Sunday, August 19, 2018
Vindy’s part of pro-press campaign relieves reader
I am relieved that The Vindicator joined the effort of other publications nationwide to denounce the tyrannical rants of this shameful president who calls you the enemy of the people.
I am reminded of how the genocide in Rwanda started with Tutsis being called “cockroaches,” which gave license to wholesale slaughter of anyone thought to be or associated with the Tutsi name.
I am also reminded of the historical figure Nero who is remembered for bashing, murdering Christians while Rome was burning. Are we also at the end of an empire under Trump’s tyrannical rule?
While the First Amendment and freedom of the press must be cherished and preserved, a word of caution to the press. Corporate sponsorship is not wrong in and of itself. However, when the money that this sponsorship entails influences the decisions made regarding what news is “fit to print,” then the notion of “free press” becomes a moot point.
Kathleen Berry, Youngstown
Lazy reporters bring downfall of newspapers
I read that you joined The Boston Globe on Aug. 16 in the protest against President Donald Trump. This isn’t new for The Vindicator. Almost every cartoon and all of your own editorials have been anti-Trump. I thought the idea of a free press is to report the news, be unbiased and not make the news.
There were very few articles critical of the events that happened during the Barack Obama presidency. The following are a few examples: The DOJ running guns to the Mexican cartels during Holder’s administration; having the IRS target conservative groups (remember Lois Lerner pleading the Fifth); lying about the terrorist attack on Benghazi as a video’s fault; promising Putin that NATO would not take out Gaddafi (It did, Hillary Clinton laughed and now Libya is controlled by warlords, too bad for its population); and many others.
I am sure you remember the yellow journalism that was rampant in the late 19th century. I assume you also know that it was responsible for the U.S. declaring war on Spain because of the sinking of the Maine, despite the fact that there was no proof of Spain’s involvement. This was an unnecessary war.
Doesn’t this remind you of the fake dossier that was used as evidence submitted to the FISA court to start the investigation for possible Russian and Trump collusion? Yet you complain about President Trump complaining of fake news. You reporters are lazy and don’t really want the truth, which is one of the reasons for the demise of the local newspapers.
Lastly, I have read The Vindicator since the 1960s and always considered it to be a fairly balanced paper. Unfortunately something happened over the past 12 to 16 years. I always thought an area was better if there was a vibrant newspaper, but unfortunately that isn’t the case in Youngstown anymore.
Jim McCloskey, Boardman
Assault on press should trouble all Americans
Kudos to The Vindi- cator for joining the Boston Globe and hundreds of other newspapers across the country in condemning President Donald Trump’s labeling the news media as the “enemy of the people.”
The free press is one of the fundamental pillars of a free society, and all citizens whether pro- or anti-Trump should be troubled by this assault.
In my lifetime there have been many presidents who have been on the receiving end of “bad press,” but this is the only one who seems to lack the temperament and maturity to handle it; and he shows no evidence that he has the capacity or inclination to change.
Tom Arens, Canfield
Freedom of press is not freedom from criticism
The Vindicator and the other 300 newspapers that have launched a coordinated attack on President Donald Trump are doing exactly what they have accused the president of doing. That is, they are complaining about Trump because Trump is complaining about them.
Freedom of the press is alive and well in this country, but I have to remind my friends who practice the art of journalism that freedom of the press does not mean freedom from criticism. After all, the president is entitled to his First Amendment rights, too.
All freedom-loving citizens can agree that a free press is an essential part of our fundamental freedoms. That freedom must also be coupled with the responsibility to separate opinion from news.
All too often there is a subtle (or not so subtle) bias that appears in “news” reports. Sometimes it’s the way an article is written; sometimes it’s information that is ignored. That bias can be very obvious to viewers and readers, but I suspect that much of the mainstream media who are largely liberal and Democrat are incapable of even recognizing the bias as they write or speak it, and that is the real problem. Over time, viewers and readers become conditioned to distrust the news, which weakens the role that a free press should play.
The press should focus on the facts, be balanced in its coverage, and be sensitive to the inevitable personal bias that can infect their work. Save the opinions for the editorial page, and help keep the press strong and free.
Mark E. Munroe, Boardman
Mark E. Munroe is chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party.
TJX distribution center right for Valley’s future
Where do I begin, as some would say, is a good name for a song, but right now what we are talking about is a good zoning change in Lordstown for our schools, for our kids, and for our future. The opponents of the zoning change have cited numerous problems from water runoff to too many vehicles on the road, and go on and on citing negative factors involving the zoning changes. It’s time we looked at the positive aspects of the zoning change.
This property should have been zoned Industrial 50 years ago. Just because our ancestors thought it should be residential does not mean they were right. Things change, zoning changes, and the area needs change. This land has been farmland as long as I can remember. There are no shovels going into the ground to build residences and no developers looking to build homes on this property.
Changing the zoning from residential to industrial is the right thing to do for our future and the future of the Mahoning Valley.
Let’s be proactive and let the TJX distribution center have the land it feels is the best fit for the project. They have committed to donating around 300 acres of land to Trumbull County MetroParks to act as a natural buffer or conservation space with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency governing the space to prevent any development in the future and protect the land from residential commercial activity as well as timbering. They have addressed any stormwater runoff and agreed to set aside for a berm
TJX Home Goods will pay for all these items and more, not the village of Lordstown. This information is available in the minutes of the Lordstown Council meetings and in the area newspapers.
Robert Hiller, Lordstown
No parade for Trump
Congress should be informing the president in language he can understand that there is no way we are spending $92 million on a parade to pump up his ego. Spend the money on our veterans who deserve the thanks of all the America people for letting us voice our opinions and not be afraid. We should honor them every day, not a man who has never served or done anything for anyone without getting paid.
If the president wants a parade he can pay cash up front for it, because otherwise he won’t pay the bill. I’m sure that will never happen.
We are spending too much money we don’t have and our president doesn’t care because it’s not his money.
Darlene Torday, Berlin Center