Compassion for seniors

We recently had the privilege of meeting Rep. Sherrie Sprenger when she visited our retirement campus. It was so nice to have someone take the time to come and visit with us, especially a busy elected official. As costs increase and the economy declines, our senior citizens face a lot of uncertainty: So many are on fixed incomes! Representative Sprenger seems to have the compassion and the common sense to understand and address these concerns. Uncertain times call for strong leadership so I encourage everyone to vote this election and to support Representative Sherrie Sprenger.

Mark Remley, Sublimity

Help Hillary save country

On Tuesday, April 29, in the Editor’s Mailbag there were two great opinions. The first in support of Hillary by Tony Nelson. The second in opposition to Obama by Kevin Schorzman.

My opinion personally is that the media (especially TV media) have tried to destroy Hillary while giving Obama a free pass on most everything. I see Obama as a divider, not a uniter.

I know he has divided the Democrats. He has solidified most blacks behind him by divide and conquer.

I believe Wright and the Obamas should express more love for our country. If the Obamas sat at the feet of Jeremiah Wright for 20 years and did not have the judgment to discern between liberation and supremacy, then I do not want him as my president.

Also, he has tried to divide and conquer the voters 29 and under. Granted I know the young voters have a right to be heard in our political system. I am now a 79-year-old man. I remember well the things I did which I am least proud of, all happening when I was 29 and under. My opinion, Obama is deceptive, untruthful, inexperienced and lacks the wisdom to understand situations.

I will not vote for McCain. He may be mature and qualified, but he is a Republican. In my lifetime, Republicans have a proven record, at least the ones in government, of being for the wealthy and doing very little for the poor and working-class Americans.

Hillary is the most qualified, experienced, toughest, concerned, persistent, trustworthy and caring of the whole bunch. Please save our country by voting for Hillary.

Tom Matteson, Albany

Warming and the glaciers

I was expecting a reply like Michael Miller’s to my global warming letter.

I, personally, use more than one source for my information, including: Scientific American, Natural History, National Geographic and others. If you would like, contact me and I will give you a complete list.

I’m a little confused about what he says in the third paragraph: That in 2003 the rise of CO2 and the increase in global temperatures parted ways, that CO2 has been rising since the last ice age and is normal, and that global temperatures have fallen. Then he says that the melting of glaciers and ice caps is nothing more than part of the natural cycle.

If global temperatures are falling, why are the glaciers and ice caps melting? Look at the data about the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere; they have been accelerating ever since the beginning of the industrial age. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?

He has one thought that I agree with. That is about the mandatory use of ethanol in our gasoline. That is one of the most poorly thought-out policies ever to come out of Washington. All it does is move our imported petroleum use from automobiles to tractors and fertilizer and raises the cost of our food. We are not reducing the use of foreign oil and may, in fact, be using more. By the way, that policy is staunchly backed by President Bush.

In closing, I will trust my “junk science” over one letter any day.

Dan McMinds, Jefferson

About manipulators

Jason Boone (May 5, 2008) is correct. Before going to war, the president sought the approval of the Congress and the Senate and the United Nations. Based on then available information the Congress and the Senate gave their approval as did much of the population of the United States.

He is also right about how people easily forget recent history. Now, let’s test his memory.

Based on then available information, someone else had been given approval to do whatever he wanted. In fact his staff did such a good job of controlling information that for a long time most of Europe, including England, was fooled. Who was this master manipulator? In case you have forgotten, his name is Adolf Hitler.

Throughout history, leaders and wannabes have known that most of the people can be fooled most of the time. These individuals have controlled information by manipulating whatever media existed. Whether we believe such control was good or bad depends on who wrote the final history.

In the case of G.W. Bush and his extremely diligent staff, the history has not been written but the indicators are there; so far he appears to be another wannabe master manipulator.

Joseph F. Cuny, Lebanon