Fredericksburg speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Nov. 25, 2022
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star.
President Biden and Vice President Harris say, “Abortion empowers women.” Actually, women are empowered when they bring life into the world.
We each started our lives in the womb as a fetus (the name for a baby in the womb). All our great leaders, musicians, actors, all who have been born started their lives as fetuses in the wombs of their mothers. How many great persons have been lost because a woman chose to abort instead of letting her child live and potentially go on to do great things?
There is a saying: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”
Now, that is empowerment.
Alice Clune
Locust Grove
A few weeks ago there was an editorial touting the necessity of a free press. A few days later there was another editorial warning readers about the lack of integrity of some politicians.
Perhaps the second editorial should have mentioned the “free press” as well.
The free press is only as good as the integrity shown. That goes for unbiased honest reporting, informing the public on everything newsworthy, and verifying articles that are printed.
Unfortunately, the free press is biased, lacks integrity, and there is no verification of what is printed. One needs to look no farther than the Russian Hoax, the coverup of the Hunter Biden laptop, or the Nick Sandmann story. A more recent incident provides more proof; when the Bidens visited the hurricane damage, our first lady wore heels and nothing was said, but in 2017 when Melania Trump wore heels to see a damaged area the “free press” lit her up. The list is long, so to paraphrase an old saying, “free press heal thyself.”
As for politicians and their lack of integrity, there were two Spanberger ads that led people to believe that five people died during the January 6th debacle. Actually, only one died in the Capitol, an unarmed woman shot by a Capitol police officer (who never suffered any disciplinary actions); two died from heart attacks away from the Capitol, one was a drug overdose but had been beaten, and one died the next day from a stroke. Here again, the press knew the facts but never investigated or questioned the campaign.
Whether it is the press or politicians, our country is in trouble, unless the “free press” actually does its job. I am not optimistic.
John Powell
Stafford
The commercial leads off with the scary voice-over you hear in a lot of scary political ads, telling viewers about rising crime. Then it wraps up with this line:
"Tell Abigail Spanberger her soft-on-crime policies don't work."
Huh? Abigail Spanberger has soft-on-crime policies? Who knew?
Well, no one knew, because it's a blatant lie. It is also indicative of how the GOP is trying to frighten voters with misleading or outright false information when facts don't support voting for them.
The ad and others like them also assume voters don’t know or respect the Constitutional system we live under.
Local law enforcement and crime levels are not things the U.S. Congress is responsible for. I really wish so-called conservatives who are jumping on the crime band-wagon would ask themselves if they really want the federal government injecting itself into local government issues.
The U.S. Congress can enable and help local law enforcement by voting for increased funding for police forces and other programs that help local governments reduce crime. And Abigail Spanberger has done just that. When local jurisdictions fail to use such funds properly, Congress can refuse to reauthorize funds, but there isn't a lot more they can do; or you’d want them to do, assuming you value our constitutional system. It's called checks and balances.
What today's GOP want is a Constitution that works for them when they win, but doesn't apply when they lose. That's not our Constitution though, at least not yet.
Denis Kaufman
Unionville
I am utterly dismayed and extremely disappointed how our own Fredericksburg newspaper and local university distort history: "Okinawa official speaks at UMW" [Nov. 12].
Let’s get the facts correct and examine the context as to why American armed forces are stationed on the island of Okinawa.
Our forces neither invaded Okinawa in 1945 nor occupy it today; our forefathers selflessly fought for the very freedoms you exercise and the liberties you cherish today. Our forces remain stationed aboard Okinawa (and other foreign places around the world) in order to remain steadfast and at the ready to protect and fight for those very same freedoms of yesteryear.
Okinawa is a geographical strategic location. Mr. Kazuyuki Nakazato needs to fully appreciate our contribution to the deterrence of war in the Pacific Theater and UMW Adjunct Professor Steve Rabson needs to do a bit more research.
Sadly, many service members who fought in WWII sacrificed their lives. The toll was heavy on Okinawa–about 49,000 American casualties to include about 12,000 deaths. Attributed to George Orwell, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
Be thankful we have men and women willing to man the ramparts today. And every time you hear a jet aircraft flyover, be thankful for the “Sound of Freedom.”
George P. Fenton
Stafford
With regard to a recent letter focused on the rise in the cost of goods resulting in the inflation we all are currently experiencing, without question, there are many things that cause the cost of living to rise. But let’s focus on just two. And I argue that they are huge and the primary contributors to our current economic dilemma.
First, the International Economic Agency reports that the energy industry in 2021–22 has realized a net profit of $4 trillion. And the food processing industry year over year profits have grown 29%.
So let’s get off the “blame Joe bandwagon” and place the blame squarely where it belongs: on “Vladimir as in Putin.”
Jim Altemus
Stafford
Gun violence is a problem in our country. We have approached it by restricting certain types of firearms since The National Firearms Act of 1934, The Gun Control Act of 1968, and The Brady Bill of 1993 with almost nil results after 88 years of trying.
I propose a different approach. We did not ban cars to prevent drunk driving, but rather by addressing those who drive drunk, it is irresponsible and dangerous. By doing so we have made significant progress toward improving highway safety.
1. Many firearms transactions are made at dealers who fail to properly complete the already legislated background check. Enforce those laws and severely penalize dealers who skirt them.
2. Raise the age to purchase any firearm to 21.
3. Many firearms are acquired by people buying them for people who cannot legally do so (a straw purchase). This is already illegal. Enforce those laws with severe penalties.
4. Include juvenile records in background checks.
5. Forbid prosecutors from dropping gun charges to reach a plea bargain. I read about this occurrence frequently in The Free Lance–Star; the gun charges often carry a heavier penalty that the other crime(s).
6.Heavy, mandatory sentences for those who do violence with firearms.
Michael Thompson
Stafford
More like this...
President Biden and Vice President Harris say, “Abortion empowers women.” Actually, women are empowered when they bring life into the world.
We each started our lives in the womb as a fetus (the name for a baby in the womb). All our great leaders, musicians, actors, all who have been born started their lives as fetuses in the wombs of their mothers. How many great persons have been lost because a woman chose to abort instead of letting her child live and potentially go on to do great things?
There is a saying: “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”
Now, that is empowerment.
Alice Clune
Locust Grove
A few weeks ago there was an editorial touting the necessity of a free press. A few days later there was another editorial warning readers about the lack of integrity of some politicians.
Perhaps the second editorial should have mentioned the “free press” as well.
The free press is only as good as the integrity shown. That goes for unbiased honest reporting, informing the public on everything newsworthy, and verifying articles that are printed.
Unfortunately, the free press is biased, lacks integrity, and there is no verification of what is printed. One needs to look no farther than the Russian Hoax, the coverup of the Hunter Biden laptop, or the Nick Sandmann story. A more recent incident provides more proof; when the Bidens visited the hurricane damage, our first lady wore heels and nothing was said, but in 2017 when Melania Trump wore heels to see a damaged area the “free press” lit her up. The list is long, so to paraphrase an old saying, “free press heal thyself.”
As for politicians and their lack of integrity, there were two Spanberger ads that led people to believe that five people died during the January 6th debacle. Actually, only one died in the Capitol, an unarmed woman shot by a Capitol police officer (who never suffered any disciplinary actions); two died from heart attacks away from the Capitol, one was a drug overdose but had been beaten, and one died the next day from a stroke. Here again, the press knew the facts but never investigated or questioned the campaign.
Whether it is the press or politicians, our country is in trouble, unless the “free press” actually does its job. I am not optimistic.
John Powell
Stafford
The commercial leads off with the scary voice-over you hear in a lot of scary political ads, telling viewers about rising crime. Then it wraps up with this line:
"Tell Abigail Spanberger her soft-on-crime policies don't work."
Huh? Abigail Spanberger has soft-on-crime policies? Who knew?
Well, no one knew, because it's a blatant lie. It is also indicative of how the GOP is trying to frighten voters with misleading or outright false information when facts don't support voting for them.
The ad and others like them also assume voters don’t know or respect the Constitutional system we live under.
Local law enforcement and crime levels are not things the U.S. Congress is responsible for. I really wish so-called conservatives who are jumping on the crime band-wagon would ask themselves if they really want the federal government injecting itself into local government issues.
The U.S. Congress can enable and help local law enforcement by voting for increased funding for police forces and other programs that help local governments reduce crime. And Abigail Spanberger has done just that. When local jurisdictions fail to use such funds properly, Congress can refuse to reauthorize funds, but there isn't a lot more they can do; or you’d want them to do, assuming you value our constitutional system. It's called checks and balances.
What today's GOP want is a Constitution that works for them when they win, but doesn't apply when they lose. That's not our Constitution though, at least not yet.
Denis Kaufman
Unionville
I am utterly dismayed and extremely disappointed how our own Fredericksburg newspaper and local university distort history: "Okinawa official speaks at UMW" [Nov. 12].
Let’s get the facts correct and examine the context as to why American armed forces are stationed on the island of Okinawa.
Our forces neither invaded Okinawa in 1945 nor occupy it today; our forefathers selflessly fought for the very freedoms you exercise and the liberties you cherish today. Our forces remain stationed aboard Okinawa (and other foreign places around the world) in order to remain steadfast and at the ready to protect and fight for those very same freedoms of yesteryear.
Okinawa is a geographical strategic location. Mr. Kazuyuki Nakazato needs to fully appreciate our contribution to the deterrence of war in the Pacific Theater and UMW Adjunct Professor Steve Rabson needs to do a bit more research.
Sadly, many service members who fought in WWII sacrificed their lives. The toll was heavy on Okinawa–about 49,000 American casualties to include about 12,000 deaths. Attributed to George Orwell, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
Be thankful we have men and women willing to man the ramparts today. And every time you hear a jet aircraft flyover, be thankful for the “Sound of Freedom.”
George P. Fenton
Stafford
With regard to a recent letter focused on the rise in the cost of goods resulting in the inflation we all are currently experiencing, without question, there are many things that cause the cost of living to rise. But let’s focus on just two. And I argue that they are huge and the primary contributors to our current economic dilemma.
First, the International Economic Agency reports that the energy industry in 2021–22 has realized a net profit of $4 trillion. And the food processing industry year over year profits have grown 29%.
So let’s get off the “blame Joe bandwagon” and place the blame squarely where it belongs: on “Vladimir as in Putin.”
Jim Altemus
Stafford
Gun violence is a problem in our country. We have approached it by restricting certain types of firearms since The National Firearms Act of 1934, The Gun Control Act of 1968, and The Brady Bill of 1993 with almost nil results after 88 years of trying.
I propose a different approach. We did not ban cars to prevent drunk driving, but rather by addressing those who drive drunk, it is irresponsible and dangerous. By doing so we have made significant progress toward improving highway safety.
1. Many firearms transactions are made at dealers who fail to properly complete the already legislated background check. Enforce those laws and severely penalize dealers who skirt them.
2. Raise the age to purchase any firearm to 21.
3. Many firearms are acquired by people buying them for people who cannot legally do so (a straw purchase). This is already illegal. Enforce those laws with severe penalties.
4. Include juvenile records in background checks.
5. Forbid prosecutors from dropping gun charges to reach a plea bargain. I read about this occurrence frequently in The Free Lance–Star; the gun charges often carry a heavier penalty that the other crime(s).
6.Heavy, mandatory sentences for those who do violence with firearms.
Michael Thompson
Stafford
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