Letters to the Editor 10-15-2004
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Debates Not Needed To Clarify Much About Kerry, Bush - Holiday Help - Kerry Won On Abortion - Rotten Apple - Teens 'N Tots - Flu Shots
Debates Not Needed To Clarify Much About Kerry, Bush
The one thing I learned from the past three presidential debates is how little I can actually learn from these debates.I am still amazed at how both candidates can give a two-minute answer to a completely different question from the one asked by the moderator. There seems to be no better medium than a debate for either candidate to reapply the rhetoric that their respective campaigns are built upon. In reality, how are you going to lay out a plan addressing complex and systemic problems that have developed over a period of years, be it either foreign or economic/domestic policy, in two minutes?
The best we could possibly hope for is to use the time to assess the individual candidate's character based upon how he deals with the pressure of being in a debate and the confidence he projects during his typically rhetorical answers.
Many will base their votes on mere perception alone. Never looking beyond their moral alignment or personal approach, Kerry is Catholic and has the typical New England, Kennedy style of intellectual repartee, and Bush is a Christian fundamentalist and combines down to Earth witticism with a flair for the evangelical. These differences are exploited by each candidate to appeal to a certain demographic of voter.
Another thing that impressed me were the "Classic Debate Inaccuracies" that tend to get flown around during events of these types. For example, Kerry said we've lost 1.6 million jobs. These jobs were lost in the private sector and are somewhat offset by employment gains in the public sector (some created through government spending in response to the newly found need for bigger homeland security). Bush, in turn, attacked Sen. Kerry's voting record, saying he voted for increased taxes on 98 occasions, when in reality many of the votes were for increased ceilings on spending proposals without any real effect on the tax code at all.
These are the typical tools of the politician, to prey on the average voter's ignorance of the details behind issues and of the entire legislative process in general. Many bills are voted against because the plan laid out is a poor one regardless of the issue it addresses, or because too many riders had been attached (pork). Like most lazy Americans, I myself would prefer to buy into the easy stories that are eagerly presented to me by the campaign via mainstream media, but I know in my heart that if I want to make a truly informed decision, I still need to dig deeper into voting records and shadowy initiatives. For example, George Bush's Executive Order 11490, an executive order tying in all other executive orders giving the president unilateral sweeping powers over all aspects of government.
See:
http://www.dojgov.net/shadow_government.htm
Bob Kerrey was recently quoted on these pages as having called Bill Clinton an "unusually good liar." Calling a politician an "unusually good liar" is like calling a professional boxer an "unusually violent person." It is the very nature of their being, and the degree to which they control themselves dictates the success of their performance.
We are also assailed by the negatively framed comments put forth in the form of an answer. For example, instead of, "Well, in this situation I would do this," the first words out of both candidates' mouths are: "Well, my opponent does that, which is wrong, and I'll do this, which is right."
The nature of debate is to cast doubt on your opponent's argument, whereas the nature of political debate is to simply cast doubt upon your opponent.
The negative campaign strategies of the Bush re-election machine are renowned throughout political circles. They indirectly and insidiously attacked former Texas Gov. Ann Richards' character and sexual orientation by questioning the amount of highly positioned administration appointees who just happened to be lesbians.
This was eventually followed up by a leaflet campaign featuring a photo of two men kissing, placed under the windshield wipers of evangelical Christians about the state while they were at church. This worked well to cast enough doubt about Ann Richards to allow George Bush to edge her out in his bid for governor of Texas.
Did Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney's daughters work for her as well? Well, we all know how important gay issues are in comparison to health care and rising insurance costs, unemployment, Social Security, crime as well as national security and border protection.
Through all of this, however, one thing can be ascertained from the past performances of both candidates, one is eager to push forth a policy, unprecedented in the history of the United States, of invasion and pre-emption based upon the provocation of terrorism, and the other prefers to maintain the integrity of our original foreign policies, use the utmost caution to build alliances not only with France but with as many nations as possible, to give time to verify the intelligence we receive and is simply much less eager to go to war.
I really didn't need the debate to clarify my insight on that particular aspect.
Ted Carter
Leesburg
Holiday Help
Editor, Times-Union:We are a church in the Pierceton area that annually prepares Thanksgiving dinners that we deliver to the homes of people who are homebound, the elderly or people who just need a little help this holiday season. To do this, we need to know who you are. We have read many letters lately of people who are in need due to various circumstances, and this is one way that our church can help the tri-county areas.
We ask that if you are one of these people or you know of someone, please contact us. You can reach us at one of the following phone numbers: 260-839-0119, 574-594-5718, 260-839-3897 or 260-839-0307.
We need the information before Nov. 4 or shortly thereafter. Please help us to help others.
Trinity Faith Ministries
Pierceton
Kerry Won On Abortion
Editor, Times-Union:As a woman who is mindful of women's issues today, I believe that in the second presidential debate smashed Bush hard by recounting and then refuting the feasibility of his rigid beliefs: "You know, it's just not that simple. I'm against the partial birth abortion, but you've got to have an exception for the life of the mother and the health of the mother under the strictest test of bodily injury to the mother. Secondly, with respect to parental notification, I'm not going to require a 16- or 17-year-old kid who's been raped by her father and who's pregnant to have to notify her father. So you've got to have a judicial intervention." No matter where one sides on the issue of abortion, one must admit that Kerry made a compelling argument against Bush when he berated the current president for not including an exception in his ban on partial birth abortions if the mother would die without the procedure - a rebuke to which Bush had no answer. And Kerry's censure continued when he referred to a phenomenon rarely mentioned in politics: rape/incest. His scenario is a point well taken because it again highlights Bush's refusal to see that in a world with variegated issues, he often assumes that they were only shades of gray. In his silence on those exceptions, and his refusal to amend his views on those policies, Bush demonstrates a rather cold disregard for the individual traumas of women - an insensitivity that illustrates his inability to be a caring president and therefore shows that he should not be re-elected. With his own words Bush recused himself from the presidency in the debate's courthouse. And with that, Kerry won the verbal fight that night.
Linda Esah
Warsaw
via e-mail
Rotten Apple
Editor, Times-Union:Mr. Kolter, you pointed out the SEC concluded: "In light of the facts uncovered, it would be difficult to establish that, even assuming Bush possessed material non-public information." The SEC also stated, "It must in no way be construed as indicating that the party has been exonerated or that no action ultimately results."
Mr. Kolter, if you want a good read, try "Fortunate Son, The Making Of An American President," by J.H. Hatfield. You can order it at Reader's World.
Also, I, like Jonathan R. Mauk, am a registered Republican since 1976.
I also know when I see a rotten apple in the basket, it needs to be tossed out!
Carol May
Etna Green
Teens 'N Tots
Editor, Times-Union:Although I greatly appreciate being a recipient of the 2004 Mary Louise Lowe award, there is a mistake that I must correct. The ground work for the Teens 'N Tots program had already begun when I was hired at Heartline Pregnancy Center. The steering committee which consisted of Heartline board members and members of Kosciusko county, had researched the need and found ways to apply a solution. Judy Demeter, the first executive director of this program, wrote grants and found donors for Teens 'N Tots to open its doors. Once the program was approved to begin, she set it up as only a nurse could. Heartline has been proud to continue this program, which now boasts of 21 high school graduates. Of those students, 11 went on to college. Although I have been the director since its second year, I wanted to make sure honor was given to those who worked so hard to get this program off the ground.
Jo Faulkner
Executive Director
Heartline Pregnancy Center
Warsaw
via e-mail
Flu Shots
Editor, Times-Union:Who are the people getting flu shots? With the shortage of vaccine it is more difficult to get a shot, but who decides which person needs it more than another? My parents just received a call from their doctor that they will not be able to get their shots this year. My mother is 85 years old with chronic bronchitis and asthma. My stepfather, who is on oxygen, has in the past year suffered from cardiac arrest, pneumonia and various other related complications. What are these people to do? My mother is now afraid to leave her house and be around people for fear she could catch the flu. How many other elderly people are in the same boat? How many will become sick and die?
This should not have happened!
Wilma Burkett
Pierceton
via e-mail
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- Debates Not Needed To Clarify Much About Kerry, Bush - Holiday Help - Kerry Won On Abortion - Rotten Apple - Teens 'N Tots - Flu Shots
Debates Not Needed To Clarify Much About Kerry, Bush
The one thing I learned from the past three presidential debates is how little I can actually learn from these debates.I am still amazed at how both candidates can give a two-minute answer to a completely different question from the one asked by the moderator. There seems to be no better medium than a debate for either candidate to reapply the rhetoric that their respective campaigns are built upon. In reality, how are you going to lay out a plan addressing complex and systemic problems that have developed over a period of years, be it either foreign or economic/domestic policy, in two minutes?
The best we could possibly hope for is to use the time to assess the individual candidate's character based upon how he deals with the pressure of being in a debate and the confidence he projects during his typically rhetorical answers.
Many will base their votes on mere perception alone. Never looking beyond their moral alignment or personal approach, Kerry is Catholic and has the typical New England, Kennedy style of intellectual repartee, and Bush is a Christian fundamentalist and combines down to Earth witticism with a flair for the evangelical. These differences are exploited by each candidate to appeal to a certain demographic of voter.
Another thing that impressed me were the "Classic Debate Inaccuracies" that tend to get flown around during events of these types. For example, Kerry said we've lost 1.6 million jobs. These jobs were lost in the private sector and are somewhat offset by employment gains in the public sector (some created through government spending in response to the newly found need for bigger homeland security). Bush, in turn, attacked Sen. Kerry's voting record, saying he voted for increased taxes on 98 occasions, when in reality many of the votes were for increased ceilings on spending proposals without any real effect on the tax code at all.
These are the typical tools of the politician, to prey on the average voter's ignorance of the details behind issues and of the entire legislative process in general. Many bills are voted against because the plan laid out is a poor one regardless of the issue it addresses, or because too many riders had been attached (pork). Like most lazy Americans, I myself would prefer to buy into the easy stories that are eagerly presented to me by the campaign via mainstream media, but I know in my heart that if I want to make a truly informed decision, I still need to dig deeper into voting records and shadowy initiatives. For example, George Bush's Executive Order 11490, an executive order tying in all other executive orders giving the president unilateral sweeping powers over all aspects of government.
See:
http://www.dojgov.net/shadow_government.htm
Bob Kerrey was recently quoted on these pages as having called Bill Clinton an "unusually good liar." Calling a politician an "unusually good liar" is like calling a professional boxer an "unusually violent person." It is the very nature of their being, and the degree to which they control themselves dictates the success of their performance.
We are also assailed by the negatively framed comments put forth in the form of an answer. For example, instead of, "Well, in this situation I would do this," the first words out of both candidates' mouths are: "Well, my opponent does that, which is wrong, and I'll do this, which is right."
The nature of debate is to cast doubt on your opponent's argument, whereas the nature of political debate is to simply cast doubt upon your opponent.
The negative campaign strategies of the Bush re-election machine are renowned throughout political circles. They indirectly and insidiously attacked former Texas Gov. Ann Richards' character and sexual orientation by questioning the amount of highly positioned administration appointees who just happened to be lesbians.
This was eventually followed up by a leaflet campaign featuring a photo of two men kissing, placed under the windshield wipers of evangelical Christians about the state while they were at church. This worked well to cast enough doubt about Ann Richards to allow George Bush to edge her out in his bid for governor of Texas.
Did Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney's daughters work for her as well? Well, we all know how important gay issues are in comparison to health care and rising insurance costs, unemployment, Social Security, crime as well as national security and border protection.
Through all of this, however, one thing can be ascertained from the past performances of both candidates, one is eager to push forth a policy, unprecedented in the history of the United States, of invasion and pre-emption based upon the provocation of terrorism, and the other prefers to maintain the integrity of our original foreign policies, use the utmost caution to build alliances not only with France but with as many nations as possible, to give time to verify the intelligence we receive and is simply much less eager to go to war.
I really didn't need the debate to clarify my insight on that particular aspect.
Ted Carter
Leesburg
Holiday Help
Editor, Times-Union:We are a church in the Pierceton area that annually prepares Thanksgiving dinners that we deliver to the homes of people who are homebound, the elderly or people who just need a little help this holiday season. To do this, we need to know who you are. We have read many letters lately of people who are in need due to various circumstances, and this is one way that our church can help the tri-county areas.
We ask that if you are one of these people or you know of someone, please contact us. You can reach us at one of the following phone numbers: 260-839-0119, 574-594-5718, 260-839-3897 or 260-839-0307.
We need the information before Nov. 4 or shortly thereafter. Please help us to help others.
Trinity Faith Ministries
Pierceton
Kerry Won On Abortion
Editor, Times-Union:As a woman who is mindful of women's issues today, I believe that in the second presidential debate smashed Bush hard by recounting and then refuting the feasibility of his rigid beliefs: "You know, it's just not that simple. I'm against the partial birth abortion, but you've got to have an exception for the life of the mother and the health of the mother under the strictest test of bodily injury to the mother. Secondly, with respect to parental notification, I'm not going to require a 16- or 17-year-old kid who's been raped by her father and who's pregnant to have to notify her father. So you've got to have a judicial intervention." No matter where one sides on the issue of abortion, one must admit that Kerry made a compelling argument against Bush when he berated the current president for not including an exception in his ban on partial birth abortions if the mother would die without the procedure - a rebuke to which Bush had no answer. And Kerry's censure continued when he referred to a phenomenon rarely mentioned in politics: rape/incest. His scenario is a point well taken because it again highlights Bush's refusal to see that in a world with variegated issues, he often assumes that they were only shades of gray. In his silence on those exceptions, and his refusal to amend his views on those policies, Bush demonstrates a rather cold disregard for the individual traumas of women - an insensitivity that illustrates his inability to be a caring president and therefore shows that he should not be re-elected. With his own words Bush recused himself from the presidency in the debate's courthouse. And with that, Kerry won the verbal fight that night.
Linda Esah
Warsaw
via e-mail
Rotten Apple
Editor, Times-Union:Mr. Kolter, you pointed out the SEC concluded: "In light of the facts uncovered, it would be difficult to establish that, even assuming Bush possessed material non-public information." The SEC also stated, "It must in no way be construed as indicating that the party has been exonerated or that no action ultimately results."
Mr. Kolter, if you want a good read, try "Fortunate Son, The Making Of An American President," by J.H. Hatfield. You can order it at Reader's World.
Also, I, like Jonathan R. Mauk, am a registered Republican since 1976.
I also know when I see a rotten apple in the basket, it needs to be tossed out!
Carol May
Etna Green
Teens 'N Tots
Editor, Times-Union:Although I greatly appreciate being a recipient of the 2004 Mary Louise Lowe award, there is a mistake that I must correct. The ground work for the Teens 'N Tots program had already begun when I was hired at Heartline Pregnancy Center. The steering committee which consisted of Heartline board members and members of Kosciusko county, had researched the need and found ways to apply a solution. Judy Demeter, the first executive director of this program, wrote grants and found donors for Teens 'N Tots to open its doors. Once the program was approved to begin, she set it up as only a nurse could. Heartline has been proud to continue this program, which now boasts of 21 high school graduates. Of those students, 11 went on to college. Although I have been the director since its second year, I wanted to make sure honor was given to those who worked so hard to get this program off the ground.
Jo Faulkner
Executive Director
Heartline Pregnancy Center
Warsaw
via e-mail
Flu Shots
Editor, Times-Union:Who are the people getting flu shots? With the shortage of vaccine it is more difficult to get a shot, but who decides which person needs it more than another? My parents just received a call from their doctor that they will not be able to get their shots this year. My mother is 85 years old with chronic bronchitis and asthma. My stepfather, who is on oxygen, has in the past year suffered from cardiac arrest, pneumonia and various other related complications. What are these people to do? My mother is now afraid to leave her house and be around people for fear she could catch the flu. How many other elderly people are in the same boat? How many will become sick and die?
This should not have happened!
Wilma Burkett
Pierceton
via e-mail
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