To the editor:

In a recent letter to the editor of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, and an even more recent one to the editor of Sun Community News, the writer had the temerity to describe President Trump as a “pathological liar” who fooled voters into “believing he was Superman” (letter by Joe DeMarco, published by the Enterprise Jan. 5). Quite an imagination on the writer’s part, I’d say. It’s doubtful the writer was professionally qualified to offer such an opinion; thus it would seem to be nothing more than the same hateful vitriol spewed by the Trump-hater crowd because Trump “beat the pants off” their Queen Hillary in the 2016 election.

This same writer indicated he turned 18 in 1944 and enlisted in the Navy. Thank you for your service during that global conflict. I, too, am a veteran, having entered service in the Army at age 20. That service included a 15-month tour of duty in South Korea during the early post-conflict years of 1956-57 and the reconstruction of that new nation.

The writer proudly claims in both letters, “Cast my first national vote in November 1944. I voted for Franklin Roosevelt.” NO WAY, NOT TRUE! In 1944 the voting age requirement was 21. The writer, born in 1926, reached 21 years of age in 1947 and could have first legally voted in the 1948 national election but not in 1944.

In 1971 the 26th Amendment changed the 14th Amendment’s 21 age requirement to 18 years, thereby meaning that anyone born in 1953 or earlier, and meeting other residency, etc., requirements, was eligible to vote in national elections from 1971 and on.

Now, shall we have the same temerity as him and call him a pathological liar? Shall we use the excuse, “Turnabout is fair play”? I hope not, lest we use words and name calling unjustly as he did.

Gene Hibbard

Lake Placid

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(Editor’s note: We reached out to Mr. DeMarco, asking him to explain how he could have voted at age 18 in 1944, when the voting age was 21 in every state except Georgia, which lowered it to 18 in 1943. Mr. DeMarco, who grew up in New Jersey, insisted he cast an absentee ballot that year while overseas with the Navy during World War II. Asked whether it was possible his ballot was not counted due to his age, or whether it was counted but shouldn’t have been, he said he did not know.)