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Letters to the Editor: May 16, 2008
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Letter of the Day: See?
Editor, Daily News:
A picture is worth a thousand letters to the editor.
Bryan A. Carritte, Naples
What say us?
Editor, Daily News:
I must have heard wrong.
Our Superintendant Dennis Thompson can’t be letting teachers, staff and custodians go in order to make room for staff to move down from Rockford, Ill., can he?
He must not realize that these hard-working people who live here in our community need their jobs. Where exactly are these good people supposed to find work?
While I am sure that our northern friends need work, too, it is certainly not right to displace our community members in order to make room. How do we take comfort in knowing that these people are going to be teaching our children, knowing full well that they are putting others out of work? It doesn’t demonstrate good morals to our children. “Take what you want, no matter how it adversely affects other people.”
What does that say about these people coming down and about who hired them and how they are being hired? Lack of trust comes to mind.
What can we do about it? Why don’t we, as a community, have a say in this? How is this supposed to be uniting our community? So much has happened to enrage this community already.
I am only guessing that one wants to surround themselves with people who are obligated to them and see things their way — especially, in a community that is clearly not onboard.
I’d love to hear about any options that we, as a community, may have.
Kathy Johnson, Naples
Gone
Editor, Daily News:
Last Saturday morning, we hung our bag of “stuff” on the mailbox for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, put a couple of letters in the box and put up the flag.
We then left to do some shopping and returned in the early afternoon.
Came home to find the food “stuff” gone but the flag still up.
Caught up with the mail carrier a bit later and asked if someone had picked up the food earlier, and she said that it was her job but there was no one else working in our neighborhood.
Hope whoever took it was hungrier than those for whom it was intended!
Dick Lydon, Naples
Re-making history
Editor, Daily News:
Thank you for your support at the city’s May 1 Official History Month Proclamation kickoff at Neapolitan Gazebo.
The cross section of city residents from old-timers to nouveau old-timers, from Gulf Shore to Lake Park to Old Naples, families gave us all the feeling of community and a strong desire to keep these memories and the new tradition alive.
We thank our history-making sponsors: Naples Cultural Landscape, The Englishman, DAGI Place, Third Street Merchants Association, The Plaza, Norris Garden, Naples Historical Society, The Dock Restaurant, Venetian Village, Sunshine Ace Hardware, Merrill Lynch and the Lutgert Group, as well as all of the establishments hosting our gracious speakers at the Naples Backyard History Speakers Series all May long.
To see a list of the speakers you can log onto www.naplesbackyardhistory.org or www.thirdstreetsouth.com or www.naples.com/village/.
A special thanks to Wynn’s Market, our proclamation sponsor, for serving sweet tea and Doris Reynolds’ recipe for burgoo, a meat and vegetable stew.
We are happy to announce Doris gave two thumbs up to Wynn’s, and Mayor Bill Barnett said, “This should become our official dish.” We agree.
We invite everyone to come to the three exhibits established in honor of History Month: Art Ullmann’s One of a Kind Aerial Exhibit at the Plaza off Third Street; Heroes of Horticulture at DAGI Place (12th Street South) and the Seminole Exhibit at Venetian Village featuring Dennis Guyitt photography and Muffy Clark Gill artwork.
They help us make history more fun, more available and more meaningful.
Lavern Norris Gaynor, Lois A. Bolin, Naples
Anybody know his whereabouts?
Editor, Daily News:
I very much enjoyed your story on May 4 about Sand Dollar Island.
My wife and I visited the island in January. She almost got “lost” in a thick, late-afternoon fog — an unusual experience for both of us.
We were on Marco Island to reprise a trip that she and I had taken with 20 Denison University students in January 1972.
Marco Island was one of our stops then and George Mathews, a Naples lawyer who was working hard to block the Deltona Corp.’s efforts to develop the island, was one of our guides. Bernie Yokel gave us a tour of the newly established Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
On our 2008 trip we were able to re-establish contact with Yokel but he couldn’t really tell us anything about what had happened to Mathews.
Perhaps someone could e-mail me: thomas.a.evans@gmail.com
I will be grateful for any assistance you can provide.
FYI, I just retired as a chemistry professor from Denison University in central Ohio and have a visiting appointment in the Chemistry Department at Ohio State University.
Tom Evans, Granville, Ohio
Formula for access success
Editor, Daily News:
There are three basic issues/problems associated with providing beach access: beach density, parking and “not in my neighborhood.”
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where the beach high-density areas are in Collier County — like Vanderbilt Beach. But it takes courage to say to the other communities, be less selfish; and for our commissioners to be aggressive with these, heretofore, protected areas, like Pelican Bay, with low density and miles of shoreline.
Here are some thoughts for the commissioners that may be less painful to consider:
Clam Pass is essentially a commercial area that has an excellent and a large beach parking lot to build a parking garage that should have limited concern to its commercial neighbors. There is ample beach frontage to take care of a lot more beachgoers by adding a boardwalk/tramway to the north and south of the Naples Grande food pavilion.
Lely Barefoot Beach has an expansive boardwalk that eases beach density and minimizes the environmental impact.
A similar parking garage could be built at the large parking lot in Pelican Bay and a boardwalk/tramway, at the beach, to disperse the beach density, while still allowing a private beach pavilion for Pelican Bay owners.
So here is the solution in a nutshell: Build garages; utilize beach low-density areas; most importantly, encourage selfless acts of those who have the privilege of ample beach access and low beach density.
Which of the Collier County commissioners has the guts to initiate these workable ideas?
Steve DeFillippo, Naples
Looking back and ahead
Editor, Daily News:
I watched “Meet The Press” with Barack Obama.
First of all, he is not a very presentable orator. And I am tired of hearing about his grandparents who labored for our country during the war to end all wars.
My wife labored 12-hour days making uniforms for our servicemen. She may have even made my Marines uniform which I wore during this epic struggle to free our world from tyranny.
Sorry to say, it didn’t work!
Obama is a great human being, I’m certain, and I even heard him say, “I love his country.” Sorry I can’t say the same for his wife! I shudder at the thought of having her in my White House as my first lady!
As for Obama, “his inexperience leaves him totally unprepared for the presidency.” As much as I dislike Cal Thomas, these were his exact words.
A short comment about these so-called “super delegates.” They should not have the power to choose my next president! These folks are not struggling with the loss of their homes, gas prices going through the ceiling, job losses, etc.
Whatever happened to “we, the people”? It should be our votes that determine who sits in the white mansion for the next four years — more or less — and then we should pray to our dear Lord that we made the correct choice!
Oliver J. Marcelli, Naples
Bottom lines
Editor, Daily News:
Is Barack Obama responsible for something his preacher said?
Is Obama responsible for something his preacher did?
The Catholic Church has over 4,000 pedophile priests and has paid over $2 billion to the victims. Yet, every Sunday 1.2 billion Catholics go to church and put money in the collection basket.
Hillary Clinton said you choose your pastor. Clinton chose her husband who cheated on her in the White House, lied about it and was impeached for it. Yet, she is still with Bill. Why?
I wonder if America would vote for a divorced woman?
Herb Salgat, Naples
Says it all
Editor, Daily News:
Reading Jim Stewart’s letter/critique of Sen. Barack Obama should make us acutely aware that the Oval Office is no place for on-the-job training.
Marianne Kure, Estero
Want to get away?
Editor, Daily News:
I thought it ironic that the day you reviewed a fancy private restaurant in Havana, my cousin called from Canada to tell me what a wonderful time they had on their Cuban vacation.
She wanted to know why we couldn’t have joined them, together with Europeans and British, traveling to an apparently beautiful, clean, safe and friendly island?
Don’t we live in the much ballyhooed land of the free?
Aren’t we merrily trading with China despite its horrific human rights record?
Hasn’t the United States backed dictators and despots when it suited our needs, including Saddam Hussein?
I had no valid explanation.
Jane Fraser, Naples
Just do it
Editor, Daily News:
I am tired of the candidates running around the country proclaiming they know how to fix the economy, prevent foreclosures, lower gas prices, etc.
Well, why don’t they go back to their elected positions and do something about it now?
Or is it just a bunch of typical hot air to get elected?
I say, enough of the talk and get back to Washington and put your great plans into action immediately.
Nancy Jane Berens, Naples
Any Grey Poupon?
Editor, Daily News:
The old sayings, “You can’t judge a book by the cover” and “Trashy people make trash,” sure made a mark on my mind the other morning.
As I was leaving Pelican Marsh going to work, waiting for the light on U.S. 41, I was behind a new black Bentley convertible from Ontario, Canada.
Admiring the good looks of that car, I thought the fancy taillights were worth more than my car, but I was not jealous.
Just then, right before the light changed, the driver dropped some trash from his window and preceded through the light.
I was aghast.
It’s bad enough for the news media to “trash” America verbally, but a foreign visitor littering in my neighborhood strikes too close to home for me to let it go.
I wish I could have written him a ticket in U.S. dollars.
If I go north of the border you can bet I am not going to get even by acting “trashy.”
Jerry Rodeheaver, Naples
He’s my hero
Editor, Daily News:
It is unfortunate that people all over Florida did not have the opportunity to read the guest column by Jack Tymann in the May 2 Perspective section.
Tymann is one of the few writers who have analyzed the problems facing the United States from the Islamic jihad, our dependence on foreign petroleum and loose border control and have warned the public.
I fear for my grandchildren lest they are someday subjected to a frontal engagement with the jihad, because our public does not seem to appreciate those dangers to the U.S., and no appropriate countermeasures have been developed. Nationwide, I think the media has failed to advise the public of the extent of these threats.
The Wall Street Journal has reported many significant events that my friends are not aware of.
These reports must be accurate, for they don’t seem to be challenged or corrected by other media.
Incidentally, subscriptions for the Journal increased about 3.5 percent in 2007, while The New York Times and other big-city papers fell a similar amount. Does that tell you something?
For example, about two weeks ago, I read that Alaska had rejected an application that Exxon Mobil had submitted to increase oil production in that state.
In our race to be independent of Arab oil, I think it deserved approval, and there should have been headlines objecting. There were none.
We need more of Tymann’s journalism.
Arthur Cooper, Naples
Stop pointing; get to the point
Editor, Daily News:
I am alarmed at Robbins Winslow’s letter accusing Jack Tymann of being an “alarmist neo-McCarthyite” for his guest commentary about issues not being discussed in the presidential campaign, emphasizing Islamist terrorism.
Tymann is alerting his fellow citizens to a serious danger to our country.
He is doing it with facts and well-thought-out logic, not hyperbole.
Winslow accuses Tymann of impersonating Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
Yet the bulk of Winslow’s letter was muddled and confusing, with some diatribe of accusations toward John McCain, Jerry Falwell and John Hagee, and homegrown religious fundamentalism.
Winslow would be more effective to readers by writing about what upsets Winslow without attempting to smear fellow citizens exercising the right of free speech.
Meanwhile, if radical Islamist terrorists continue to invade our country and fulfill their plan of wiping out our “infidel” country, there will be no United States left to exercise the right of free speech or anything else our country currently enjoys.
Tymann is absolutely right in attempting to wake up Americans to talk about and do something about terrorism.
As one of many Americans who thinks our country is headed in the wrong direction, I think we need more citizens such as Tymann, whose input is factual, logical and honest, instead of accusatory and name-smearing.
There is more than enough of that.
Presidential candidates and the far-left liberal media should spend less time on rivals’ personalities and social mores, and more time on how to wipe out radical Islamic terrorism before it wipes out the United States of America. Yet, if they won’t talk about it, at least citizens should be discussing what to do about it.
Thanks to Tymann, more citizens are aware of the threat.
Jake A. Larimer, Marco Island
Draft Tymann
Editor, Daily News:
The “op-ed” piece by Jack Tymann was brilliant and very important to understand.
We think the single and most important issue in this election is the protection of the American people.
We must elect a president who understands the dangers we all face and is willing to go to any lengths to protect us.
Tymann is a brilliant thinker; wish some of Washington would listen to him!
Shirley and Allen Blumenthal, Marco Island
Hooked on civic service
Editor, Daily News:
The 12th annual Kids Clinic at the Naples Pier was a huge success.
We had almost 400 kids learn about conservation, ecology and fishing — including knots, how to handle fish and casting.
Then, all the kids received a free fishing rod and went fishing.
I would like to thank the local sponsors for donating the money to purchase the rods, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission representatives who drove from Tallahassee with their touch tanks and equipment and did all the set-up and breakdown.
In addition the Backcountry Fly Fishers, Naples Fishing and the Marco Island Sport Fishing clubs and Rookery Bay representatives all pitched in.
We had 15 volunteers help rig the rods prior to the event and over 40 volunteers helping at the event.
Also, thanks to the Daily News for running big ads leading up to the event.
I thank Nita Sharpe, who helped me distribute fliers to local schools and all the local media that helped promote the event.
Last, I thank Laura Almand, who coordinates the entire event, from getting permits to organizing volunteers and to bringing doughnuts for the volunteers. Her tireless work for months leading up to the event is a big reason the event continues to be so successful.
My apologies if I missed anybody. Thank you to all!
Mark Ward, Naples, Owner, Everglades Angler
FYI
Editor, Daily News:
That was a very informative article about St. Matthew’s House and their new chef.
There always has to be a “but.”
But it may be of interest to your readers that at least one local church’s congregation cooks meals in their ovens and delivers them to St. Matthew’s House once a month, along with members who serve the meal.
It is a very gratifying experience to be part of this. No thanks wanted — just thought your readers may like to know.
The church is Vanderbilt Presbyterian, but I think there are other churches involved in a similar manner as well.
Warren Schneider, Naples
Rocks — in your head
Editor, Daily News:
Congratulations to the staff at the Daily News!
I’m sure the cork has been popped and high-fives and backslaps have been shared in celebration of the public’s response to the outrageous coverage (!) of female impersonators and Beach Bob in prominent sections of the paper.
All future journalism wannabes should save these editions to enhance their knowledge of how to make a newspaper really “rock.”
Doesn’t it make you feel warm and fuzzy all over?
“Boo’’ to all of you!
Linda Morawski, Bonita Springs
Breeding trouble
Editor, Daily News:
With the Preakness approaching, will anyone have the stomach to watch again after the events of a couple of weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby and two years ago at this event? Maybe or maybe not.
Not being an insider to the horse racing thing, I wondered what may be happening that no “great” horses are coming along like in the last century. I found one possible common in the linage of both Barbaro and Eight Belles that is disturbing.
Think about this line of reasoning. If your great-grandfather was an Olympic athlete on your mother’s side, and he was also your great-great grandfather on your father’s side, what genetic dispositions would come out other than your possible greatness along that line. That is inbreeding, and in humans the rule of thumb is that it probably does not matter after three generations.
But who knows with horses? The scary thing is that this filly had an ancestry line on both sides as just described. Native Dancer, the great performer from the 1950s, was on both sides of her pedigree, and he won 21 or 22 races. Northern Dancer, his grandson, won 14 of 18, and he is there. Mr. Prospector, his grandson, won seven of 14, and shows up, too.
You see, the further you get from the original source, the more diluted it becomes and maybe weaker.
By the way, all 20 entrants in the Run for the Roses this year were descendants of Native Dancer, and the consensus of the experts before the race was this: it was “not a very good field.”
It’s interesting, too, that as of this past Monday, none of the contenders from the Derby were even entered in the Black-Eyed Susan run.
Maybe they saw something that is not apparent to the naked eye, only seen in studying the book, “Bloodstock Breeding.”
Jared Harold, Naples
Focus on history
Editor, Daily News:
The May 14 article by Doris Reynolds in the Daily News was very interesting and brought back a lot of memories for me.
The only thing I don’t agree with is that Helen’s Diner did not become Baroni’s — they were two different restaurants. Both were owned by Bob and Helen Baroni.
Helen’s Diner was on the north side of U.S. 41 and Baroni’s was on the south side. Baroni’s did later become St. George and the Dragon.
As a young girl, I worked at Helen’s Diner and later at Baroni’s.
Barefoot Williams, who owned an oyster house at the end of Barefoot Williams Road, delivered oysters to many of the local restaurants and he was my grandfather.
I would like to thank Doris for bringing back such happy memories of the early days when Naples really was a paradise.
Mary Johns Hill, Naples
‘I, too, am concerned’
Editor, Daily News:
Collier County Public Schools Superintendent Dennis Thompson summarized the plight of 250 custodial workers facing jobs lost to privatization with the quote, “We are not in the business to clean schools. We are in the business to educate children.”
Letter writer David B. Goldstein was offended by the grammatical errors in this quote. Fearful of improper English teaching, he pleads, “For the sake of our children’s education, please tell me he was misquoted.”
I, too, am concerned about our children’s education.
The Daily News exposed the courting for some months by the Collier County School Board of GCA Service Co., an ally of Thompson from his days at Rockford, Ill. Thompson’s cadre from Rockford already includes his “Dixie Chicks” and two principals and the wife of one of them, all handsomely paid.
Indirect financial fallout from the board’s wooing of Thompson away from Rockford includes an out-of-court settlement of $550,000 plus other benefits for former Superintendent Ray Baker.
From Thompson’s quote, we can infer that good business practice does not include regard for the lives of 250 local custodial employees.
If this School Board and this community think that good business means throwing local citizens and their families overboard, we are advocating a revised public policy originally attributed to Marie-Antoinette. Do we really want future leaders, parents and politicians who, upon hearing that the people have no bread, will chant from their teaching, “Then let them eat cake?”
Bonnie Epperly-Trudel, Naples
Logic out the window
Editor, Daily News:
It was good to read that there will be a law-enforcement crackdown on those who insist on using public thoroughfares as their personal ashtrays.
This is so typical of the most expensive laws on the books, which are those not enforced.
To add to this exercise in futility, we are in dire need of yet more traffic laws.
Should any public safety issue become law, could it, too, be destined to receive little law-enforcement attention?
Ed Frick, Naples
Comments
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Oliver Marcelli: Your ugly racist roots are showing and I might add, your naive look at reality. Michelle Obama's comment about not being proud of this country is right on. I am as qualified as anybody to comment on this country and I am certainly NOT proud of my country and what republicans have made it. This country desparately needs people who speak out critically. Republican only want to wave the flag and sweep all the problems (and there are many) under the rug. They have successfully brainwashed a large portion of this country (you appear to be one of those)and because of that, we are in the unenviable position we are in. Americans need to accept the criticism from inside our country and outside and then act on it. Other countries are out achieving us by the droves and we just sit back and watch "idol". If Americans are suffering, they deserve it because of their lack of attention.
#1 Posted by Colorado on May 15, 2008 at 7:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You're singin' to the choir Colorado. For example, how anyone, any freakin' one, could even consider the use of torture by our government is beyond me. We apparently now obey international law only when it's convenient yet expect the rest of the world to fall in line. The minute we attacked Iraq when the UN had rejected our resolution to invade, we lost our moral authority. To then condemn Iran for snubbing it's nose at UN resolutions about its nucleur program is the height of hypocrisy.
Time for change. Ya can't fix a problem till you acknowledge ya have one. COLORADO'S RIGHT!!!!!!!
#2 Posted by boulderbilly on May 15, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope our next President, whoever that may be, has vision and backbone. The greatest threat facing this country is not Islamic radicalism. Thats nothin' but a sansdspur. The real threat is to the East. China has moved 350 million citizens to the cities and will move 250 million more in the next 20 years. These folks are the slave labor for cheap manufacturing. Yet they have rising expectations. Riots are already occurring in many metropolitan area's. In 10 years China will produce more auto's than the US. They need gas.
Coupled with their policy of aborting females (138 males to 100 females as opposed to normal rates 103 males to 100 females) you're gonna end up with an awful lot of angry young guys in cars lookin' for gas on Saturday night. LMAO.
Russia, just across the border, has the largest natural resources in the world. Due to their birth and death rates, in 20 years freakin' Yeman will have more people.
Who do ya think the Ruskies need? It may be time to talk turkey with Putin and see if he may need a 'lil border protection in exchange for a couple barrels of oil.
God I miss Nixon and Dr. K. They knew how to read a map and chessboard.
#3 Posted by boulderbilly on May 15, 2008 at 11:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Colorado -
I appreciate your rational comments. You are one of a few that can look at things with reason. It's a shame, but true, that there are many among us that don't have the ability to look at the world with an open mind, free of intolerance and bogotry. Most of the world can't see the tuth, because they have been indoctrinated in religious and political beliefs that are based on myth. They are not able to sift the wheat from the chaff. Our present system of dispensing information is faulty at best. It is very difficult to know what is the truth. But, if we can free our minds of all preconceived beliefs, we just might be able to find out what the truth is. My beef with our religious and political organizations is that they close people's minds. They tell us what to believe and not let us sort through the chaff and find out for ourselves. There are several people who send in comments to this forum that don't seem to know how to think things through in a rational way. They are to be pitied.
Truth is hard to find in a world that is full of all kinds of beliefs and bigotry toward what others think.
#4 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 6:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Herb Salgat -
You are right. It is hard to believe how 1.2 billion people can support a church where several thousand priests are child molesters. It's hard to believe that there are that many people who pay money to keep such a system alive. Religion has brainwashed the people to such an extent, that their people are reduced to mindless zombies. I can't understand how any rational person can support institutions that keep their followers from thinking for themselves.
#5 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 6:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LTTE #1:
What the heck is that about?
What picture?
This is the second time in a month that the LTTE has printed a letter talking about a picture, and not printing the picture.
Weird.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
#6 Posted by sheenabella on May 16, 2008 at 6:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yesterday Bush jr said how wrong it is to talk to your enemies and then insinuated Obama is an appeaser and would talk to OUR enemies.
This morning I'm watching Bush jr walk hand in hand with the Saudie's who attacked us on 9/11/01 and who is helping bring our economy down with thier oil pumping policies.
Seven months is a too long of a wait to move him out of the Whitehouse. Let's see if the Repub's and Dem's in congress are still a little patriotic.
#7 Posted by bossman1 on May 16, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
boulderbilly -
You are right. It was silly of me to write letters to God. If there is no God that cares what happens to people on Erth, then it is foolish to write to him or to pray to him. It was a waste of time on my part. My reason for writing it was to see if I could get people to start reasoning about the existence of a loving God. It is hard for people to use reason when they have been indoctrinated for thousands of years that there is a God who cares. Those of us who use reason, can't accept the religious viewpoint about a loving God.
The terrible suffering of people who are in earthquakes and storms should cause everyone to wonder if there just might not be a compassionate God.
I can't change anyone's minds. I'm just a messenger hoping that I might get people to start using their thinking facilities.
#8 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Billy #4, The greatest threat to our country is ourselves. We let this bozo take control of our country and then electing him in 2004. WE are the real problem.
#9 Posted by bossman1 on May 16, 2008 at 7:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
re: LTTE......Would assume it's about the 'boys in drag' article that rendered 2 days of complaint LTTE.
#10 Posted by weality on May 16, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ollie Marcelli is a dyed-in-the-wool Hillary supporter you doofusses.
#11 Posted by cupcake on May 16, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
sheenabella, I bet the picture is in the paper and not on line, I haven't looked yet.
Buy the paper and see.
#12 Posted by Guillermo on May 16, 2008 at 8:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NO way!
I am not falling for that tactic of buying the paper just to see a picture that should have been printed if they were going to print the letter online.
I cancelled my subscription long ago.
Thanks for the info, though.
#13 Posted by sheenabella on May 16, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
These are some excerpts from Jim Hightower's Lowdown for May:
In 2003 at the time of "mission Accomplished" there were 139 U.S. soldier deaths. In 2008 there are 4,037.
Estimate Iraqi deaths in 2003 were 7,409. In 2008 it is somewhere around 1.03 million.
Wounded American soldiers at time of "mission Accomplished" was 542. Now it is over 28,661.
We must get out of Iraq. This country is causing unnecessary damage there and causing death to Iraqis and American soldiers. Our hospitals are full of injured and disabled soldiers. If this country believes in a loving God and wants to do what is right, we must exit Iraq as soon as possible. The next president must do it. If we don't come to our senses, we will be turning the clock back to brute force as a means to solve differences. It's still that way, but those who are peaceful should stand up and be counted, and show our leaders that we won't take it anymore. We want peace and not war. War is not the answer to everything.
#14 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I want to add:
When this country invaded Iraq, there was no organized Al Qaeda in Iraq. There is more Al Qaeda in Iraq since we invaded, although there is less than two percent of the violence caused by Al Qaeda. Our president is a war-monger and he uses every excuse he can think of to keep us in Iraq. He is a tool of the military-Industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about. This is the worst president we've ever had and he has the blood of over a million people on his hands. I can't wait till the Democrats take over this country. But, I hope they have the fortitude to stop the bloodshed. The Democrats won't do us any good if they don't change our foreign policy that is based on war and not peace.
#15 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jared Harold, that's why it's called Thoroughbred Racing
#16 Posted by GoneFishin on May 16, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Religion in politics is bad. Politics in religion is bad. Politics is bad. Religion is bad. I wish human beings would find a way to live on this earth without being divided by politics and religion. Will it ever be possible? It doesn't seem that way. It seems to be our destiny to be divided instead of living in peace with one another.
Maybe we are all "useful idiots".
#17 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have the paper and the picture isn't there. The person is probably talking about some picture that recent letters to the editor have discussed.
#18 Posted by GoneFishin on May 16, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like the Prozac has kicked in.
#19 Posted by GoneFishin on May 16, 2008 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Out of all of the city newspapers you have seen, which ones do you consider to be the best?
I originally came from Chicago, and the Tribune was pretty good.
#20 Posted by sheenabella on May 16, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sheena, The Wall Street Journal.
Eddie, where do you get your "less than two percent of the violence" figure?
Let's pray the dems don't get the whole thing, because we are then doomed.
#21 Posted by GoneFishin on May 16, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, it looks like the Republicans are biting the dust, and well they should. They haven't done anything Republican since Bush took office. They got us into this mess, and they still crow about how good things are. My God, I never thought there were so many dull headed people in my party.
Jane Fraser said it well. In a free country we can't even visit our neighbor Cuba who has never done anything to us. We're just in a snit, a Childish snit. I think we should send a bunch of diapers up to Congress and the President.
Oliver Marcelli, we have experience in the White House now, and I'm sick of it. Experience means nothing. It's who you are, how bright you are, what you believe, what are your personal qualities, how honest you are and what kind of judgment you have that counts. Obama has experience. A person doesn't live 47 years without experience, and when a person is bright, like Obama and has good judgment like Obama, that's what we need.
FreeSpeech, what's your problem? You just don't want to accept the fact that Obama is not Muslim and never has been Muslim. What the H... is the matter with you?
His Father was Muslim, but he left when Obama was two. Obama's mother was Catholic. If you're referring to this little kid of six going to a public school in Indonesia where there were a lot of Muslims in attendence, then that's not being a Muslim. He did not attend a Madrassa. He had no training in Islam, and he was only 10 years old when they left. There were Christians and Jews in the school where he went. Now get that through your thick head. It's no wonder you think like you do. You repel facts almost quicker than they come to you.
#22 Posted by truthmatters on May 16, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now I want to ask, how smart is it not to listen to what your adversaries are saying? How smart is it not to look at what we've done to our adversaries? If we don't look at the whole picture objectively, we can't wisely assess a situation and know what our best course of action is.
Chris Matthews made a good point last night about appeasement and Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain was offering a part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler. There is a big difference in talking to your adversaries and giving away things. Therefore, there is a significant difference between appeasement and talking.
Talking to one's adversaries is just plain common sense. How smart is it to just stand there and throw barbs at each other, not even understanding what the other person's problems are, and how things can be resolved.
Another thing, Jack Tymann is on a paranoid trip, or maybe it's an attempt for us to go nutty and do irrational things out of fear.
What our problem is, just as the Muslims say, over and over, is we are invading their land and treating them like trash. They are not talking about aggressing on us, the are talking about defending themselves and what they have.
The people who attacked us on 9/11 were not Jihadists. Not at all. They were upset about our being on their sacred soil. Do you war lovers listen to anything, or do you just write a script you like the sounds of and act on that? And tell me, how's that working? It's dumb. Just plain dumb.
#23 Posted by truthmatters on May 16, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
POV, Show some respect! Please restrict your use of the phrase "Your are dumber than a rock" to Jag. Thanks
#24 Posted by bossman1 on May 16, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Tnanks, Jimboaw, you said it well. Skippy, we have immigration rules, of course we ignore them. Europe and we can let in or not let in whomever we please.
If Europe wants to import a lot of Muslims, then they'll become more Muslim. The same with us. That's why I believe in sovereign rights to let in anyone a country wants or not let in who they don't want.
Skippy, open your eyes. Who's on who's land? Who is invading a country over there? Who is dominating the Middle East with military bases?
As for Israel, there is no talking, no agreements and Israel just keeps taking, occupying more of their land, growing their own settlements while this further infuriates the Arabs. Now, what does Israel want? Peace or a lot more land?
The UN has many Resolutions out toward Israel which we veto or ignore. We cite the UN when it's to our convenience and ignore it when it isn't.
The real question is, do we want peace? If we do, then first, get off of their land. Second, quit applying different rules for them to follow than we or our allies have to follow. Stop trashing them at every turn. Handle all countries even handedly by the same standards.
If we treat people unfairly, invade them, threaten them, occupy their land, then peace won't come to us, and we really don't deserve it for acting so harshly and with such double standards. We treat them like they're kind of sub human. But then that's what we do to a lot of people in other countries we decide not to like.
So, Skippy, go merrily along in your craving for war and booting peace out the window and making it easy to blame everyone else for what goes wrong, because we never do anything wrong. We're perfect.
And that's not knocking America, that's saying we are not living up to what America is, what it was built on. A country we have been proud of. So, Skippy, just smear us and bring us down. It won't be the first time your kind of attitude destroyed a country.
#25 Posted by truthmatters on May 16, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
#30 truthmatters.
Your post is filled with plain common sense, something sadly lacking amongst a few other posters here. But than again, ya can't fix stupid. It sure is fun reading the excrement they print though.
#26 Posted by boulderbilly on May 16, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bush is the dumbest of the dumb. He is sending everyone a stimulus check. We are supposed to go out and buy things with it to stimulate the economy. It will stimulate Walmart and the Chinese economy more than the economy of the United States.
This country is in great need in having our infrastructure fixed. We need a better medical care system. If all the money were spent on these things and spending money on a high speed train network, putting people to work in green industries, etc. it would benefit the country and stimulate the betterment of the country. There is much wrong with this country, and the money that Bush is giving away would go a long way in solving our many problems.
The policies of the Bush admonistration are misdirected and a waste of money. The stimulus boondoggle won't do much good. It will help China and big business more than the economy.
#27 Posted by rationalman on May 16, 2008 at 3:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FreeSpeech and Skippy, I have no problem talking about things that are true about Obama. But-----
First, when was he a Muslim? He never was a Muslim, and I don't know where you get that.
He admitted to doing some drugs when he was young. He never said he was a perfect youth.
His connections to unsavory people are very vague and Obama is not connected with doing anything wrong. Just knowing someone when you're out working on public projects does not make one in cahoots with them.
He is bright. He's the first Black elected president of the Harvard Law Review. He is exceptionally talented in oratory which requires
deep thinking and a good command of the language.
I never heard Obama embrace Louis Farrakan or his views on Israel. I do know that Farrakan has sympathy for the Arabs and Palestinians. I feel sorry for their plight too, but that doesn't mean I don't like Israel.
Sorry, you guys, you haven't given me one solid, truthful remark about Obama. It's all a bunch of exaggerated, made up stuff.
Oh, he did wear the flag pin at first, but then said he wanted to show his patriotism in his actions, not just wearing a flag pin. He has now again also worn the flag pin on several occasions.
As for putting his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, he does. He didn't, however put his hand over his heart during the song, America the Beautiful.
Let's face it. There's nothing good you will say about Obama because your minds are made up, and you believe every hokey thing about him you hear. So, I never mind your saying anything about Obama as long as it's true and not hearsay, made up excrement.
#28 Posted by truthmatters on May 16, 2008 at 4:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kathy Johnson wants opinions from the community. Here's one:
Our school system is becoming as corrupt as the one I left many, many years ago in Miami.
This guy is a lot like Dan White, but much more aggressive. Same mentality, though. I'm gonna do things my way and if you don't like it, quit. MAJOR intimidation going on. People are terrified of losing their jobs. This man is a textbook example of how a CEO should NEVER run a company; he's made every mistake in the book.
No end in sight for awhile, but he'll eventually slip up enough to get caught.
Too many unusual "priorities" popping up. Can you say "kickbacks"?
Just a matter of time. He'll be gone. I'll still be here....
#29 Posted by lizzyb on May 16, 2008 at 5:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
truthmatters
you have done a wonderful job here attempting to bring forth the reality of misconceptions that have been placed on Barack Obama.
I commend you on this.
Especially when defending Barack Obama can now easily be turned into a racial issue. When it is not.
I have spent a couple hours on a real racial issue. The NDN blogs are full of bigots and racist spewing hate. The immigration view here in Naples by some is completely out of the mainstream view and it gives me chills for me and my family.
But i digress.
George Bush yesterday compared Barack Obama to a Sen. that wanted to speak to Hitler. He did this in Isreal.
The kind of political ploy and facist tactic he attempted to pull overplayed his hand and might have dealt the GOP a deadly blow for the election.
Earlier this year i wrote about W's grandfather Prescott Bush and how he was making money through Union Banking Co. on both sides of WWII. Yes he was dealing with the Germans and the Americans.
Prescott was not a politician. Prescott was a banker. And that banker put his son, George Herbert Walker Bush in place to become president then came W.
For W to even bring the Nazi's into conversation in Isreal had to silence the room.
Informed Americans are not going to fall for this. John McCain has adopted all of his policies. All of them.
NO MORE.'
Good Job TruthMatters.
#30 Posted by NaplesTaco on May 16, 2008 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
TruthMatters ROCKS!!!!
#31 Posted by er0001 on May 16, 2008 at 7:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I SECOND THAT!!!!!!!
You go truth, because it does matter. 7 years of lies have blasted near stripped this countries international standing, economy, and military.
All's I can say is NEXT!!!!!!!!
#32 Posted by boulderbilly on May 16, 2008 at 8:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess jagged never read the section in the bible about "bear false witness."
He must think it means "don't lie about seeing a grizzly."
LMAO.
#33 Posted by boulderbilly on May 16, 2008 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why hasn't Israel objected to Bush jr using them as a political platform yesterday when he called Obama an 'appeaser'? I guess they owe him a couple for invading Iraq.
#34 Posted by bossman1 on May 16, 2008 at 8:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, my friends, AMEN! We're on our way to recovery.
#35 Posted by truthmatters on May 16, 2008 at 8:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Here's a better laugh, a hopeless conservative talking head getting his bottom handed to him on HardBall...
Plenty of links to this, here's one...
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/bl...
#36 Posted by er0001 on May 16, 2008 at 10:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Two words, Oh My. LMAO er0001.
I just figured out who jaggedsoldier is, a radio host from L.A.
LMAO.
Jaggedsoldier thought Neville Chamberlin was a basketball player.
You go jagged!!!!!!!!!!
#37 Posted by boulderbilly on May 16, 2008 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wasn't Neville Chamberlin one of the 'Iseley Brothers'?
#38 Posted by cupcake on May 17, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This country is now in the toilet and Mr. Marcelli as well as people like him will pull the chain.
#39 Posted by thelight on May 17, 2008 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You people are better than anything I see or read in the news or on TV...I learn from you...I would love to be a fly on the wall in a room with all of you at a round table discussion. Face to face...What a hoot.
History could be made.
#40 Posted by pippin on May 18, 2008 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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