Letters to the Editor 03-28-2005
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Defense Of Opinion - Monitor Downtown Parking - Outraged - Nuclear Option - Shop With A Cop
Defense Of Opinion
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to say a few things in Gene May's defense.
In defense of his constitutional right to freedom of speech and his undeniable right to freedom of thought.
Although I have not read that many of his letters it has been brought to my attention that he is now receiving hate mail as a result of his criticism of the Bush administration and his views of spirituality. This is abhorrent in and of itself regardless of the extremity of his views.
In regards to his views of theology, spirituality or religion in general, I can only say that I have made it point not to express my views in this medium because I feel this is a subject entirely too private to be paraded about in a publication. There are some who would employ the letters section as a pulpit.
The only thing I feel comfortable saying publicly about it is that faith has become increasingly politicized as a result of the Christian Coalition's support of the Bush administration and its policies.
Even to the point of governmental interference in to what I would consider private affairs concerning life and death issues.
Here's an interesting quote as reported by the godless New York Times. "My party is demonstrating that they are for states' rights unless they don't like what states are doing." Christopher Shays, Republican congressman of Connecticut, on the Schiavo case. That's really all I have to say about that.
Faith has been exploited by the Bush administration to the point that to be labeled as liberal is to be labeled as godless or even evil in nature. What better way to garner support for your political agenda than to create fear and loathing for your opponents' ideologies.
Even better is to view anyone who disagrees with your political ideologies as unpatriotic, why do you think they created the "Patriot" Act, as a new law that under which certain "circumstances" could be used to trample anyone's constitutional rights, not just deserving terrorists. I really didn't think they would ever top the RICO act but they did. This law has been effective at deterring terrorism and to date and to my knowledge has not been abused, except in the rare cases when racial profiling has been brought into question.
As far as the criticism of the Bush administration and its current policy of promoting democracy at the point of a gun, I admit that this strategy may actually work if they can manage to prevent a civil war in Iraq. However, I view exploiting the 9/11 tragedy's resounding surge of patriotism and using false or at best weak information about a tattered WMD program as justification for the invasion of a sovereign nation as questionable.
The war itself, for whatever justification, was swiftly and brilliantly executed but poorly managed.
There were recommendations for up to 500,000 troops (one for every 50 citizens) to facilitate the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Instead we currently have one for every 139 citizens, thus our predicted insurgency problem.
Like a typical bad decision, something is attempted on the cheap, it doesn't pan out and you pay more than it would cost to do it right the first time.
Not only in capital outlay but in human lives.
I would like to say it has been fear that has kept me from speaking out on any of these matters. I have been made to feel isolated and apprehensive with the constant barrage of conservative rhetoric and liberal stereotyping, but some very dear and brave friends of mine have taken it upon themselves to speak freely and have paid the price. I don't think threats will stop any of us. That is not the axiom upon which this country was founded and to pronounce yourself patriotic for such an act is perverse.
Gene May, you are not alone in this world.
Ted Carter
Leesburg
via e-mail
Monitor Downtown Parking
Editor, Times-Union:My guess is, few county employees could afford to pay one or two parking fines a day, five days a week!
If, as Warsaw city councilman Bob Morrison says, Warsaw City has a concern about parking problems on Courthouse Square and other downtown streets, why isn't their "meter maid" doing her job? She has a cute little rig to drive. And I believe I read in this paper that she has a device to monitor vehicle parking by their license plate numbers. Oops, I almost forgot, she will have to patrol the areas in question, starting at 8 a.m. every day. What are her hours and what are her duties on rainy days?
FYI, I am a county employee who parks in the county parking lot, my job keeps me way too busy to stand at the window to see who is out there moving their cars.
This letter was written in my home, on my own time and the e-mail was sent from my own computer.
Karen Moon
Claypool
via e-mail
Outraged
Editor, Times-Union:I am absolutely outraged at the U.S. Senate. Recently they have refused to raise the minimum wage for millions of workers. In the years since the last minimum wage increase Congress has received seven pay raises. While the cost of basic needs such as shelter, health care, food and energy has gone up, the full-time minimum wage worker is expected to survive on $10,712 annually. Thirty-six million Americans now live below the poverty line. The Senate just assured them they will stay there.
Next came bankruptcy reform. Bought and paid for courtesy of the banking and credit card industry this new piece of legislation allows no exemption for extreme hardship caused by severe medical problems, identity theft or members of the U.S. military serving in Bush's war. However, the wealthy were compassionately exempted by something called "asset protection trusts," which translates to sheltered assets that are off-limits to bankruptcy proceedings. The Senate Democrats that voted with Republicans on these issues have not only sold their souls to the special interests but their rights to membership in the party of FDR. May they hang their heads in shame.
Now our esteemed Senate is about to investigate steroid use by a handful of professional athletes. The reason, so they say, is because our kids are also dying from steroid use. Well, kids are also dying because of gang violence, kids are dying from lack of medical care and kids are dying in Iraq.
So what is to be accomplished by issuing subpoenas to these multimillionaire athletes? Will they lie under oath? Probably. Will they be punished? Probably not. There are two systems of justice in the U.S. Those who can afford to buy it and those who can't. I'm still waiting for Ken Lay to be brought to justice.
The Senate needs to focus its precious time and resources on more urgent matters.
Janet Collins
Etna Green
Nuclear Option
Editor, Times-Union:Next month the Senate will most likely vote on what the Republicans call the "nuclear option." This is about radical Republicans grasping for absolute power so they can appoint Supreme Court justices that favor corporate interests and an extreme right agenda over the rest of us. I sincerely urge our senators to stand up for the centuries of checks and balances that have made this country great, and oppose the "nuclear option."
Despite Senate confirmation of almost 95 percent of President Bush's nominees, radical Republicans are threatening to eliminate the filibuster to gain complete control over the Supreme Court. They want to use the court to pay back big donors by rolling back worker protections, environmental laws and privacy rights - all at our expense.
This is not a partisan issue. Ultimately you don't even have to oppose President Bush's judges to oppose the "nuclear option." This is about supporting checks and balances and opposing absolute power in the hands of one party. And that's something we can all agree on.
Beth Anderson
Warsaw
via e-mail
Shop With A Cop
Editor, Times-Union:The Kosciusko County Fraternal Order of Police would like to announce we will be conducting the "Shop with a Cop" program this year. The program will be starting March 30 and will run through the July 15.
We have been able to provide a great deal of support to area programs which benefit all of the citizens of Kosciusko County, most notably the young residents. The assistance which we provide would not be possible without the help and assistance we receive from the residents and businesses here in our fine communities.
We have strived to assemble a program which benefits all those who participate. The Fraternal Order of Police appreciates the support that you all convey for the programs this local lodge has undertaken.
Travis C. Marsh
President FOP Lodge 149
via e-mail
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- Defense Of Opinion - Monitor Downtown Parking - Outraged - Nuclear Option - Shop With A Cop
Defense Of Opinion
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to say a few things in Gene May's defense.
In defense of his constitutional right to freedom of speech and his undeniable right to freedom of thought.
Although I have not read that many of his letters it has been brought to my attention that he is now receiving hate mail as a result of his criticism of the Bush administration and his views of spirituality. This is abhorrent in and of itself regardless of the extremity of his views.
In regards to his views of theology, spirituality or religion in general, I can only say that I have made it point not to express my views in this medium because I feel this is a subject entirely too private to be paraded about in a publication. There are some who would employ the letters section as a pulpit.
The only thing I feel comfortable saying publicly about it is that faith has become increasingly politicized as a result of the Christian Coalition's support of the Bush administration and its policies.
Even to the point of governmental interference in to what I would consider private affairs concerning life and death issues.
Here's an interesting quote as reported by the godless New York Times. "My party is demonstrating that they are for states' rights unless they don't like what states are doing." Christopher Shays, Republican congressman of Connecticut, on the Schiavo case. That's really all I have to say about that.
Faith has been exploited by the Bush administration to the point that to be labeled as liberal is to be labeled as godless or even evil in nature. What better way to garner support for your political agenda than to create fear and loathing for your opponents' ideologies.
Even better is to view anyone who disagrees with your political ideologies as unpatriotic, why do you think they created the "Patriot" Act, as a new law that under which certain "circumstances" could be used to trample anyone's constitutional rights, not just deserving terrorists. I really didn't think they would ever top the RICO act but they did. This law has been effective at deterring terrorism and to date and to my knowledge has not been abused, except in the rare cases when racial profiling has been brought into question.
As far as the criticism of the Bush administration and its current policy of promoting democracy at the point of a gun, I admit that this strategy may actually work if they can manage to prevent a civil war in Iraq. However, I view exploiting the 9/11 tragedy's resounding surge of patriotism and using false or at best weak information about a tattered WMD program as justification for the invasion of a sovereign nation as questionable.
The war itself, for whatever justification, was swiftly and brilliantly executed but poorly managed.
There were recommendations for up to 500,000 troops (one for every 50 citizens) to facilitate the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Instead we currently have one for every 139 citizens, thus our predicted insurgency problem.
Like a typical bad decision, something is attempted on the cheap, it doesn't pan out and you pay more than it would cost to do it right the first time.
Not only in capital outlay but in human lives.
I would like to say it has been fear that has kept me from speaking out on any of these matters. I have been made to feel isolated and apprehensive with the constant barrage of conservative rhetoric and liberal stereotyping, but some very dear and brave friends of mine have taken it upon themselves to speak freely and have paid the price. I don't think threats will stop any of us. That is not the axiom upon which this country was founded and to pronounce yourself patriotic for such an act is perverse.
Gene May, you are not alone in this world.
Ted Carter
Leesburg
via e-mail
Monitor Downtown Parking
Editor, Times-Union:My guess is, few county employees could afford to pay one or two parking fines a day, five days a week!
If, as Warsaw city councilman Bob Morrison says, Warsaw City has a concern about parking problems on Courthouse Square and other downtown streets, why isn't their "meter maid" doing her job? She has a cute little rig to drive. And I believe I read in this paper that she has a device to monitor vehicle parking by their license plate numbers. Oops, I almost forgot, she will have to patrol the areas in question, starting at 8 a.m. every day. What are her hours and what are her duties on rainy days?
FYI, I am a county employee who parks in the county parking lot, my job keeps me way too busy to stand at the window to see who is out there moving their cars.
This letter was written in my home, on my own time and the e-mail was sent from my own computer.
Karen Moon
Claypool
via e-mail
Outraged
Editor, Times-Union:I am absolutely outraged at the U.S. Senate. Recently they have refused to raise the minimum wage for millions of workers. In the years since the last minimum wage increase Congress has received seven pay raises. While the cost of basic needs such as shelter, health care, food and energy has gone up, the full-time minimum wage worker is expected to survive on $10,712 annually. Thirty-six million Americans now live below the poverty line. The Senate just assured them they will stay there.
Next came bankruptcy reform. Bought and paid for courtesy of the banking and credit card industry this new piece of legislation allows no exemption for extreme hardship caused by severe medical problems, identity theft or members of the U.S. military serving in Bush's war. However, the wealthy were compassionately exempted by something called "asset protection trusts," which translates to sheltered assets that are off-limits to bankruptcy proceedings. The Senate Democrats that voted with Republicans on these issues have not only sold their souls to the special interests but their rights to membership in the party of FDR. May they hang their heads in shame.
Now our esteemed Senate is about to investigate steroid use by a handful of professional athletes. The reason, so they say, is because our kids are also dying from steroid use. Well, kids are also dying because of gang violence, kids are dying from lack of medical care and kids are dying in Iraq.
So what is to be accomplished by issuing subpoenas to these multimillionaire athletes? Will they lie under oath? Probably. Will they be punished? Probably not. There are two systems of justice in the U.S. Those who can afford to buy it and those who can't. I'm still waiting for Ken Lay to be brought to justice.
The Senate needs to focus its precious time and resources on more urgent matters.
Janet Collins
Etna Green
Nuclear Option
Editor, Times-Union:Next month the Senate will most likely vote on what the Republicans call the "nuclear option." This is about radical Republicans grasping for absolute power so they can appoint Supreme Court justices that favor corporate interests and an extreme right agenda over the rest of us. I sincerely urge our senators to stand up for the centuries of checks and balances that have made this country great, and oppose the "nuclear option."
Despite Senate confirmation of almost 95 percent of President Bush's nominees, radical Republicans are threatening to eliminate the filibuster to gain complete control over the Supreme Court. They want to use the court to pay back big donors by rolling back worker protections, environmental laws and privacy rights - all at our expense.
This is not a partisan issue. Ultimately you don't even have to oppose President Bush's judges to oppose the "nuclear option." This is about supporting checks and balances and opposing absolute power in the hands of one party. And that's something we can all agree on.
Beth Anderson
Warsaw
via e-mail
Shop With A Cop
Editor, Times-Union:The Kosciusko County Fraternal Order of Police would like to announce we will be conducting the "Shop with a Cop" program this year. The program will be starting March 30 and will run through the July 15.
We have been able to provide a great deal of support to area programs which benefit all of the citizens of Kosciusko County, most notably the young residents. The assistance which we provide would not be possible without the help and assistance we receive from the residents and businesses here in our fine communities.
We have strived to assemble a program which benefits all those who participate. The Fraternal Order of Police appreciates the support that you all convey for the programs this local lodge has undertaken.
Travis C. Marsh
President FOP Lodge 149
via e-mail
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