To the Editor:
Re “What’s That You Find in the Boring Silence? It’s Your Attention,” by Chris Hayes (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 5):
I admire Mr. Hayes’s candor and insights as he struggles with attempts at calming his mind.
His antidote for the distractions he experiences from the daily bombardment of electronic stimuli, however, appears to be other forms of distraction.
He daydreams, is lost in thought while on his daily walk, finds intellectual projects to work on or allows his mind to wander while chopping wood. These activities no doubt provide him with joy and fulfillment. They rescue him from boredom and idle distraction, but do they truly quiet the mind?
Although Mr. Hayes mentions prayer, meditation, and other spiritual and psychological practices as inner disciplines to quiet distraction, he acknowledges that his mind is too restless and unsettled to find these practices of help.
But such spiritual practices are just what are needed.
The challenge is that such practices require an inner discipline, patience and perseverance that are lacking in our world of instant gratification. They offer a path to step out of our tangled web of thoughts and emotions and into a space of tranquillity and inner peace.
Paul GoldbergArlington, Mass.
To the Editor:
As a person, parent and grandparent, I have always disallowed the word “boredom” — it is a curse word. Kids feeling lost can draw, write, read, look at, play something. If you’re an adult, daydream about something, think something.
Entertain yourself; enjoy yourself with that magnificent organ you have called your brain.
Margot HeadLew Beach, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Chris Hayes’s essay struck a profound chord with me. I take an early-morning walk every day, accompanied by our dog, The Scooter. At my wife’s insistence, I carry my iPhone. I’m 80, and she worries about me. While this “window to the world” is always in my pocket, I resist the urge to listen to the news, podcasts or music. Instead, as Mr. Hayes suggests, I use those precious 45 minutes to reflect and let my thoughts wander.
Since the onset of Covid, I’ve committed to writing at least one journal entry every day, without fail. My walks consistently provide a wealth of material, and when I return home, I’m eager to dive into my laptop.
Most people assume that these walks are primarily for The Scooter’s benefit, but I’m convinced that I gain far more from them than he does. I’m pretty sure that he doesn’t mind.
Henry Von KohornPrinceton, N.J.
Evasive Answers at Cabinet Hearings
To the Editor:
The interviews of Trump cabinet picks being conducted by the Senate are a disheartening farce. They consistently fail to answer straightforward questions, recite preprogrammed phrases, change the subject and say whatever they think will advance their appointments.
But in the end, none of it really matters because once in office they, like recent Supreme Court nominees, are free to recant whatever they said in those hearings and to act in a contrary manner. What a waste of time.
Lawrence WeismanWestport, Conn.
To the Editor:
Re “Bondi Evades Questions, but Promises No Politics” (news article, Jan. 16):
What a shame that Pam Bondi, our likely next attorney general, couldn’t utter the word “lost” when asked if Donald Trump lost the election to President Biden. The fear of Mr. Trump’s retribution looms large over the entire Republican Party.
How can the electorate have confidence that those entrusted to be loyal to the Constitution will uphold the rule of law? Time will tell.
Kenneth OlshanskySan Rafael, Calif.
Politicizing Aid for Los Angeles
To the Editor:
Re “Gavin Newsom Criticizes Republicans for ‘Politicizing’ California Wildfires” (news article, nytimes.com, Jan. 15):
So House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to place “conditions” on California if it wants any emergency funds to deal with this human catastrophe. Of course, it’s possible that Democratic officials made mistakes, but the biggest error is one that both parties are guilty of, and that is failing to treat climate chaos as the worldwide disaster that it is.
Scientists are telling us many ways to lessen the fuel available to wildfires, to create new land use policies, to rebuild where possible in new ways that will save lives. But I don’t hear Mr. Johnson calling for conditions on money for red states where these visionary proposals are being ignored.
He’s floating the concept of punishing all the people of Los Angeles because some of their elected leaders are Democrats. Is this what we want America to be? A place where victims of natural or unnatural disasters can get lifesaving aid only if they voted a certain way?
If you voted for Donald Trump, and you want all Americans to be helped when disaster strikes, please contact Mr. Johnson and tell him to “do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”
Phyllis HasbrouckDunn, Wis.
Rebuilding to Reduce Fire Risks
To the Editor:
Re “Wildfire Evacuees Scrambling to Find Shelter” (front page, Jan. 15):
It’s time to think ahead. We can see that a fire pushed by 100-mile-an-hour winds will destroy everything in its path. The only way to stop this devastation from happening again is to take away the things that burn. Low-vegetation landscaping and noncombustible housing are the solution.
You can’t do this on a voluntary basis; all houses and property in the area need to comply with the regulations. Now that everything has burned, it is the ideal time to implement “no fires” areas. All houses must be made of noncombustible materials and all landscapes must have minimal vegetation.
Homeowners will save with vastly reduced fire insurance costs and lower water bills. Knowing that your house could never burn is an added benefit.
Allen L. WengerBoise, Idaho
Ex-Presidents, Unite
To the Editor:
Could now be the time for former President George W. Bush to rejoin the national conversation? Is now the time for our former presidents to find common ground in service to our country?
America’s democracy and discourse have fundamentally changed since Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama served as president. We’ve lost former President Jimmy Carter and the moral center he occupied.
Couldn’t these great leaders find a way to work together and pick up that mantle? Perhaps start with a joint exhibit at their presidential libraries focused on an optimistic vision of our future. Perhaps take advantage of the new ways the body politic gets its information and debates our future.
I hope that the harmony they showed us at Mr. Carter’s funeral was the start, not the end, of their shared legacy in the service of the great American experiment.
David M. RodmanActon, Mass.
