Don’trealize what they miss it until it’s gone
Dear Editor,
I think the blank page idea was a good one, if only for theeffect of realizing what something meant to a person once it is gone. As far asthe complaints about the content of the opinion page, I say tough beans. TownCrier? Let ’em cry! That is what the page is for.
With the great diversity of beliefs in our area andnationwide, it is a good thing to blow off steam or agree/disagree with anotherwriter. That is what the forum is all about in this paper and most others. Itis the norm.
The people who are not happy with something they read shouldwrite in for themselves – if they are adept enough at clearly expressing theirthoughts. Some people can’t. That could explain some of the dissatisfied readers.
I know I’ve ruffled a lot of feathers over the years. But Ialso know I’ve caused many nods of agreement and smiles of approval. That whata good letter does. It stirs both sides and mentally stimulates the middle. Mycontributions have consisted of a wide variety of various subjects.
By the way, I did not say I would never write again, as GregJames took from my last letter. But thanks for the prodding. I said I would notwrite about our current Commander in Chief and I stand by that. Too controversialand so many people with a sour outlook. They are fearing fear itself! But Iregress.
With elucidation,
Dan Dixon
Oroville
Aboutthe blank page
Dear Publisher,
Bill, A point well made. In our environment with humanity,in today’s world, it seems that the less we have to be confrontational thebetter. “Just let it be” seems to be the norm, and if you don’t think the way Ithink then your opinion means nothing.
I know that in the past that you have been very vocal aboutthe Chelan PUD. Well they need to be watched. They are very good at having avery large public relations campaign and they usually get what they want. Ithink it is a ” Machine ” mentality. They are also very good at using theWenatchee World for one of their launching points.
Look at the syndicated columns that are printed in many ofthe papers. I don’t agree with all that is said but it is sure informativereading and good for a laugh or two. These columnists aren’t worried aboutchasing away readership.
It is sad that the people of our small communities become sopolarized that nothing constructive gets done and one gets bent over theslightest non-conforming idea. “If you don’t agree with me” then I will havenothing to do with you attitude.
We have to recognize and keep in our thoughts that one ofour greatest assets as a nation is our Freedom of Speech and the paper media isone of the best avenues for “free speech.”
It appears as though a lot of readers have forgotten thatone of the jobs as an Editor of a newspaper is to look at both sides of anissue and present and to make people think as you pointed out in your comments.As far as readers’ comments, they need to be judged fairly and be presented ina balanced way. Not just one side should be presented, the side that the editorlikes best. I do agree with a policy that permits a “letter to the editor” froman individual to appear no more often that 3 to 4 weeks between letter or evenlonger.
When I do advertising I don’t even think about theeditorials that might be written and how they might affect my advertising. Idon’t necessarily read a newspaper for its editorial comment. I read it for thenews content and what is going on in the community. The paper also offers aninsight as to what other businesses are doing in terms of advertising. Whoknows I might “steal” an idea that works.
We as readers need to have that “empty space” filled up withthought provoking reading. It is no different than not voting on an issue. Ifyou don’t vote, then you have no right to discuss the subject any further. Novote, No comment!
Al Seccomb
Tonasket
Inthe depths of an extreme depression
Dear Editor,
Fiat money.
I am saddened that you bowed to insanity by removing theletters to the editor and the editorial page, leaving that page blank lastweek. I pray that sanity will again return to your pages for how can we callourselves a free nation if the free exchange of thoughts and ideas, howeverunsavory, is trammelled.
In any case, welcome to the depths of depression. Not just adepression of expression but also a true economic depression.
The fiat money we use for exchange has finally debased tothe point of no return. Be mindful that we went off of the gold standard in1973 when Nixon and company removed the phrase from our currency that said”Redeemable in Gold or Silver at any Federal Reserve Bank.” Gold, at that time,was still the $35 per ounce that it was set at during the Depression byRoosevelt. A quarter of a century later, the price of gold was $30 per ounce.One could say that this is the new “Gold Standard.” One dollar = $30 +/-, orone dollar = 35/$30 = 3.2% of depression dollars.
I find this to be very interesting because using this new”Gold Standard” the most recent price of beef cattle quoted in Chicago at $0.85per pound equals, in depression dollars, only 2.7 cents per pound (85 x .032).
Before the Depression beef sold for $1.10 per pound duringthe very depths of the Depression beef cattle prices were, you guessed it, onlythree cents per pound. Beef industry, welcome to the depths of the Depression,2009.
Cattlemen I have talked to are seriously hurting. Now weknow why.
Another interesting fact: In 2007 the price of gold wasapproximately $300 per ounce. So, in “Gold Standard” terms the value of thedollar has been debased by two-thirds (300 divided by $30) in two years.
At that time the Dow Industrial average was approaching4,000, which it reached Oct. 9, 2007. In March of this years the Dow bottomedat 6500. Allowing for the Gold Standard 2007 dollar slide the Dow, in 2007dollars, is in reality 2096. This is an 85 percent collapse. During theDepression the Dow dropped 85-90 percent.
We are presently in a depression of extreme magnitudewithout any “Gold Standard” currency and with the three branches of ourgovernment: the Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the Banks printing anddispersing unheard of amounts of monopoly money. Thank you Bernanke-Geitner-Paulsonand company.
James Gutschmidt
Oroville
Whyis architect of this crime out on bail?
Dear Editor,
First of all I want tothank all of the law enforcement officers who worked relentlessly to solve themurder of Michelle Kitterman and the slaying of her unborn child. Theirperseverance in this case cannot be rewarded by words so I will not try.
The second part of thisletter is to bring to question why? Why is the architect of this deadly deedout on $250,000 bail while the rest of her hired hands are locked behind barsfor the protection of others? Why is their bail set at $1 million and thedesigner, the conductor, the mastermind and the commissioner of such a heinouscrime walks among us?
Lady Justice is blind. Weall know s
he is not. She winks. When she winks she sees green. Green money. Isthis why the person who hired the hit man was given bail? In my opinion, mostlikely.
While Michelle will neverbreath again and her baby will never draw it’s first breath, why is the personfree to breath the clear Okanogan air? Can you explain the fairness in that tome?
Please don’t forget thatlife does kill, but man kills quicker and harder and bears no regret, nosorrow, no shame, but carries within the will to kill again.
I beg for justice to bebrought to all of you involved in the murder of Michelle and child. MURDER. Sayit. Is it not the ugliest word you have ever spoken? Murder for hire. It’s justtoo gruesome to bear.
Please see that thepeople involved in this will be punished to the full extent of the law. Justicefor me would for all involved to live a long, long life and to be buried outback at Walla Walla. That would be justice.
Michelle’s Aunt,
Wanda Kitterman
Tonasket
Cut off the head and the body dies
Dear Editor,
There is much angst thatthe Obama administration will move to violate 2nd Amendment rights, although Isuspect he learned in South Chicago that, for violators, gun laws areirrelevant.
The grand mass of gunviolence in America, Mexico and Canada is involved with and financed by theillicit drug trade. This is only part of the boundless stupidity of outlawingguns for law-abiding citizens. Doing so would accomplish absolutely nothing toreduce criminal gun violence. It would only create another lucrative, dangerousblack market, this time in guns.
Possibly the greatestbenefit of legalizing recreational drugs is that American gun violence wouldplummet into the basement overnight. This I say as a retired cop who never usedany illegal substance – not even a puff of pot in Vietnam – not for moralreasons (I drank), but because I never saw a cost-benefit gain to using drugs.
We’d have to make andenforce laws against sale to and consumption by minors, and against harmingpersons or property under the influence, as we do with alcohol. Nonetheless,legalization and taxation (yet the relatively cheap sale) of recreational drugsin America would remove the limitless profits from the illegal trade in them.Absent this critical decapitation, no amount of money, enforcement orincarceration will ever reduce the crime and violence in illicit drug commerce.
Cut off the head, and thebody dies.
Sure, some people wouldruin themselves, their families and others using legalized recreational drugs,but not nearly so many as are ruined by Prohibition as we speak. The taxationof legal, clean, recreational drugs could go to rehabilitation programs andresponsible-use education.
We can continue to spenddecades, billions of dollars, and countless innocent lives fighting the ‘drugwar,’ or we can win it with the mere stroke of a pen.
William Slusher
Okanogan
 
 
 
 
