THAT’S WHY
DEAR EDITOR,
In the August edition, Mike Northius had many complaints about President Donald Trump. I will not address his litany of complaints because he is insinuating that he wants all campaign promises 100 percent fulfilled right now, less than eight months after Trump took office. That is a childish approach to the topic of campaign promises. It is the equivalent of a little child stamping his foot and screaming over and over, “I want it! I want it right now!”
I will, however, address his rather uneducated claim that the Electoral College is a “system that, in the age of instant communication, is obsolete.”
Mr. Northius, the speed of communication is not the point of the Electoral College. The point of the system is to keep the bigger states from controlling who will be president. The founding fathers knew that some states would become larger and more populous than others and so they created the college to prevent those states from taking over.
I did the numbers, and using each state’s total population number as its eligible voting number (for lack of a more accurate one), I made the assumption that if one half of the voters (only one half) in each of the states of Texas, Florida, New York and California, which is where Hillary Clinton’s surplus of 3 million votes came from, were to vote for candidate A and 100 percent of the population of the other 44 states were to vote for candidate B, candidate A would still win by a massive margin (around 38 percent).
The voters of New York, California, Florida and Texas would – each and every election – control would will be president. The votes of the other 44 states would be irrelevant.
That is why we have an Electoral College, sir.
William Stanley
CHANGED HER MIND
DEAR EDITOR,
Several years ago, when Tiger Woods was bearing the brunt of public displeasure due to sex scandals, I had a conversation with a friend who felt that, as a famous sports figure, Woods had betrayed the youth of the country by not being a better role model. My position at the time was that Woods was a golfer and should not be viewed as a role model.
Fast forward to Donald Trump, our president, and I find that I have changed my tune, for I have discovered that I do expect my president to be a role model. I want mothers to be able to point to him with pride and encourage their children to grow up to be just like him. I want a president who values truth and beauty, sharing and compassion, loyalty and courtesy. Because presidents, far more than sports heroes, should be role models.
Maureen Parker
IT’S ABOUT THE SLEEPING GIANT
DEAR EDITOR,
If you needed proof that the federal government has become an insider club made up of power-hungry self-created lords and ladies who consider those outside their seat of power nothing more than peons, then look and listen to them as they go about trying to – or in the case of most Republicans, choosing to support it through inaction – unseat the president we elected.
Why is it they refuse to acknowledge that Donald Trump was elected because he was an outsider? Yes, he joined the Republican Party because he knew running as an independent would only cause the conservative vote to fracture and result in the Hildabeast being elected. But the people wanted him and, as a result, he was elected.
The Republican Party is now living up to their alternative name, the Stupid Party, because rather than do what they were put there to do, which is act on behalf of the people, they are ignoring the will of the people because they don’t like Trump or his policies. They act against him, showing their petty, childish side. I say to them what I have said to the social justice whiners before: Suck it up, buttercup. It’s not about you; it’s about us. It’s about what is right for the majority of the country. It’s about what we the people want as demonstrated by the election. And don’t give me that “well, he didn’t get the popular vote” bull. If it worked that way, two or three states would dictate policy to the whole country.
They say those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it. They (those that claim to represent us) think they know what’s best for the unwashed masses and that we cannot be trusted to pick the right person to run the country. They seem to think that they need to correct our mistake because we didn’t know any better.
Trump awoke the sleeping giant that is the hardworking, average American that was tired of being called names and told to shut up, sit down and accept what is handed to them. He is the reason people went to the window and screamed, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
We did what was necessary to throw the shackles off once. Don’t think we would hesitate to do it again if pushed to that point.
Go Galt and save the republic.
Alan Marshall
A CALL OUT
DEAR EDITOR,
Mr. Wilkins has issues with facts so I will help. Mr. Wilkins voted on resolution 16-0820 to revoke Officers Cole’s certification and if you read it then you will understand he supported a women batter over police. Mr. Wilkins pushed and voted for his own raise, how many can do that. Mr. Wilkins voted no on a resolution for Medicaid Expansion but voted and supported free healthcare for council, to hell with the poor he pretty much said. Mr. Wilkins voted no on a construction manager for the Tanger center which was said to be 60 million and now stands at 78 million. Mr Wilkins voted for development by lake Brandt but its not like we don’t have chemicals in our water already. Mr Wilkins supports the rich and is tight with Marty Kotis. I ask people to look at his votes in regards to Kotis and look how much money Marty gives him, real ethical Tony. Mr Wilkins stated himself in the paper that he is ineffective and he is right, he has done nothing to stop water rates, vehicle taxes, property taxes or anything else from going up. So if people want to worry about my grammer and spelling instead of quality of life issues and taxes on the up then great. Mr. Wilkins has failed and his claim to fame is he votes no, wow what a plan. Mr Wilkins what you doing about high crime, oh wait he and council are handcuffing police. Mr. Wilkins how about you act instead of react, get something done .I am willing to open my taxes and healthcare policy and lets see who needs the council salary, this is a call out to Tony.
Sal Leone
Editor’s Note: Sal Leone is a candidate in the District 5 City Council race. His letter is being run unedited.
FINDING WHAT WORKS
DEAR EDITOR,
Our political parties are misnamed as to what they have become for us. They should be functionals and dysfunctionals – based on the long-term successes and/or consequences of their views and votes.
While it may seem beneficial to become more popular to vote in lockstep with the current excitements of the moment, most successful long-term results best come from examining previous causes. Herein, short-term prognosticators do not see the past or future with much accuracy and their long-term results lack a future of validity to grow on. Thus, tracing back in time, from effect to cause, we might easily discover which policies became functional and which became dysfunctional.
Both Republicans and Democrats might discover they have many crossover successes in each new group but one will have more dysfunctional views than the other and they should be known for what they are in regard to the logic used when voting or in their most emotional moments. Long-term wisdom seldom holds much truth to short-term emotionalisms that seemed so great only a short time earlier. Correctly done, we should reach our decisions not by judging others, but by discovering which group had the most calm when another group seem to panic and created more long-term consequences for all of us. Or, stated another way, which group was more or less self-serving over time.
In this regard, we are our brother’s keeper but should never revel over it because all of us eventually trip over our own egos, especially when the past and future could have been discerned in more pragmatic ways. Nothing is more hypocritical than pretending to be compassionate when the results of our actions end up contrary to our claims. One horrible example here is the “health care” Congress voted for itself without a dissenting vote. That’s functional for them but dysfunctional for the people they were voted in by; to serve us.
Ray Hylton
YES TO REGIME CHANGE
DEAR EDITOR,
The secretary of state recently announced that the Trump administration doesn’t want to see regime change in North Korea. “Our” federal government thinks that members of the Kim family are the legitimate rulers of North Korea. What a shame.
I hope that I live to see a day when the US government states that it will oppose all dictators, kings and autocrats. Unfortunately, the Republican Party, Democratic Party, president and Congress all support some dictatorships.
It still bothers me that “our” president touched the orb and danced with the dictators in Saudi Arabia. There is footage where the Saudi dictator gives Donald Trump a gift and the president appears to curtsy. At least he didn’t kiss a Saudi dictator like former President George W Bush. We need a government that supports democracy, equality and human rights at home and abroad. Unfortunately we have never had one.
Chuck Mann
ACTS 2:4
DEAR EDITOR,
It is no wonder that the Holy Spirit can’t work through many church leaders. We have tried to fit him into our program. Programs are all right up to a point, but when the program begins to restrict the Holy Spirit, it’s time to get rid of the program. For example, when you go to a service very Sunday and you know exactly what is going to happen minute by minute, then how can the Holy Spirit be in that? I don’t believe the Holy Spirit does the same thing every Sunday. If the Holy Spirit is in control of the service then we would see a song being sung during the time of a message, or maybe a message being preached during the time that there would normally be a song. I don’t believe the Holy Spirit is on a timetable.
Bringing all of this into focus, I would like to say that we need first to be sure that God has called us to do what we are doing and let the Holy Spirit have control. Secondly, be sensitive to people and minister to them in their needed areas. You’ll see more excitement and more enthusiasm among the people and the church will start filling up.
Rev. E.M. Scoggin
STILL HOPEFUL
DEAR EDITOR,
Very soon lawmakers will depart Capitol Hill for a month-long break. With the frenzy of DC in the rearview mirror, it is likely many members’ leisure time will be spent working in their respective districts and visiting with constituents.
Despite all the “good” that many members do to promote a prosperous America, epic disappointment has prevailed with the recent bipartisan efforts in Congress.
Accountability and model behavior has been off the charts, and as voting Americans I think we deserve better. We have to look no further than the recent healthcare bill fiasco to support our concerns. And it was not so long ago that majority leaders from both sides of the aisle were sparring with one another as pieces of proposed legislative work lay stockpiled.
Of late, the rift continues between the Hill and the executive branch. And with all the bickering and disdain among both Democrats and Republicans, expectations remain high. Hopefully, upon the return of the 115th Congress in September, we will observe a more bipartisan commitment and good faith effort, which will benefit all Americans alike.
Jack W Scott
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P.O. Box 9023, Greensboro 27429
