Cemetery thefts make no sense
I would like to reply to the letter in a paper last week about things stolen from graves.
My husband has been gone 91⁄2 years. He was not in the ground four months when someone stole a wind chime. Within eight years, two concrete plaques, three sets of solar lights, another wind chime, a shepard’s hook and four extra-large Christmas balls were taken.
I go to the cemetery to visit and look at other graves — there are so many pretty decorations and very unusual ones. I am going to quit putting things on his grave. I think it is terrible. I first thought it was someone from the family — maybe trying to hurt me or him. I don’t know who it is. But I do know that it is not going to stop.
I have seen several letters about this in the paper. Maybe someday it will stop. I don’t understand why some graves are stolen from and others are not.
— Sue Ann Isham
Terre Haute
Defining the word ‘militia’
I am writing this letter in regards to Liz Ciancone’s column of Jan. 4.
You asked about a 21st century definition of a well-regulated militia? Speaking as a patriot, I would define a militia as being composed of patriotic citizens who possess firearms, and who could in a time of crisis turn out with firearms to defend and preserve their lives, liberties and our country against all foes, foreign or domestic.
As far as the framers of the Constitution, they did intend for it to be enduring yet flexible within reason. For example, including the Bill of Rights, there have been only 27 amendments added to the document from Dec. 15, 1791, to our present day. The first 10 articles or amendments in our Bill of Rights are the most important ones. The framers would have been very inflexible about those, especially the Second Amendment, as they realized without it that the Constitution would not be worth the price of the paper or the quill pens and ink they used to create it.
For those who think the Second Amendment is too wordy, our own state of Indiana Constitution of 1851 plainly states in its Bill of Rights in Section 32, “The people shall have a right to bear arms, for the defense of themselves and the state.”
Also touching upon the Whiskey Rebellion, so-called, roads of that time were not the interstate roads of today, they made their corn into whiskey because it was cheaper to transport two kegs of whiskey on the back of a pack horse then loading the same horse with heavy sacks of corn. The government was wrong in my opinion to tax those Pennsylvania farmers, all they were doing was trying to make a living and provide for their families. It just goes to show that the government of 1794, or the present one for that matter, just can’t keep their greedy hands out of our pockets.
Personally, I wish those farmers would have won the day and shown the government that it was getting too big for its britches even at that early time in our country’s history.
I would not call it a fair fight though with 40 or 50 Pennsylvania farmers going up against 15,000 federal troops led by George Washington, no less. So hopefully this will help you out with your militia question.
In closing, I will say that I will write to this paper again about this so-called gun-control issue, but will have to put some time and thought into it before I write it.
— Thomas Silcott
Terre Haute
Thoughts about saving money
All I hear from both parties is we need to get our debt under control. Why did they both vote to increase our debt by $5.1 trillion?
I also question why Obama voted not to increase the debt ceiling while in the Senate but can’t seem to get enough money as president. (Political move?) What about all that wonderful transparency.
Now don’t get upset, I blame the Republicans equally.
Could (maybe should) they scrutinize Medicare and Medicaid for fraud. I mean go through it with a fine tooth comb diligently.
I’m also tired of receiving those costly glossy news reports from both parties patting themselves on the back. How about doing something less important like partisanship? I’m also tired of hearing patented answers to (probably after a surveillance) expected questions.
How about saving some money by not giving billions to governments like Afghanistan with all its corruption including their President Karzai, who has ripped us off of billions for himself as well as his drug-dealing brother?
Congress knows full well how much waste there is in keeping governments throughout the world in their corner. But these governments also know without aid they would not be in office. Compromise? Unheard of when it comes to giving tax dollars away. They can always say, “We will help you shaft us but not as much as usual.”
Next, government purchases should be done more diligently. This is just a start, but all reps should be questioned and held accountable, and their records watched intently. Maybe if some of these problems are addressed, the so-called “fiscal cliff” may not be so frightening. What would also be nice is if the papers would print what and how our reps are voting (but not on the back page).
We didn’t vote them in to be “yes” men to their leaders but to be part of the leadership.
— Bud Frederick
Terre Haute
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