Shame on the vandal


Shame on the vandal

EDITOR:

I am a former trustee of Youngstown State University having served from June 1995 through May of 2004. I also served as the chair for one year from 2002 to 2003.

As a trustee, I was involved in the selection of Dr. David Sweet as the university’s sixth president. I believe that we made an excellent choice and that Dr. Sweet has admirably served the university and its constituents. Dr. Sweet and his wife, Pat, have been a wonderful addition to the Mahoning Valley and have helped to make us a better community.

Obviously, not everyone shares my opinion about the Sweets because, while they were away visiting relatives during the holiday break, their home was maliciously shot up by some idiotic perpetrator(s). I would not venture a guess as to what the agenda might have been to lead someone to want to do such a terrible act, but to whomever was responsible, I say shame on you because you shame our community, our outstanding university and you shame our administration, faculty and students. I hope you think about what you have done and rethink the agenda that led you to spew forth such venom.

On your behalf, I apologize to David and Pat Sweet and assure them that you are not representative of the feelings of our community.

JOSEPH S. NOHRA

Youngstown

Democrats are a hoot

EDITOR:

I am not a fan of Democrats, but I do enjoy inserting myself into their nonsense every once in awhile. Their latest excursion into Lala Land is the Hillary-Obama-Edwards circus they call a primary.

First, let’s deal with the experience issue. We are told that Hillary has the experience. Obama is just a novice. Hmmm. In business there is a saying: Some people have 20 years of experience while others just have one year of experience 20 times. In general, politicians fall into the latter category. They know how to do just one thing — lie, deceive and get elected. They do it year after year.  Granted, Democrats have perfected this, but they are equal, at least in the realm of experience. Advantage — neither.

How about issues? They are both big government liberals. They both love the employee but persecute the employer. They both love the children but annihilate the unborn. They both hate the rich but promise the poor wealth. They both hate high gas prices but make more money taxing it than the oil companies make making it. They both hate big tobacco but tax the smokers to death. They both want fair, not free, trade, but they define it by which foreign government contributes the most to their campaign. Once again, no advantage.

What’s a poor Democrat to do? Actually, the answer is clear. Affirmative action (another liberal mantra) tells us that all things being equal, give it to the minority. Since women are in the majority, if the Democrats walk-the-walk rather than just talk-the-talk, Obama gains the edge. Great, we settled that.

Oh, wait, I forgot about Edwards. Let me see. Any man who takes 40 percent from the proceeds of medical malpractice settlements so he can build a mansion on a 40-acre estate is not a champion of the poor. At worst, he might be a Republican posing as a Democrat. At best, he is just another hypocritical Democrat, like those vaunted Democrat icons Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. Gee, he might be a better fit for today’s Democrat party than Hillary or Obama.

I tried to help, but I only confused myself. You Democrats are on your own.

THOMAS MASKELL

Poland