LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Vindy commentary, letters serving noble purpose

Vindy commentary, letters serving noble purpose

After we both had read last Sunday’s Vindicator, I asked my wife to hold on to the Editorial section because I felt there was a connection between a letter from a reader and the day’s political cartoon. So there was, and – on rereading all the letters and articles – more. This letter, my opinion, was prompted by them all.

My initial prompt was from Sara Culver laying out some of the many bad things that can happen as a result of not voting in primary and mid-term elections. I agree with Ms. Culver. I think that, had she known about the cartoon, she may have cited its subject as an example of the ultimate self-aggrandizing brute that can come to dominate politics when people of good will stand idle by failing to exercise their precious right to vote.

Bertram de Souza tied in nicely, noting that nothing buys political corruption like money. We can bet the pig-like character in the cartoon slops at that trough and wishes only for larger hands with which to grab the cash, or emoluments, or legitimate business expenses or whatever dissembling term he chooses to disguise his self-serving behavior. The antidote is to vote.

On the other hand, Zonda Hasse told, apparently from the heart, of a public servant whose retirement is mourned by his community. Kindness to and concern for others, a willingness to do the hard work of seeking compromise, that all sides in a heated debate can live with is the hallmark of great politicians. Pity it is that we have so few of them. We can have more, if we vote.

In every instance, from the factual expose of the complex ECOT boondoggle, to the caution voiced by Georgie Arkwright and others that local failures of government are reflected at all levels were tied nicely together by what I think is the great purpose of journalism.

That purpose is the independent examination and truthful presentation of the facts of any matter to a citizenry entitled to know those facts in order to make informed judgments that guide the discharge their civic duty to direct their government to do the people’s business.

But hey, that's just my wordy opinion, and I am glad it was informed by last Sunday’s editorial, column and letters because I vote.

Jim Cartwright, Canfield

Americans must speak out on zero-tolerance policy

I want to close my eyes and ears to the cries of the immigrant children who have been separated from their parents. It is so abhorrent, so unbelievable to me that this was happening in America.

The Trump administration’s practice of separating immigrant children from their families and detaining them wasn’t just cruel and inhumane; it was the latest sign that our country is in a state of moral emergency.

Trump’s new executive order on this matter did not solve the crisis he created; it continued to criminalize immigrants, including people exercising their legal right to seek asylum, detains immigrant families in jails unsafe for children and provides no plan to reunite thousands of separated children.

As a Jewish American, I know all too well what it looks like for a government to criminalize the most vulnerable, to lie and obfuscate to justify grossly immoral practices under the banner of "the law," to interpret Holy Scripture as a cover for human cruelty, to normalize what can never be made normal. We have seen this before.

The president's agenda can only be realized if good people remain silent. We must organize to demand that Trump end his "zero tolerance" policy and urge members of Congress to call for the same.

If we don't speak out, the president will only be empowered to take his anti-immigrant policies to even more dangerous, violent extremes. As a Jew, I know that I have to speak. In the Holocaust, the world was silent. I am grateful that I live in America and that many are speaking out now.

Carol Gottesman, Hubbard

Trump administration shows its heartlessness

Two weeks ago, it was the president saying that taking children from their parents when they enter the USA illegally is his new policy. Last week, he suddenly signs a paper saying, “nope not taking children from their parents,” because he couldn’t stand seeing them crying.

Really? Who believes that?

So his wife wears a jacket with the saying on the back, "I don't really care, do u?"

Come on and get real; you're going to go see children who haven't a clue on why Mommy or Daddy aren't there, and you wear a tasteless jacket to be photographed? Maybe the question should be what are the Trumps hiding? What is the president trying to keep the country from noticing while he directs our view to this breaking story on how moved he was to do what he couldn’t do a few days earlier?

I always believed this was the best and greatest country in the world, but now we are turning into the worst in only a little over a year.

The only way we can fix this is to make sure to register and vote in November for better representatives who will stand up to a president who is a bully.

Darlene Torday, Berlin Center

Don't wait for Trump to carry us to promised land

Americans thought a rich businessman in the White House would lead them to the promised land. The Jews waited 40 years to get there. We might wait a lot longer. However, Trump and his billionaire friends are already there.

Trump cut taxes for his own company and other billionaires from 37 percent to 22 percent. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s a lot of money. In fact, that’s billions more than the $10 or $15 a week you are getting in your paycheck.

Keep in mind that your tax cut means you’ll pay less into Social Security and Medicare, which helps further erode your retirement benefits.

To sum it up, Trump and corporate America get billions while you get a handout and help shrink your own retirement. That’s a tax bill that is also a really good con job.

Trump talks about saving American jobs, but then tells us we must save jobs at a Chinese company called ZTE. This company is considered a security threat to the U.S. However, this company’s billionaire owner was at Trump’s inauguration.

Then we find that Ivanka Trump has been granted 13 new trademarks in China and eight more may be coming in the next three months. Is this “America First” or “Trump International First?”

Trump recently put tariffs on our allies. Part of a response to this by a Nebraska GOP congressman was that this is how the crash of 1929 started. Billionaires create crashes so they know all about them, including how to safely hide their assets when it happens. Too bad we don’t.

I think the career politician would have been a much better president than the billionaire businessman.

Robert W. McKay, Grove City

There are no stipulations to the Second Amendment

In the past, a few read- ers have suggested that all gun owners be licensed. Wow! Talk about Big Brother watching. Are the bad guys going to get a license for their guns, too?

These thoughts are well meaning, but let’s be real. This is not going to happen. Owning a gun is a Second Amendment right and should not carry a stipulation with it.

Those who protest in the streets demanding gun removal from society fail to understand that the Constitution is what keeps this country free, and many have given their lives to protect it.

Our mission is clear; we must stand for the ideals that have made this country great and oppose those who would deny us our rights that so many of us have died for – our right to live in a free country where we can feel safe in our homes and our children can feel safe in schools support the Second Amendment and honor the fallen.

Jim Eidel, Beaver Twp.