Letters to the Editor 10-22-2001
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Domestic Tragedy - School Decisions - Redefining Tolerance - Animal Abuse
Domestic Tragedy
Editor, Times-Union:At a time like this, when we Americans may face the very real need to defend our families & selves from hideous acts these ... people (I can't even begin to politely vocalize my true thoughts) or elected officials as they're sometimes called, want to take advantage of a horrible situation to further their political agendas.
I'm not sure who's actually worse, the terrorists doing what they believe is righteous or our own elected officials pulling schemes like this that they KNOW are wrong & using a national tragedy to hide behind. Thankfully they're not all doing this but we must let OUR officials know how we feel so that they can properly "represent" those of us who put them where they are.
Please take a moment to review the details of this outrage below as reported in the article "Defense of Self, Home and Property Among the First Casualties?" By John G. Lankford, Oct. 16, 2001, Sierra Times.
"Some on Capitol Hill believe the first order of business in a time of war is to disarm the American citizenry. That raises a serious question as to whose side they're on.
"As our National Guard units are activated and assigned to guard airports and other endangered facilities, those legislators connive to liquidate many private citizens' means of defending their own homes and communities against terrorist zealots, other fanatics and ordinary criminals drooling over that prospect.
"Now moving through Congress is the indispensable and popular National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, S.1438. Unlike the version passed by the House of Representatives and sent over (H.R.2896) S.1438 includes Section 1062, 'Authority to Ensure Demilitarization of Significant Military Equipment Formerly Owned by the Department of Defense.' That section would make it a crime to possess 'significant military equipment formerly owned by the Department of Defense."' 'Demilitarization,' of course, means rendering the object ineffective as a weapon beyond the degree of rock or club.
"The alibi given outraged questioners is that the pusillanimous section is intended and will be used only to neutralize larger and more dangerous armaments that may have found their ways into civilian hands, that the Secretary of Defense of course will not designate small arms 'significant military equipment' for that purpose.
"He doesn't have to. The trail of specific statutory inclusions, (what lawyers call 'incorporations by reference') leads directly from the prohibition to such ordinary household armaments as M1911A1 .45-cal. (semi)automatic pistols, (semi)automatic AR 15 .223 cal. light rifles, M14A1 7.62-mm (semi)automatic rifles, M-1 Garand .30-cal. (semi)automatic rifles, the venerable bolt-action .30-cal. Springfield M1903A3 rifle and would even include old cavalry horse-pistol revolvers. It would also supersede the rights of federally licensed holders of such items as the .45 cal. Thompson submachine gun.
"If the Secretary of Defense judiciously declined to begin confiscating such, he could be charged with nonfeasance in office, dereliction of duty, for failure to carry out specific statutory provisions.
"Citizens cherishing their property & their natural right of armed self-and-property-defense, and the security of their country MUST insist that the Senate & House of Representatives unequivocally refuse to pass any such measure without that exclusion, or at all. Letters to Senate & Congress members, letters to local publications, call-ins and e-mails to audience participation radio and television programs are all eminently called for right away."
David E. Roose
Warsaw
via e-mail
School Decisions
Editor, Times-Union:Having attended the school board meeting this past Monday evening, having read the front page article of the Times-Union on Tuesday and now having talked to several people, I'd like to point something out. Although Dr. Harman recommended to the board several actions (with a total sum of over $41 million), the school board itself has not only not voted on these recommendations, they haven't even discussed them. By law, individual members of the board cannot discuss any board business amongst themselves. They can only discuss and take votes during publicly held meetings.
Two public work sessions are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 5 and Monday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. (locations to be decided). Please plan to attend these. These recommendations of Dr. Harman are not only Atwood and Silver Lake issues. Redistricting is a necessary component. This will not only affect where your children attend elementary school, but middle school as well.
Dr. Harman has also included recommendations for a $2 million weight room, a $5.3 million football stadium with a track, a $7.5 million auditorium as well as a $6.35 million performing arts center (which is not part of the $41 million package). If you want a say in where your tax dollars will be spent over the next several years, make your voice known. There are seven board members with one vote each. There are thousands of taxpayers in the Warsaw School Corp. Are you going to assume these seven know what you want, or are you going to tell them in person on Nov. 5 and Dec. 10? It's your community, your students, your money. Get the facts and be part of the process.
Mary Jo Coppes
Warsaw
via e-mail
Redefining Tolerance
Editor, Times-Union:This is an open letter to all people in agreement with recent anti-patriotic policies in schools and businesses. People with a certain mindset, really.
Since Sept. 11 we have seen numerous examples of businesses and school boards trying not to offend foreign students and atheists by banning American flag displays and signs bearing the words "God Bless America" and the like. First, I am neither foreign nor atheist. Nevertheless, if the government stipulated specifics such as "The God of Israel Bless America" or "The God of Muhammad Bless America" I would join you. I do not want the government promoting any one religion. However, it does not. It is generic in presentation. The Ten Commandments were the basis for many of our laws.
Thus we see displays. So what? It is our history. Separate from promotion, I do not see an "official" religion, which was our forefathers' intent.
But like health experts who said eggs were bad, then good, then bad again, you are seeing most Americans disregard your rhetoric and doing exactly that which you wish us not to do. We tend not to believe those who change their minds so easily about what they tell us is crucial to whatever is it you stand for. Why implement policies that give the impression of you being idiotic? Can't say the pledge. OK, you can. Can't wave a flag. OK, you can.
The truth is we do not give a hoot about which of you we offend by waving flags and displaying patriotic symbols. Moreover, we do not care if it makes you uncomfortable or that you somehow believe we have violated your rights.
You see, Americans are a fierce bunch of mutts who hate each other, but will fight to the death against outside attack. If you twist the vocabulary of the Constitution to accomplish your goals, you are on the outside. We may be soft in the middle and whipped into believing a lot of the deceit you have fed us, but we unite easily when we are tested!
Those of you who do not want God in school or government just ignore it. What harm is there in recognizing our American heritage? Our history. Our founders were essentially religious men so it stands to reason most of our early history has frequent mention of God. You have a god no matter what you say anyway. We either bow to God or become him in our own minds. There is no prerequisite for being an American where religion or lack thereof is concerned. So why do you attempt to change the American value system? Changing the whole world to reflect your beliefs is exactly what atheists accuse theists of doing.
Americans have made progress toward embracing a new understanding and tolerance for one another and other cultures. However, you are making it difficult to be tolerant by your actions. You have attempted to redefine tolerance to mean tolerance at whatever the cost. Even at the cost of our American values and traditions. Perhaps you should relocate to an impartial nation. Wait, that will not work. You would need to accept some new underlying value system or look idiotic trying to change it. Nevertheless, there is hope for your cause: "By oft repeating an untruth, men come to believe it themselves." -Thomas Jefferson to John Melish, 1813.
Patrick Brown
Warsaw
via e-mail
Animal Abuse
Editor, Times-Union:I had written a letter about animal abuse not too long ago and now that I look in here in your paper I do not see it, why? Why is it being hidden for some odd reason? Another thing is I love the Animal Welfare League and I worked there for a long time. Please let me give it to you straight. I had looked in here and read all kinds of e-mails and letters about the Animal Welfare League. First off, I want to start out about the letter of the burning animals? Well, it's not like they wanted to. Actually we had to do what we had to do. Yes, it sucked for many of us and do you honestly think that any of us wanted to do that? No. But there was nothing else we could do. There were animals that had parvo and a lot had caught it and we had to put them to sleep. There is a woman that works out there named Tracy and I know that she is the most sensitive person and guess what - yes, she is one of them who has to put them to sleep. By choice? No, but she does was she is told to do. If it was up to her she would build a bigger place and have tons more room for more animals. I think that if people would start taking care of their animals right. There would be none in there. People come up with the stupidest stuff to give their animals up.
Second of all, abuse. Is there abuse in there? Not now, no. The reason I had left is because of Curt, he was the manager, you might as well say, but no one liked him, he abused them badly. I remember a case where we had had a black chow and he had gotten off his chain and bitten a little boy and Curt treated him so wrong. The dog obviously was being abused at home before because he did not like guys at all. I had gone in his cage with him and he tried nothing. Unfortunately, the dog had to be put to sleep to see if he had rabies or not for the little boy's sake.
And third - Yes, people should volunteer there, but when people want a job there working full time from 6:30 a.m. to 4 to 6 at night, you say part-time help. What I thought you needed desperate help if you do let people work who are willing to. Not very many people would go into a cage with a huge dog and walk them outside, chain them up, clean their cage, then walk them back in knowing any minute you could get bitten.
OK, anyhow this is enough for me, thanks for reading.
Tina Cole
warsaw
via e-mail
Editor's Note: We are unaware of the original letter the letter writer refers to.
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- Domestic Tragedy - School Decisions - Redefining Tolerance - Animal Abuse
Domestic Tragedy
Editor, Times-Union:At a time like this, when we Americans may face the very real need to defend our families & selves from hideous acts these ... people (I can't even begin to politely vocalize my true thoughts) or elected officials as they're sometimes called, want to take advantage of a horrible situation to further their political agendas.
I'm not sure who's actually worse, the terrorists doing what they believe is righteous or our own elected officials pulling schemes like this that they KNOW are wrong & using a national tragedy to hide behind. Thankfully they're not all doing this but we must let OUR officials know how we feel so that they can properly "represent" those of us who put them where they are.
Please take a moment to review the details of this outrage below as reported in the article "Defense of Self, Home and Property Among the First Casualties?" By John G. Lankford, Oct. 16, 2001, Sierra Times.
"Some on Capitol Hill believe the first order of business in a time of war is to disarm the American citizenry. That raises a serious question as to whose side they're on.
"As our National Guard units are activated and assigned to guard airports and other endangered facilities, those legislators connive to liquidate many private citizens' means of defending their own homes and communities against terrorist zealots, other fanatics and ordinary criminals drooling over that prospect.
"Now moving through Congress is the indispensable and popular National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002, S.1438. Unlike the version passed by the House of Representatives and sent over (H.R.2896) S.1438 includes Section 1062, 'Authority to Ensure Demilitarization of Significant Military Equipment Formerly Owned by the Department of Defense.' That section would make it a crime to possess 'significant military equipment formerly owned by the Department of Defense."' 'Demilitarization,' of course, means rendering the object ineffective as a weapon beyond the degree of rock or club.
"The alibi given outraged questioners is that the pusillanimous section is intended and will be used only to neutralize larger and more dangerous armaments that may have found their ways into civilian hands, that the Secretary of Defense of course will not designate small arms 'significant military equipment' for that purpose.
"He doesn't have to. The trail of specific statutory inclusions, (what lawyers call 'incorporations by reference') leads directly from the prohibition to such ordinary household armaments as M1911A1 .45-cal. (semi)automatic pistols, (semi)automatic AR 15 .223 cal. light rifles, M14A1 7.62-mm (semi)automatic rifles, M-1 Garand .30-cal. (semi)automatic rifles, the venerable bolt-action .30-cal. Springfield M1903A3 rifle and would even include old cavalry horse-pistol revolvers. It would also supersede the rights of federally licensed holders of such items as the .45 cal. Thompson submachine gun.
"If the Secretary of Defense judiciously declined to begin confiscating such, he could be charged with nonfeasance in office, dereliction of duty, for failure to carry out specific statutory provisions.
"Citizens cherishing their property & their natural right of armed self-and-property-defense, and the security of their country MUST insist that the Senate & House of Representatives unequivocally refuse to pass any such measure without that exclusion, or at all. Letters to Senate & Congress members, letters to local publications, call-ins and e-mails to audience participation radio and television programs are all eminently called for right away."
David E. Roose
Warsaw
via e-mail
School Decisions
Editor, Times-Union:Having attended the school board meeting this past Monday evening, having read the front page article of the Times-Union on Tuesday and now having talked to several people, I'd like to point something out. Although Dr. Harman recommended to the board several actions (with a total sum of over $41 million), the school board itself has not only not voted on these recommendations, they haven't even discussed them. By law, individual members of the board cannot discuss any board business amongst themselves. They can only discuss and take votes during publicly held meetings.
Two public work sessions are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 5 and Monday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. (locations to be decided). Please plan to attend these. These recommendations of Dr. Harman are not only Atwood and Silver Lake issues. Redistricting is a necessary component. This will not only affect where your children attend elementary school, but middle school as well.
Dr. Harman has also included recommendations for a $2 million weight room, a $5.3 million football stadium with a track, a $7.5 million auditorium as well as a $6.35 million performing arts center (which is not part of the $41 million package). If you want a say in where your tax dollars will be spent over the next several years, make your voice known. There are seven board members with one vote each. There are thousands of taxpayers in the Warsaw School Corp. Are you going to assume these seven know what you want, or are you going to tell them in person on Nov. 5 and Dec. 10? It's your community, your students, your money. Get the facts and be part of the process.
Mary Jo Coppes
Warsaw
via e-mail
Redefining Tolerance
Editor, Times-Union:This is an open letter to all people in agreement with recent anti-patriotic policies in schools and businesses. People with a certain mindset, really.
Since Sept. 11 we have seen numerous examples of businesses and school boards trying not to offend foreign students and atheists by banning American flag displays and signs bearing the words "God Bless America" and the like. First, I am neither foreign nor atheist. Nevertheless, if the government stipulated specifics such as "The God of Israel Bless America" or "The God of Muhammad Bless America" I would join you. I do not want the government promoting any one religion. However, it does not. It is generic in presentation. The Ten Commandments were the basis for many of our laws.
Thus we see displays. So what? It is our history. Separate from promotion, I do not see an "official" religion, which was our forefathers' intent.
But like health experts who said eggs were bad, then good, then bad again, you are seeing most Americans disregard your rhetoric and doing exactly that which you wish us not to do. We tend not to believe those who change their minds so easily about what they tell us is crucial to whatever is it you stand for. Why implement policies that give the impression of you being idiotic? Can't say the pledge. OK, you can. Can't wave a flag. OK, you can.
The truth is we do not give a hoot about which of you we offend by waving flags and displaying patriotic symbols. Moreover, we do not care if it makes you uncomfortable or that you somehow believe we have violated your rights.
You see, Americans are a fierce bunch of mutts who hate each other, but will fight to the death against outside attack. If you twist the vocabulary of the Constitution to accomplish your goals, you are on the outside. We may be soft in the middle and whipped into believing a lot of the deceit you have fed us, but we unite easily when we are tested!
Those of you who do not want God in school or government just ignore it. What harm is there in recognizing our American heritage? Our history. Our founders were essentially religious men so it stands to reason most of our early history has frequent mention of God. You have a god no matter what you say anyway. We either bow to God or become him in our own minds. There is no prerequisite for being an American where religion or lack thereof is concerned. So why do you attempt to change the American value system? Changing the whole world to reflect your beliefs is exactly what atheists accuse theists of doing.
Americans have made progress toward embracing a new understanding and tolerance for one another and other cultures. However, you are making it difficult to be tolerant by your actions. You have attempted to redefine tolerance to mean tolerance at whatever the cost. Even at the cost of our American values and traditions. Perhaps you should relocate to an impartial nation. Wait, that will not work. You would need to accept some new underlying value system or look idiotic trying to change it. Nevertheless, there is hope for your cause: "By oft repeating an untruth, men come to believe it themselves." -Thomas Jefferson to John Melish, 1813.
Patrick Brown
Warsaw
via e-mail
Animal Abuse
Editor, Times-Union:I had written a letter about animal abuse not too long ago and now that I look in here in your paper I do not see it, why? Why is it being hidden for some odd reason? Another thing is I love the Animal Welfare League and I worked there for a long time. Please let me give it to you straight. I had looked in here and read all kinds of e-mails and letters about the Animal Welfare League. First off, I want to start out about the letter of the burning animals? Well, it's not like they wanted to. Actually we had to do what we had to do. Yes, it sucked for many of us and do you honestly think that any of us wanted to do that? No. But there was nothing else we could do. There were animals that had parvo and a lot had caught it and we had to put them to sleep. There is a woman that works out there named Tracy and I know that she is the most sensitive person and guess what - yes, she is one of them who has to put them to sleep. By choice? No, but she does was she is told to do. If it was up to her she would build a bigger place and have tons more room for more animals. I think that if people would start taking care of their animals right. There would be none in there. People come up with the stupidest stuff to give their animals up.
Second of all, abuse. Is there abuse in there? Not now, no. The reason I had left is because of Curt, he was the manager, you might as well say, but no one liked him, he abused them badly. I remember a case where we had had a black chow and he had gotten off his chain and bitten a little boy and Curt treated him so wrong. The dog obviously was being abused at home before because he did not like guys at all. I had gone in his cage with him and he tried nothing. Unfortunately, the dog had to be put to sleep to see if he had rabies or not for the little boy's sake.
And third - Yes, people should volunteer there, but when people want a job there working full time from 6:30 a.m. to 4 to 6 at night, you say part-time help. What I thought you needed desperate help if you do let people work who are willing to. Not very many people would go into a cage with a huge dog and walk them outside, chain them up, clean their cage, then walk them back in knowing any minute you could get bitten.
OK, anyhow this is enough for me, thanks for reading.
Tina Cole
warsaw
via e-mail
Editor's Note: We are unaware of the original letter the letter writer refers to.
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