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September 19, 2008

Readers' Forum: Sept. 20, 2008

Check the facts; who do you really trust?

I have to give the Republican Party credit. They’ve come up with a bullet-proof pair of candidates. John McCain is a war hero (he never misses an opportunity to remind us) and Sarah Palin is both a woman and a mother.

Therefore, according to their campaign, we’re not supposed to question them no matter what the issue or what they say. Notice how the media never asks, “What do you think McCain meant by what he said?” But they constantly challenge everything Obama says. It appears to be OK if they tell outright lies and mock community service.

Being a war hero, and since both he and his wife, Cindy, promised to run a respectful campaign, I expected more of John McCain. He seems to have no problem telling outright lies (Obama has never worked across party lines, has never passed any legislation, and so on). Ask Sen. Lugar if this is true.

Sarah Palin continues to brag about the airplane she sold on e-Bay for a profit. It turns out she actually sold it through a broker at a loss to the state and sold it to the friend of a friend. That sounds like more of the Bush policies than those of a maverick. But even more offensive than the “lies” was the theme from the Republican convention that if you are not a Republican, you don’t put country first. I guess that means all of our military are Republicans. Democratic government officials apparently don’t put country first.

The truth is, “country first” is not exclusive to the Republican Party. While Barack Obama was certainly not a prisoner of war and I realize nothing can compare to that that, Obama did begin his career as a volunteer community organizer in Chicago helping citizens who had lost jobs due to the closing of steel plants. Most people can identify with community service and consider it a good thing to do. Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani think that is beneath them and mocked Obama for his years of service. I doubt the citizens of Chicago who were helped by Obama would agree with them.

McCain and Palin want us to believe they are now the agents of change. However, they are campaigning with the same old party politics of smears and lies. Their economic and tax plans are a continuance of the Bush plans. The only change offered is to start taxing employment-based health-care plans. They do promise a $5,000 tax credit to help you pay for your health-care insurance (provided you can afford to make the monthly premiums). They don’t say whether the tax credit will offset the increase in your taxes. And they say Obama will raise your taxes when he actually pledges to lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans.

I have to ask, who do you believe?

— Juanita Morris

Terre Haute



Of rail crossings, streets and graffiti

There are a number of things I would like to address.

First, we have the railroads and railroad crossings. Please remember that the railroads played a very important part of our economy in the past and will in the future. I for one do not like waiting at blocked crossings, but most of all is the condition of the crossing. There are some that have been in place for years and are still serviceable. Others seem to be replaceable soon after repair or replacement. This seems to come under the category of shoddy workmanship. I do think that management needs to take a long look at this problem and correct same.

Second is street paving. Most of our streets are in fair to good condition, but I can’t say the same for the intersections. It seems that when the work is performed they stop at the intersection instead of carrying on through. A good example of this is 25th and Poplar streets. If one did not know its condition, one could get a whiplash, if not careful.

Third is the graffiti on private and community property. I know the police have more important problems but it seems to me if they caught one in the act and awarded a stiff fine and some confinement, plus community work, the situation would be history. Word of mouth can correct a lot of ills.

— Don Myers

Terre Haute



GOP supporters have odd standards

I am a very independent voter, neither Republican nor Democrat. In the last few elections, however, I have been totally disgusted with the double standards Republicans apply to their national candidates and the lies they tell about their opponents.

Reference Dan DeBard’s letter of Sept. 11, “Palin has excellent experience as exec.” Mr. DeBard starts by touting Palin’s executive experience, then finishes with praise for Abraham Lincoln.

Earth to Dan: Lincoln had no executive experience when he took office. ZERO. At the time of his election he had served only two years in the U.S. House of Representatives but he was a compelling speaker and a compassionate man. Sound familiar?

— Chuck Davis

Carlisle



NRA behind recent anti-Obama letters

First, I am a hunter, a trapper and a gun owner. I belong to the Ducks Unlimited, Furtakers of America and the Indiana State Trappers Association.

Furthermore, I support Barack Obama for president and his stand on the Second Amendment and the right to private gun ownership. I do not belong to the NRA. I have been solicited to join this organization many times.

However, I have written them indicating as long as their group has Wayne LaPierre heading it up and as long as they take unreasonable positions on firearms issues I will never join. I guess I’m a bleeding-heart hunter for feeling that assault weapons shouldn’t be in the hands of urban teenagers.

I was wondering why our paper was suddenly receiving letters misstating Obama’s position on the Second Amendment and spouting the typical NRA propaganda. The reason is apparent. The NRA Web site is recruiting members to be part of their “Front Lines” program. This program recruits members to engage in campaign activities including “writing letters to the editor.” I believe that is why there has been the recent spate of letters including false information from the NRA Web site.

I believe it is my right to own and use my handguns and hunting weapons. Sen. Obama’s position on the Second Amendment does nothing to risk that right. I am not impressed by the bombast of the “pro guns” (their term) talking about the “Brady gun control bunch” and dropping the names of Democrat legislators as some sort of bogeyman. Instead, I am more concerned about an administration who is trying to legalize torture and erode the right to Habeus Corpus. I want real change and not a third term of Bush-Cheney.

— Christopher B. Gambill

Terre Haute



Thanks for support of colorful event

Some 136 members of Red Hat Society chapters enjoyed the Fourth Annual Red Hat Chicken Dance on a beautiful fall day in downtown Terre Haute. The women, who made up this record number, came from as far as Lebanon (north), Indianapolis (east), Lawrence County (south) and Marshall and Paris, Ill. (west).

Carolyn Warner of Brazil, and Betty Burgess-Brooks of Paris, Ill., and “Queen Chicken” Laura Mason of Terre Haute were the lead dancers.

Special thank yous are due the German Oberlandler Club for hosting the event, WTHI-TV for live coverage, Rave Aveda Concept Salon and Peggy Graham’s Red Hat Connection for the door prizes. Thank you also Clabber Girl, the Vigo County Public Library, the Tribune-Star, and all area television and radio stations and newspapers for promoting the event.

Plans are under way for the fifth annual event to be held in September 2009.

— Dorothy Jerse

Terre Haute

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