TMCnet News
Praying That Alleged Cop Killer Is Caught Stop Marketing War Hurting Inn's Business Impressed By Miller Wolf's Quid Pro Quo? Mistreating Animals... [Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA)](Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Praying That Alleged Cop Killer Is Caught Stop Marketing War Hurting Inn's Business Impressed By Miller Wolf's Quid Pro Quo? Mistreating Animals Poignant Program Addressing A Need Hunters Paid For Lands First of all, let me express my condolences to the family of the state trooper killed and my sincerest well wishes to the state trooper injured when a man, now on the run, opened fire on them outside their Blooming Grove police barracks just two weeks ago. What a tragic situation and one that was totally unprovoked, except in the twisted mind of their attacker. Now, to make a horrific situation even worse, the alleged shooter is the mountainous terrain near the barracks, taunting the officers and FBI agents searching for him. It is one thing to have to deal with death and injury to state troopers, but it's even worse that officers have to search for someone who is leading them on a wild goose chase and who has made his negative opinion of officers quite clear. This is not to mention the constant threat to innocent civilians and the havoc and terror this is putting on them. I'm sure this man is well aware of how much time, energy and money is being spent on his anticipated capture, and it appears that he is getting exactly what he wants. I'm sure so many of us hope that this apparent "game" he's playing ends in the very near future without any more injury or loss of life. Our prayers remain with the searchers and nearby citizens, as their lives remain in danger until this fugitive is found and stopped. Connie A. Kirchner Mount Joy If your product is a weapon, your market is war. Now that the U.S. Congress has again acquiesced to war's profiteers ("Senate adds its OK to aid for Syria rebels," Sept. 19), has the time come for U.S. citizens to withhold payment of that portion of their federal taxes that underwrites killing, war and militarism? Violence begets violence. In the current brutal conflict in Iraq and Syria, rooted in centuries of regional hostilities, the U.S. cannot intervene militarily without making a terrible situation even worse. "Eye-for-an-eye and tooth-for-a-tooth" bombing will cause more bloodshed and instability and enable violent, anti-government groups to recruit more supporters. Excepting the obscene profits of the weapons purveyors, this can't end well for anyone. What has amounted to U.S. occupation in Iraq has not led to peace there. In fact, U.S. military involvement in Iraq helped create the current crisis. The government installed with the 2003 U.S. invasion systematically disenfranchised the Sunni minority, many of whom now tacitly support the Islamic State. In Syria, the U.S. and its allies, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Kuwait, have provided support to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and others attempting to overthrow that country's government. It was just a year ago that U.S. citizens resoundingly rejected war with Syria. Now, in the interest of peace, must we demand an arms embargo against all armed actors in Iraq and Syria, including the U.S.? Whatever happened to ideas of international diplomacy, the community of nations and nonviolence? We need to acknowledge how militarized our world has become (including the proliferation of guns in our homes) since Eisenhower warned about the "military-industrial complex" over 50 years ago. The public is still in deep denial about all this. We also need to admit how dependent the U.S. has become on a militarized economy for employment, its standard of living and "way of life." Paying for war is a form of participation in war. In the interest of peace, the U.S. Congress needs to pass the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act (HR 2483, in the 113th Congress). When enacted, the bill will meaningfully address endless warfare and degrade an out-of-control military machine while restoring the rights of citizens whose conscience does not permit financial participation in war. Harold A. Penner Akron We totally agree with Arthur Morris' Sept. 26 letter in regards to the Stockyard Inn. It is disgraceful how PennDOT has handled the Stockyard Inn situation. This is the livelihood of the Fournaris family and PennDOT does not seem to care. Why does Cibo have access and not the Stockyard? Granted there have been direction signs placed hither and yon, but has that really improved the situation? PennDOT needs to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their actions. Joanne and Norman Axelrod Manheim Township My wife and I had the opportunity to have lunch with Brett Miller and his wife, Jen, a few weeks ago. This was the first time I had a real in-depth conversation with him. I left knowing that he is the one I want to represent me and my family in the 41st District of the Pennsylvania State House. I was looking for someone with experience in education. Brett Miller has it. I was looking for someone with a real understanding of economic issues. One look at Brett Miller's track record as an East Hempfield Township supervisor proved to me that he knows what he's doing. I left that meeting with one word in my mind: responsible. I am not worried about Brett becoming some slimy political hack or a per- diem king. He demonstrates a friendly, quiet strength that says he'd return a lost wallet to you. I don't want to send some "wanna be" politician to Harrisburg, I want to send someone responsible, whom I can trust. I am voting for Brett Miller, and I know I'll never have to check up on him to make sure he's not abusing per diems, has some ulterior motive behind a vote, or is wrapped up in some scandal. I can trust Brett Miller. He is responsible. Alex Egner Manor Township Years ago, when I invested money in my business, I did so with the expectation of a monetary return on my investment. That is to say, I expected to regain my investment plus additional funds. When a person puts personal money into the stock market, he or she does so with the expectation that the investment will return that money over time with some in addition to it - say for retirement. When a person donates to a politician's campaign, it is done with the idea of a return on that investment - or to put it in the politically correct vernacular, a quid pro quo - should that person become elected to the office. Democrat Tom Wolf proudly asserts that he has "invested" some $10 million of his own business fortune in his campaign for the office of governor of this state. Being an astute businessman, Wolf appears to have done so with the idea that he is to reap something in return for that amount of money "invested" in his campaign for office. However, doing the numbers, if he is in office for one term, with an annual salary in excess of $175,000, that equates to $700,000, assuming he doesn't receive an increase. Even if he stays in office for two terms, he will still not receive his $10 million investment in salary and benefits. So what is the reason for his putting all of his money into seeking that office? A quid pro quo of some sort? Were that the case, who would pay? Should we not be asking that question as he continues to print lies about the current governor, using his own money in order to gain that office? Should we question previous governors as to whether a $10 million investment of their own money would have paid off in the office of the governor of Pennsylvania? It should be a question that all voters should be asking. But then the liberal press wouldn't report it anyway, so why bother. J. Eugene Mummau East Hempfield Township I find appalling the pictures on Pages A1 and B2 of the Sept. 24 issue of little children chasing a terrified rooster and greased pig. Condoning such behavior as permissible does not in any way teach children to treat animals kindly and humanely. People would rise up in fits should a cat or a dog be treated in like manner, and rightly so. Ephrata Fair officials should be ashamed for condoning such activities for children. Lest anyone think I never breathed the pungent air of a farm, be it known that I grew up on a chicken farm, along with pigs and steers, in the 1940s and 1950s. Had we children engaged in such behavior with any of our animals for fun and games or any other childish reason, our parents would have brought us to task immediately. Rhoda Nolt Ephrata We attended the lighting of the eternal flame at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown recently. The program honored all veterans, starting with those who served in wars long ago that are written about in history books and taught in school and including veterans living today. The turnout was outstanding and included many family members whose veteran relatives were deceased. The speakers, band, soloist and the military plane - it flew over three times (so low that everyone waved) and then up into the heavens - well, no words can tell of all the work put into the program. The plaques in the walkway honored so many. Thanks to our son, Clinton, a veteran, and his wife, Karen, a plaque bearing my husband's name, Russel L. Probst, and my sons' names, Russ Jr., Ted and Clinton, is there forever. I wish to thank Masonic Village. The day meant a lot to an 83- year-old woman. Nancy Probst Ephrata Township Kudos to Susan Baldrige, Dan Marschka and LNP for your investigative, revealing and sharing work on the heroin problem in our area (and, of course, others). It is award-winning journalism and photography and heart-rending for readers, families of addicts and certainly Susan and Dan. However, it is true and needs to be addressed. Thank you to all. Cathy Reinhold Providence Township A Pennsylvania adult hunting license is $20.70 for a year, plus the add- on fee for archery is $16.70; muzzle loader, $11.70; etc. My license total is just over $100 a year. So a $30 fee, as Gifford stated, is cheap. It should cost between $50 to $100 to use the game lands bought and paid for by hunters since 1883. I personally helped pay for the game lands over 45 years of hunting and trapping. State game lands are not funded by general tax dollars but by donation of land by hunters; revenues from hunting and fur-taking license sales; state game lands' timber, coal, oil, gas and mineral operations; and the state share of federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition sales. The user fee is a small amount toward the cost of maintaining the game lands. One of the biggest problems is the parking lots, where people party, dump trash and vandalize the property. They also use the parking spaces to carpool. The comment that everyone knows to stay out of the game lands during two weeks of deer season, except Sundays, is a false statement. State game lands are closed to bicyclists and horseback riders from the last Saturday in September to the third Saturday in January and from the second Saturday in April to the last Saturday in May. We also hunt Sundays for crow, fox and coyote. It perturbs me that people want to take advantage of the hunters' paradise of game lands by jumping on a bandwagon and chastising what the hunters and the game commission have put together. Isn't the low-grade rail trail from Columbia to Atglen, or other "rails to trails," enough? Ron Rinier Willow Street How to submit letters Letter writers must provide complete address (including town or township) and daytime telephone number. Only name and hometown will be printed. The newspaper edits letters for style, grammar and length. By submitting a letter, the writer grants the newspaper the exclusive right to use, modify, distribute and reproduce the contents in any form or media. How to reach us Email: [email protected] Fax: 399-6507 Mail: Letters to the Editors Lancaster Newspapers P.O. Box 1328 Lancaster, Pa. 17608-1328 (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |