Editor, Times Union: On behalf of Warsaw and the surrounding communities I want to thank the doctors for their cheerful giving of a Saturday afternoon for the recent Shriner's clinic here in Warsaw. There were over 30 children seen by the doctors at the clinic, which also involved much effort and organization by many dedicated Shrine club members. This is just one example of what a great community we live in.
Joyce Eades Pediatric Healthcare
Walters Benefit
Editor, Times Union: We wish we could personally shake the hand of everyone who participated in the Walters Benefit at Dewamac. Since this is impossible we wish to extend this heart-felt thank-you to wonderful friends and a great community.
Dale and Judy Walters Warsaw Breaking The Law Editor, Times-Union: Should police break the law to uphold the law? No. If they should not break the law, should they pay someone else to break the law to uphold the law? No. Should our local, state and fed law upholders encourage people to break the law so they have someone to arrest? No. Change "No" to "Yes" and you will get the answer of fact.
This is how it works: You are driving 65 in a 55, you are busted. But hold on, there's a way out, and you can make a little money along the way, and you will not have to go to jail, and you can keep your job and family. And you will be making every one safer. All you gotta do is get 10 people you know, friends, family or co-workers, to drive 100 MPH. Just get them to take you for a ride, talk them into going 100mph, then turn them into the "Law." Now you are free, got more money, and you never broke the law. Now 10 more lawbreakers must encourage 100 more people to break the law, etc.
Sound crazy? It is being done every day. Sound unconstitutional? What are you doing to keep those in power to stay within the Constitution of the USA? Sound like how the lost war on drugs is being fought? That's correct. Break the law to uphold the law, there is no law.
Daniel Stevens Warsaw Nursing Home Editor, Times Union: I grew up in this small mid-America town and I've watched it grow with the people in it. My mother, who passed away recently, raised a family, three girls and a son, in this town and I guess if you're from here you're kind of proud of this town and its accomplishments, One of its qualities is the nursing homes in the area. I visited all of them before my mother chose one to live in the remaining years of her life. She chose Mason Health Care. She lived there from 1988 until early October when she passed away. I would like to commend and thank all the people involved from the administration to the janitors. I did not see nor my sister see any abuse in this facility. I would stop in on the average of three or four times a week to see my mother. Surely if there were any abuse or misdoings by anyone there I would have seen it. They treated my mother with all the respect, dignity and quality of life any elderly person deserves.
They always commented to me about my mother, how she treated them with respect also. People asked me why I went and saw her so often. The only answer I could give them was, she took care of me the first years of my life, the best thing I could do was to take care of her the best I could. One thing that always bothered me was most of the residents, their families must have been too busy (except for the free dinners and activities there from time to time) to visit them. When I visited the nursing home it was not set hours. So this not-so-little town anymore should be proud of its nursing homes. I am. And I give thanks to God to let him choose this town for its care of the elderly. By the way, my mother's name was Ruth Burgh and I believe some of you knew her.
Stephen Burgh Pierecton
Gun Rights
Editor, Times Union: I read the letter by Don Guard and I can't believe someone that served in the military has so little knowledge of our Constitution or care so little about rights of law-abiding Americans. It's people like this that give us silly, do-nothing laws that ban a firearm because of the way it looks instead of punishing those who would do harm to innocent people with them
Don claims that the Constitution doesn't give anyone the right to own a gun and thinks that in the 2nd Amendment, "Militia" means the national guard or police. Must have been asleep in history class, Don!
"A Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves and include all men capable of bearing arms..." - Richard Henry Lee.
"I ask sir, what is the Militia? - It is the whole people... to disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them" - George Mason.
If you're so willing to give up your right to own a gun, be also willing to give up your rights to peacefully assemble, to free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press as well.
"No Free Man shall ever be debarred the use of arms" - Thomas Jefferson.
If you ask if I have something so valuable to protect that's worth another person's life, my answer is yes! My life, my family and my freedom.
I've worked hard to get what I have and I won't give it to a thief or my government. Self-preservation is also a right, one that shouldn't be taken lightly.
"Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion in private self-defense" - John Adams.
It can't be said any more plainly, "The rights of the people to own and bear arms shall not be infringed." It's just as important today and in the future as it was in 1776.
So take it from those who wrote the book... "The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceful citizens from keeping their own arms" - Samuel Adams.
I'll bet Don Guard wore a blue helmet with a big U.N. on it instead of U.S. and I consider people like him to be a traitor to my country!
