin is a repeat performance. As a military man who served in Iraq, briefly, the lack of concern for his fellows in arms is truly appalling. Let us rid ourselves of these wimps and march behind fully functional real leaders with empathic concerns who treasure and demand freedom of speech and worship and freedom from want and fear.

NIGEL NOBLE