Saturday, October 27, 2007
Times is silent on abuse of power
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Times is silent on abuse of power
The Roanoke Times has ignored Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's letter to Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays, in which Reid and 40 other senators tried to get Rush Limbaugh off the air. It was an abuse of government power at its worst. The Senate wrote the letter on official stationary during working hours against a private citizen.
This action is part and parcel of an overall strategy to get all talk radio off the air. The mainstream media's monopoly and control of what it wants us to hear is over now, and the contents of the letter are out in the open.
Regretfully, our own Virginia Sen. Jim Webb also signed the letter. Webb has exposed his true colors as that of a far-left liberal.
Your editors usually call for the ACLU to go after anyone who tries to muzzle free speech. I guess you don't support free speech for talk radio hosts.
Disappointed in Webb's lack of response
In the past I have e-mailed Virgil Goode and George Allen concerning various matters. Both of them have replied by mail to my questions. Goode is particularly thorough in answers.
Since Sen. Jim Webb has been elected, I have e-mailed him about similar issues and he has not replied to my questions. I am disappointed and wonder why he has not done so. It looks like if I want an answer from Webb, I am not going to get one. If you are interested in contacting Webb by e-mail, his address is webb.senate.gov/contact. However, I wouldn't expect an answer.
If you wish to contact Goode by e-mail, type in www.house.gov/goode. You may not always agree with him, but he gives a prompt reply and defends his position thoroughly.
Rather than complain and remain in the dark, as members of a democratic republic, we have a responsibility to be informed voters. If you don't contact the above members of Congress and tell them what you think, don't complain when the wrong person gets elected.
If you don't vote at all, just be quiet and take what comes your way.
Depends on what 'torture' means
President Bush says, "We don't torture." What other term does he have for the ordeal he has put the country through for nearly seven years?
Negative campaigns turn off voters
One can always tell when the political ads start because the mute button on my remote gets worn out.
It would be nice if the candidates used their expensive air time to let the voters know their platforms instead of their interpretation of their opponent's platform. They do not give the voters credit to make up their own minds on their platform of the issues. Sometimes I think they fear that their platform isn't good enough and they have to make their campaign sensational.
I started not voting for the candidate that did the negative ads; however, it is like a virus and has spread to most all of the ads. I take my right to vote very seriously, but game-playing is not in my decision-making process.
Not much room for complainers
My wife and I ran in this year's Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., and we had a great time. It was my fourth year and her third year to run the race, and we did not experience any of the problems that Steve Huff described in his column "The Army's poorly run race" (Oct. 22).
Our impression was that of a very well-organized event with considerable planning and careful attention to the safety and support of the runners, provided in part by hundreds of soldiers who volunteered their off-duty time to work at the race.
I am not surprised that Huff might find the attitude of soldiers and their supporters a little harsh. These people tend to deal with adverse circumstances by finding the inner will and strength to complete the mission, or the race, without complaining or blaming others for their misfortune.
There were many at the race who exemplified this attitude, particularly the amputees, who completed this 10-mile race under much more difficult circumstances than we can imagine.
These Americans did their duty when asked and did not have the luxury of maintaining an arm's length from the war.
