Don't like Trump or Biden? Not getting the candidate of your dreams is no excuse not to vote.

Voters of every color urged to show up and do their civic duty

Isaac Willour's Feb. 1 column in The Dispatch, “Faced with Biden vs Trump, Black voters may choose to stay home” is appallingly short-sighted. Willour threatens Biden and the Democrats with a no-show at the 2024 elections by Black voters because they’re not doing enough of what he thinks his community wants. Instead, he should be using his voice to remind Black voters of the long and hard fight to win the right to vote and how threatened that right is even today.

We live in a country with over 160 million voters; there are few if any who get the presidential candidate of their dreams. The choice in November will most likely be Biden vs. Trump. You don’t have to like the choice, or be excited by either candidate, but you should feel a civic obligation to vote for one of the candidates who is actually on the ballot (versus the candidate of your dreams) who you think will ultimately be best as leader of this country. Voting is a right and a privilege, and I encourage everyone of any color to do their civic duty and show up at the polls. And I implore Isaac Willour and every other leader to use your voices to get out the vote rather than providing excuses to remain home.

Helene Cweren, Bexley

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A different view of the U.S. Figure Skating event

The glowing Feb. 2 article in The Dispatch about how people in Columbus love their sports, celebrating the city hosting the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, offers a unique perspective.

I attended the competition on Friday & Saturday evenings. Watching figure skating in person emphasizes the intensity of the event and the spectacularly high level of skill of these athletes. What a thrill.

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Yet, the empty seats do not speak well of Columbus' love of sports. The lack of attention to parking, traffic and some other details was a shame. I spent over 60 minutes trying to exit the parking garage. That never happens when attending a hockey game. Nationwide Arena did not offer a full complement of food and refreshments. Super event, but a logistical failure. Hope Columbus can continue to attract events like this in the future.

Daniel Finn, Worthington

Self-proclaimed 'divine appointees' pose threat to democracy

I write regarding a recent column by Tobin Miller Shearer entitled "How Religion and Politics will mix in 2024." Shearer, an historian and religious studies scholar, wrote an in-depth analysis of how politicians have mixed their religious beliefs with their political stances from the beginning of this country’s founding. Shearer details leaders from George Washington to present day who have, in some form, declared a Divine Mandate for this country.

Shearer's most potent statement, however, is written deep within his analysis, which points out the major difference between then and now: “Regardless of the outcome of the 2024 election, the switch from historical claims of divine authority for democracy to divine authority to challenge democracy is obvious and apparent.” That major contrast must be noted, as we observe this challenge to democracy now every day in our media sources.

There are religious and political power brokers who believe democracy is a political force that must be controlled, and God has appointed them to do that. Their hubris is appalling. Those self-proclaimed “divine appointees” pose the greatest existential threat to our very fragile democratic process.

Mike Halaiko, Pickerington

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: It's Trump vs. Biden this election. Don't like it? Vote anyway