7 of our top opinion columns this week: ICYMI
From Chick-fil-A's charitable donations to Kamala Harris leaving the primary to the impeachment effort, here are some of our top columns of the week.
In today's fast-paced news environment, it can be hard to keep up. For your weekend reading, we've started in-case-you-missed-it compilations of some of the week's top USA TODAY Opinion pieces. As always, thanks for reading, and for your feedback.
1. What swimming in my underwear taught me about Donald Trump and getting away with it
By Michael J. Stern
"For Democrats impeachment is a strategic necessity. Nothing breeds voter apathy quicker than the thought that your leaders are doing nothing in the face of a disaster that demands they do something. The 2020 platform must be built around: 'We’ve done all we can. If you’re unhappy with what Trump and the Republican Senate have done, vote us back into power.'"
2. Our father helped found the future Navy SEALs. His vision didn't include Edward Gallagher.
By Draper Kauffman Jr. and Kelsey Kauffman
"Edward Gallagher has brought shame to a community our father helped found. Now he is being emboldened to tear down our nation’s premier fighting force by a president who does not understand the consequences of his actions. ... We can say unequivocally: Dad would have been horrified by the actions of Gallagher and would never have allowed him to remain a part of the Navy SEALs."
3. Chick-fil-A once inspired me to live out my faith in the workplace. Those days are gone.
By JP Duffy
"In the spring of 1997 my parents sat me down, told me it was time to get a job and nudged me to apply to Chick-fil-A. At first, I was uncertain about working in fast food, but I liked Chick-fil-A’s sandwiches and I embraced the company's biblical values. ... It’s difficult to watch Chick-fil-A follow the path of many of its corporate peers."
4. First Step Act's implementation leaving too many men, women behind: Reader view
By Brian Johnson and Lyle Jones Jr.
"We were both released from federal prison through the First Step Act. Each of us served two decades of a life sentence. Neither of us had prior criminal records, nor was there any violence associated with our cases — and yet, we were sent off to federal prison. ... With our newly granted freedom, we’re fighting for the people who are still incarcerated."
5. Democrats haven't made case for impeachment. They should censure Trump instead: Fleischer
By Ari Fleischer
"If the Democrats' drive to impeach and convict President Donald Trump is going to be successful, they need to persuade Republicans who have misgivings about the president to support their bid to remove him from office. They have failed. I know, because I’m one of those Republicans."
6. Kamala Harris failure to bridge left-center divide is a warning: Unite or Trump wins.
By Dan Schnur
"The Democratic Party is having an identity crisis. This week, Kamala Harris became its first victim. ... The eventual nominee will not defeat Trump unless the Adjusters and Revolutionaries are able to put aside their differences. Harris’ greatest contribution to her party this year may be to serve as a reminder of what could happen if that unity is not achieved.
7. Ukraine scandal: I know why Trump top dogs — Mulvaney, Pompeo, Perry & Bolton — won't bark
By Angus King
"One of Sherlock Holmes’ most famous cases was solved when a normally noisy dog was silent the night of the crime ... The dog knew the intruder. Those not barking today are the numerous Trump administration officials who are strangely silent when a few short statements (under oath) could go a long way toward exonerating the president from the charge of using the powers of his office for personal gain."
