Re “Trump Razing the East Wing Despite Pledge” (front page, Oct. 23):

I am sad that President Trump has destroyed the East Wing of the White House to accommodate an expansive new ballroom.

I have fond memories of visiting my father, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., then the special assistant to President John F. Kennedy, at his office in the East Wing. That part of the White House had an austere beauty to it, in keeping with the simple elegance of the historic building that has housed our leaders. But it long provided space for a growing presidential staff, and more recently, for the first ladies.

Under the Trump administration, we are, day by day, losing many of the special features that have for decades stood out in America’s foremost residence.

This is a distressing time for all Americans who care about that emblematic symbol of our nation as we are about to mark our country’s 250th anniversary.

Stephen Schlesinger
New York
The writer is a fellow at the Century Foundation.

If the president were looking for an appropriate symbol of his disdain for America and its people, he couldn’t have found a better one than mangling their house.

The media predictably harp about President Trump’s original statement that the new ballroom wouldn’t touch the East Wing. I say kudos to Mr. Trump for changing the plan as circumstances warrant.

It turns out, according to the White House, that an entirely new East Wing will be both cheaper and structurally better than a separate addition and renovation, so that’s what it’s doing.

If Mr. Trump followed normal procedures, the project would be endlessly argued, take 15 years to complete and be wildly over budget when done.

Instead, it should be done before Mr. Trump leaves office and the White House will have a ballroom of fitting size and grandeur for state dinners, as well as a state-of-the-art East Wing. It will undoubtedly be over budget, but it’s private money.

Perhaps the media would prefer that the White House continue using tents for big events. Just wait till Mr. Trump breaks ground for a triumphal arch in Washington. Then they’ll really be upset.

Re “A Lesson From the German Resistance That Applies Today,” by Jonathan Freedland (Opinion guest essay, Oct. 17):

I draw another lesson from the annals of tyranny in the modern age: If you have an endangered democracy, protect it before it ever gets to the point where resistance requires risking one’s life. Most people in that situation will not turn out to be heroes.

Defending democracy before the final stages of authoritarian takeover happen, including in the U.S. at this pivotal moment, means standing up, speaking out and not complying in advance.

For many Americans, this does not (yet) require heroic action. It does require effort, commitment and a willingness to join forces with everyone across the pro-democracy spectrum for the singular purpose of fending off tyranny.

Elizabeth L. Merrick
Somerville, Mass.

Re “Trump Pushes Black Officials From Top Jobs” (front page, Oct. 12):

If this intentional, systematic purge of Black federal workers had taken place a generation ago, my family would have likely been affected.

My mother spent 35 years as a federal government employee, mostly at the Department of Defense. It wasn’t glamorous by any stretch — she worked in procurement — but it was enough. We owned our own home. We had health care. She raised three children on that salary, with many of those years spent as a single mother.

The fact that I could go to college, earn a Ph.D. and now run a nonprofit organization dedicated to women’s economic empowerment can all be traced back to my mother’s federal job.

For decades, Black women have been well represented and excelled in positions throughout the federal government, thanks in large part to protections against discrimination. But that stability and those protections have been shattered.

Economic headwinds for Black women overall are increasingly dire. Since January, more than 300,000 Black women have left the work force. As a result, the unemployment rate for Black women now stands at 6.7 percent, well above the national average.

The administration calls its mass firings “reductions in force.” Black women just call it what it is: racism.

Jamila K. Taylor
Washington
The writer is the president and C.E.O. of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.