I don’t hate Donald Trump. Neither do I feel inclined to extend him any compassion. My heart is generally with the victims in any dispute, and certainly the father of the murdered girl referred to in Camille Reeves’ op-ed piece can be seen as a victim, as well as his daughter (“With Trump inauguration looming, compassion and empathy necessary to stop blame, hatred,” Jan. 4). But Donald Trump has never been the victim of anything, except perhaps some business deals that went sour. I do agree with most of what Reeves says, but I think Sue Letzinger makes a good point in her letter on the same page (“We must all work together to stop supporting fossil fuels,” Jan. 4). Rather than “stop fighting for peace,” we do have a fight on our hands against the fossil fuel industry, which we should conduct with vigor and determination — though nonviolently.

I will now segue into an article on page 12 of the same issue about a new book, “Solutionary Rail,” being introduced by Bill Moyer’s Backbone Campaign (“Backbone Campaign launching Solutionary Rail effort Saturday,” Jan. 4). It’s a proposal (believe it or not) to electrify the country’s railroads using renewable power: solar and wind. This is the most exciting idea I’ve seen in a long time. The product of three years of work by the Backbone Campaign. It makes a lot of sense and, in Backbone’s very comprehensive presentation, it seems quite achievable.

Moyer is fond of saying “Our ‘no’ is only as powerful as our ‘yes’” and, therefore, the Backbone Campaign’s “unique approach has always paired opposition with proposition.” I see a proposal like this as yet another and better kind of response to the need to heal our country’s divisions, since its benefits accrue to all political persuasions and all segments of our society.

Solutionary rail is a huge “yes.” Don’t miss it.

— Edna Dam