Five LTE's today, with not a whole lot new. I note the frequent placement of LTE's complaining about those wascally Wepublicans, but seemingly no one seems motivated to write re the Democrats, who are equally culpable in our current situation. Odd.
Congrats to Boehner and company: they have managed to make Harry Reid look like a statesman, which is comparable to making chicken stew out of chicken end product. Nice job, guys. Make sure the Speaker's office is nicely cleaned for Pelosit to reclaim in January 2013.
The LTE's:
A tragedy
On July 23, Vernon Thompson ("Babe") in his wheelchair was killed as he traveled near his favorite byway, Northwest Boulevard. I have known Babe for over 20 years. When I first met him he was quite mobile and often helped out around my office building. I enjoyed greeting him nearly every day.
Babe had many severe health problems and over the years used a variety of services, but never seemed as comfortable as with his friends and acquaintances on Northwest. We endured robberies, near-death situations and wonderful spring days together. If I didn't casually run into Babe, I would look him up. We always spent some time together around Christmas. Babe loved to kid, and I loved to give it back to him.
Babe's death was a tragedy that didn't have to happen. Behind that story is a sentiment that I am sure I share with others — we are going to miss you, Babe!GEORGE BRYAN
PRESIDENT, THE CHILDREN'S HOME
Winston-SalemEconomics
This morning I received a one-cent savings at one of my favorite breakfast restaurants. I want to thank all those brilliant Republicans in Raleigh for my gigantic tax savings.
But wait, they let the gas-tax increase remain, so now I'll pay 2.5 cents more for my next fill-up. There goes the penny I saved and another 1.5 cents per gallon out of my pocket.
Doesn't this sound like what those guys from the same party want to do in Washington? Let's see: Cut Social Security and Medicare for us seniors but not touch the richest Americans' tax breaks. Wow, how heartless, arrogant and downright stupid can one get?
THOMAS WILLIFORD
Winston-Salem
Confidence
In the AP article "Perdue voter-ID veto upheld" (July 27), the writer states, "Republicans argued the photo-ID mandate would discourage voter fraud and build the public's confidence in voting."
Nothing happening today in either the state legislature or the federal government is doing anything to help build that confidence that is so badly needed. Only personal agendas and the desire to make the "other side" look bad seem to be foremost in the mind of the elected individuals. None seem to have the desire to do what is best for our state and our nation.
TED AND LOIS STANLEY
DobsonForge a path
By the time this letter appears, I hope our government will have arrived at some sort of deficit reduction deal. But let's go back to where the current deficit problems began in earnest: It was 9/11. If one listens to the talking heads, it is all due to our leaders spending money like irresponsible drunken sailors.
I do not accept that as factual on either side. There's plenty of blame to go around for everyone. Surely Osama bin Laden would be laughing maniacally at the havoc the events of 9/11 are still causing this country a decade later.
It is far too late now to go back and discuss whether America did "the right thing" after 9/11. Some totally backed George W. Bush's eagerness to go to war, others thought it was exactly the wrong thing to do, many are somewhere in between. Now we, collectively as Americans, must forge a path to put America's finances back in order. It will take time, and it will mean sacrifices for all of us, but with a solid plan it can be done. That's what Americans do and do well, and that's what Washington can't seem to understand.
WENDY D. SCOTT
Winston-Salem
Hard decisions
Judges make hard decisions that affect the lives of people every day. Judges are called upon to make those decisions based upon three things: the facts of a case, evidence presented in court and the law.
Judge William Graham of Forsyth District Court has served this community for over 15 years on the bench and has rendered thousands of rulings based upon those three things. If Judy Masters did not want her husband to be next door, she should have said something to her lawyer, and her lawyer should have objected ("A close-range protective order," July 21). If that had happened, I assure you that Judge Graham would have taken that into consideration in his ruling.
It is easy to armchair-quarterback and criticize, but unless you were in the courtroom, let's trust that Judge Graham did what he thought was right given the things presented to him in court.
JERRY JORDAN
Kernersville
LTE1: A well-written reminder of the value of the seemingly negligible members of society, something of which I have been strongly reminded by working at Samaritan Ministries. I recommend that or similar to others.
ReplyDeleteLTE2: I agree that the sales tax should not have been cut, but it was correct to let the gasoline tax rise. The gasoline tax should be pegged to the price of gasoline. In theory, it should be funding the construction and upkeep of our transportation system, but we aren't currently paying for all that we use.
LTE3: We need both confidence in voting and confidence in our leaders. The former has been settled for the time being. The latter remains an issue. Both parties, particularly the new Republican legislators in Raleigh and DC, have misread the voters' mood in 2010. They were not looking for a conservative tsunami of legislation. Instead, we were hoping for new leadership that would foster cooperation in dealing with our problems. We are disappointed.
LTE4: I interpret this LTE as saying that we need to stop blame-fixing and work on straightening things out, as exemplified by her last two sentences.
LTE5: Yes, Monday AM quarterbacking re judge and jury decisions. But they have been rendered, aren't' going to unrendered, at least in the instances discussed in the Forum, so we should let sleeping dogs lie.
Okay........Stab, I followed your directions and was able to login.
ReplyDeleteI know you and Rush would hate to lose me.
Good morning, LG. I can't speak for O. T., but you are welcome here.
ReplyDeleteMy FB advises me that Buck Jones replied to my comment in the "Journal's" Readers' Forum. I have a feeling that Buck Jones is your newest aka. I cannot see the reply. Please post it here if convenient.
I was having trouble logging into your Blog, that's it. No problem now. I followed your directions.
ReplyDeleteOn another note....I have to be logged into to facebook to see my post in the Journal's comment section. Is that normal? Can you see my comments? Are they censoring my posts again?
I was perfectly happy to maintain my LG identity, however, I think it's clear that the Journal wanted to censor certain posts. If one's comment doesn't peg out on their PC scale, they want no part of it. I had no idea that the Journal would take such a left turn after some of the older writers departed.
You must be logged into Facebook for your posts to display in the "Journal's" Readers' Forum. I am seeing neither your posts nor O. T. Rush's posts in the Reader's Forum. You two make such a cute couple. I guess opposites attract :D
ReplyDeleteThe posts appear and disappear in the Journal's comment's section depending on whether you are logged in or not? In other words, once you make a post, it doesn't stay displayed?
ReplyDeleteI really don't know. What I do know is that I haven't seen either your or O.T.'s posts in the Forum, but FB tells me that you both are replying to my comments from time to time.
ReplyDeleteMakes sense....they are probably blocking our posts.
ReplyDeleteNo big deal to me. I'd rather maintain my security and safety through anonymity. There's too many wacky violent gay and lesbians out there.
It's funny how they have my name displayed as a top commenter when they don't even display my posts.
I think the Journal has some real corruptive problems. It's amazing that it uses a constitutional right of freedom of the press on the one hand, yet they censor some comments.(Yes, I know it's a private corporation and they have the right.) It almost seems criminal to me though.
Good afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: Nice tribute. Such a tragedy that didn't have to happen.
LTE 2: Losing the penney sales tax wa a fiscally stupid move. The economy is way too weak to absorb the public job losses. I would really like to hear an answer as to why the legislatures want to shrink the economy with the UR already at 10%.
LTE 3: "Confidence in voting is not the issue; the real need is confidence in those elected to serve." - Very well stated. The last paragraph is also on the money (sorry about the cliche Stab!) As in the previous election, I intend to vote for the opposition in 2012 unless the opposition appears to be even more incompetent than the incumbent.
LTe 4: "...it will mean sacrifices for all of us, but with a solid plan it can be done." - the problem is that most are wanting someone else to do the sacrificing and suffering. Thus, you have the emergence of the TB's and refusal to budge from their positions. As a most excellent LTE yesterday pointed out, it is time for the parties to go away. They have become a hindrance to the running of the govt.
LTE 5: Everyone is a coach and everyone is a judge, but only a select few are actually qualified to be either one.
Hey, my beloved brother Bucky Beaver,
ReplyDeleteSpeak for yourself. The Journal is not blocking or censoring MY posts (and they're not blocking or censoring yours either...you just need to do it right).
I haven't been making many posts to the LTE forum because it is pretty much dead. Go to the big bustup about the stupid prayer thing yesterday and you will see several posts from me.
And get over the paranoia...your posts are not important enough to censor.
I had a neighbor a few years ago who kept asking me WHEN I thought Al Qaeda would attack us again. At first I thought she meant the US, but then I realized that she meant our neighborhood and her in particular. I had to stifle the urge to tell her that she is really not important enough to be an Al Qaeda target.
Meh...internet privacy is kind of an oxymoron anyway.
ReplyDeleteAnd if anyone IS stalking me, then they really need to get a hobby. My life's pretty boring.
LG, there are violent and wacky straight people out. Remember Ted Bundy?
ReplyDeleteYes, Ted liked girrrls...or at least, the same girl over and over, the stand-in for his former girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not sure that "like" is the right word. Let's say prefer.
The Florida detectives who worked his case for so long think that he might have "liked" twice as many as we know about.
Hello, O.T.!
ReplyDeleteBundy made a major mistake being getting caught in FL. The state made frequent use of Ol' Sparky in days past. Nowadays, it's Ol' Squirty, and usage is less but not uncommon.
____________________________________________
Hello, Arthur!
I was stalked for a time, years ago. I was advised by a friend to call the police. I didn't. I confronted the stalker and uttered two words: "twelve" and "gauge." No kidding. Problem ended.
____________________________________________
Hello dotnet!
No need to apologize for "on the money." It currently isn't in the NewsSpeak lexicon. So go ahead and employ. I'm going go find a can to kick :) Hmmm, maybe I'll have to empty a can in order to have one to kick. Good excuse.
Ironically, the Florida detectives in the Bundy case fought for years to keep him alive, because he was doling out his girls to them one by one...they wanted to clear as many cases as they could before the big spark.
ReplyDeleteIf they had sentenced Bundy to LWOP, they probably could have been more successful in expanding his list of murders. All they would have had to do was to suggest that he could be placed in the general population.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Bundy that well. I do remember that crazed gay man....what was his name...Andrew Cunanan. You know the one...the one that took a trip across the country killing his gay lovers. He ended up killing Versace, another gay man, in Miami Beach, Fla. Then he blew his brains out.
ReplyDeleteSuch violence, and all over apparent gay relationships that went wrong. Wow...
But to hear the news media tell it. Gays and lesbians are feeding the hungry every day.
Hey Rush....I hear the dryer buzzing at the 'Y'. Better scoot on down there.
ReplyDeleteOh, my dearly beloved brother Bucky Beaver...
ReplyDeleteAre we surprised that you remember only Cunahan?
No, because we understand your anguish. We understand that, in your own mind, you wish that you could have been him, wreaking vengeance on all those banging bucks who neglected you, who refused to include you in their banging lifestyle, who, perhaps, somehow found you wanting.
Please do not despair. Someday, somewhere, you will find the RIGHT banging buck for you, and at long last, you will be vindicated; you will be fulfilled. March on, triumphant, christian soldier.
We can find serial murderers of all persuasions and ethnic backgrounds. Let's take a sample:
ReplyDeleteIdi Amin: African, killed thousands, had many wives.
Hitler: white, had mistress, killed millions.
Stalin: white, straight, killed millions.
Pol Pot: Asian, presumably straight, killed millions.
Mao: Asian, straight, killed millions.
We straights cannot be throwing stones. Serial murder is an equal opportunity activity.
All I'm doing is pointing out the other side of the coin.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what kind of drugs Kit is doing tonight?