Friday, October 14, 2011

Winston-Salem Journal LTE's Fr 10/14/11

Different circumstances
I was a cockeyed optimist like the author of the Oct. 7 editorial "Don't let budget cuts drive you off." But for the past decade, with a growing number of newborn ecological and economic realists, I must respond to the starry-eyed prediction: "Things have to get better"; "Sanity will return" — no they don't and no it won't. Not if we're expecting solutions to come from the usual quarters in the usual fashion.
The circumstances that brought us out of the Great Depression — a war that made America rich and respected; plentiful fossil fuels and natural resources; affordable social and public services; good weather; a world population one-third the current size; abundant capital; and no major competitors — no longer exist. We've come to the end of cheap-easy. Occupiers of the American street got at least part of the grievance right. What we have that's exceptional is the most successful oligarchy — government by the very rich and powerful — in history. We need to topple the oligarchs.
But what we have to declare independence from this time, with or without Washington's help, is the global economic order that supports them instead of us. If there's to be a sane, humane, sustainable future, we are the ones who will have to conceive and create it using whatever resources the failing global economy leaves us to work with and good old-fashioned American ingenuity and cooperation, spiked with patience and laced with compassion. That's a plan for real homeland security.

ELLEN LaCONTE
Winston-Salem


Folwell's performance
During the 2010 election cycle I heard many campaign promises. Most of these promises were on improving the economy, jobs and reducing our deficit. A year later I am wondering when these promises are going to be fulfilled.
Rep. Dale Folwell is in his fourth term and is the speaker pro tem. The speaker pro tem is the second person over the N.C. House. With this title comes a lot of power.
Since Folwell has gained this power he started bullying and picking on us all. Folwell started with our educators. N.C. is now ranked 49th in the nation when it comes to public education. After the educators, he attacked our voter rights, then set out and started picking on women's rights. Now he is the front runner in bullying homosexuals by trying to juggle our state constitution.
With his powerful position in Raleigh, I wonder how many jobs he brought back to Forsyth County. As a matter of fact, the number is actually negative. He cost more than 6,000 jobs in school systems across our state. Many have been right here in Folwell's own district.
Is this the best Folwell can do? Is this his A game? Were his campaign promises to be 49th in education and pick on women and minority groups? Where will we be 10 years from now if left on this path?
We as a society wouldn't tolerate bullies in our schools or workplace. Why are we tolerating Folwell's misuse of his power to bully us?

MATT TWIFORD
Winston-Salem


Eligibility
I have been reading with great interest the letters sent to the Journal in regard to the DREAM Act. I highlight one of them ("Appreciation," Oct. 7). The writer served in the military, and I salute him. He wants those who want to become Americans to "… serve in the military for a period of time …" so "… they can stand proudly in line to become one of us." It could not have been said better.
I urge the writer (and all the others who have sent related letters) to read carefully the DREAM Act. If approved, this act would provide conditional permanent residency to non-documented alien-students who graduate from U.S. high schools, arrived in the U.S. as minors, lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment and are less than 35 years of age. It provides subsequent eligibility to permanent residency (and citizenship) if they were to complete honorably a minimum of two years in the military or two years at a four-year institution of higher learning.
This piece of legislation embodies the best of the American spirit and allows these children a door so "they can stand proudly in line to become one of us — proud legal Americans."
Would the writer agree? Would he offer this opportunity to these children? If so, he can write to his representatives urging them to support the DREAM Act and pass the word to others. Let the dream come true!

JORGE CALLES-ESCANDON
Clemmons

6 comments:

  1. Lte1...some understandable sentiments. Global economic order is not a bad thing in and of itself. Better to send goods and services across borders than armies. History shows that nations do one or the other. Watch the European Union as it begins to break apart over the next decade. Watch all industrialized contries, like the USA, as they rapidly devalue their currencies. When money is nearly worthless and trade is nearly extinct, your global order will stop. Then we can build back. There will need to be some time tested institutions and systems to build from. THAT will be the war where the future may be decided.

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  2. Good afternoon folks!
    LTE 1: Well, the global economy is here to stay. Another difference between now and 65 years ago is that a HS education was all that was needed to get most jobs that paid a decent amount. Today, one needs at least an associates degree. More people and more competition are actually good for the economy. Capital can be relatively easy to obtain as well for those with good credit. It's really not as gloomy as you might think, Ms. LaConta.
    LTE 2: "Were his campaign promises to be 49th in education and pick on women and minority groups?" That has been the recent history of the R's hasn't it? Down with public education and put women and minorities in their place? Enacting legislation affecting a minority group when you hold all the cards is definitely a form of bullying.
    LTE 3: I wonder how many who oppose the proposed DREAM act actually know what's in it. People brought over as infants or toddlers had no say in whether they wanted to come here and also have no memory or connection to their birth country. The DREAM act is as sensible a solution as any to their situation.

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  3. The enactment of the federal Dream Act would be nothing more than a governmental act that would reward law breakers.

    It's like paying a person for running into your car and causing an accident.

    Only weak people would agree to such an egregious form of compensation for unlawful behavior, and provide a further incentive to break our immigration laws.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Which protest movement do you favor more, Occupy Wall Street or the tea party?

    Occupy 69% 129750
    Tea party 31% 58268

    Taken from CNN

    ____________

    I guess there's little doubt about what type person watches/reads CNN.

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  6. She was also ordered to enroll in psychological counseling.

    re: Lindsey Lohan

    I wish somebody would order Pelosi and Biden into psychological counseling-particularly after some of their recent comments about Republicans. They've obviously got some sick synapses going on in their brains.

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