Letters to the editor, September 2, 2010
On the N.Y. mosque
An Islamic Mosque near ground zero of Sept. 11 condemns the positive feelings Americans have about their culture.
The feelings of Americans are important concerning the ground zero-mosque issue.
About 20 years ago, America and other nations worked extremely hard to win the Cold War.
The Berlin airlift, the Korean War, and Vietnam War were a few aspects of the much larger struggle of the Cold War. Such feelings are significant. For over six years, the United States secured the Arab world oil supply to the European community. The financial cost of Iraq and Afghanistan is very expensive.
The world contributions of America should not be diminished by negative feelings caused from constructing a Mosque near ground zero of Sept. 11.
Michael Cooke, Hinkley
Obama has earned vacation
In regards to Harvey M. Edwards’ August 27 letter to the editor (”On Obama’s trips”):
I must say that Mr. Edwards has worked himself into quite a Shakespearean agitated state — “Much Ado About Nothing” comes to mind. The president is an elitist for taking his vacations, Mr. Edwards posits. Is it very elitist to be only one of two modern day presidents who do not own fancy vacation home? The other was President Clinton. Presidents Obama and Clinton would certainly qualify as two of our less privileged presidents. So the elitist label must mean that they are well-educated and intelligent. That’s certainly not something we want in a president. Let’s go back to drunks and dope addicts who can’t navigate the English language.
Apparently Mr. Edwards thinks crony is a derogatory term. He should consult a dictionary more often. Crony: A long time fried or companion. Possibly from the Greek “Khronios” — of long duration and Khronos time. President Obama is the youngest of trio described by Mr. Edwards, by decades, so they could hardly be his cronies. As for them being brain dead, that’s projectivism on Mr. Edwards part. They brought us from the precipice of another depression not of their making and for that we should thank them. They are also an equal part of the three branches our government who have worked day and night to solve the problems of our country in spite of the antics of the Party of No (and Know Nothing) who Mr. David Stockman posits has destroyed the financial system and the economy of the USA over the last 40 years and who warns us that a return of the Party of No to power will bankrupt the USA. This from the budget director under President Reagan.
Yes, Speaker Pelosi wants to know who is financing the Tea Party but Mr. Edwards should keep up to date on the news. We know who if financing the cultural center in NYC; it is Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, who owns seven percent of Fox News. He is the second largest shareholder after the Murdoch family. There’s your answer Mr. Edwards; it’s a matter of public record if you want to check. Fox and the mosque are one.
As far as needing more time to fix the economy, well the last president ran up a larger deficit than the previous 42 presidents combined so President Obama has to undue in 18 months what the last president did in 8 years and what the past 41 Presidents did in more than 200 years and I think he’s doing pretty well given what he has to overcome. I would like to inform Mr. Edwards that the Congress controls the purse strings of the United States not the president. Had the Congress not spent that money we would have fallen into a depression; that’s a fact. Yes the children may have to pay for the $10 trillion deficit run up by the previous president but President Obama is doing his best to clean up this mess and end two wars that are bankrupting the country and for that I think we can begrudge him a vacation, since only presidents Carter and Clinton have taken less vacation time than President Obama.
Watson Hammond Jr., Barstow
