Voting was a privilege

To the editor:

As a resident of Tusten township for the last 10 years, I found it a treat to finally cast a vote for certain positions. I never saw much sense in voting for a candidate who was unopposed. That is not a choice. Besides, a little humility never hurt anyone. The winners never got all that many votes as I recall, even running unopposed. As for the disenchanted, it’s about time they put up some opponents instead of complaining about who was elected and what they were or weren’t doing. What a revelation.

All in all, I congratulate all the winners, whether I voted for them or not.

Wanted: a more responsive political system

To the editor:

The Republicans have done a fairly convincing job of disqualifying themselves from holding the reins of power for a generation at least, but we have no assurance that the supposedly lone alternative, the Democrats, will fare much better when they regain hegemony next year. Indeed, I fully expect them to revert to the kind of behavior that gave Newt Gingrich the opening he needed for the “revolution” of 1994.

As the primary campaigns are making increasingly obvious, the so-called “mainstream” parties are, in fact, unnatural, Frankensteinian coalitions that should be broken apart for the good of American democracy.

On the Republican side, conservative Christians should wake up to the fact that the economic interests that control the party (I call them the “Mammonist” wing) have been manipulating them for years, taking advantage of their zeal, their dedication and their fears. They should follow through on their threat to bolt when Giuliani gets the nomination.

On the Democratic side, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) centrists and right-of-centrists like the Clintons, Senator Lieberman, etc. should leave the party to the “Wellstone wing” of social liberals, and form a new, centrist, technocratic party with disaffected moderate Republicans.

Take the four parties so created, add the Greens and the Libertarians (along with the various smaller parties on the left and the right), and create mechanisms whereby they can all participate in electoral and legislative politics in meaningful ways, and I believe you will have a political landscape in which more American voters will feel they have a voice that can be heard, and be encouraged to participate. It will not be pretty, I know—multiparty democracies create their own sets of problems, as anyone from Europe will tell you—but the present situation is no longer acceptable.

Fight media consolidation

To the editor:

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review its broadcasting ownership rules every few years. The public interest is to be the determining factor in their decisions. In 2003, the FCC attempted to relax ownership rules but was blocked by a federal court order. The FCC is once again moving to rule on regulations that will affect media consolidation. Further media consolidation will adversely affect already struggling independent local newspapers, radio stations and TV stations. The public will be served news and entertainment determined by monopolistic wealthy conglomerates with their own interests in mind.

We implore the public to contact the FCC at fcc.gov and go to media ownership and file your comment to oppose any further consolidation of media ownership.

A fate worse than death

To the editor:

I just read your article in the November 8 issue of The River Reporter, “15,000 Ducks Die in Raging Bethel Inferno.” Though I am always saddened by the untimely death of animals, I cannot say that is the case in this instance. I believe this fire was a blessing in disguise for the ducks, the 15,000 ducks that perished.

Many people are not aware of what these ducks are raised for and what misery they must endure daily, living in these facilities. I am certain that if the residents of this area were aware, more people would get involved and attempt to stop the cruelty these ducks are forced to live through.

These ducks are raised for foie gras, which is French meaning “fatty liver,” made from grotesquely enlarged livers of male ducks and geese. They are kept in tiny wire cages in small holding areas. Pipes are repeatedly shoved down their throats, and up to four pounds of grain and fat is force-fed to them two to three times daily. This cruel procedure causes their liver to become diseased and swell up to 10 times its normal size. Many times the pipes puncture the bird’s throats, causing them to bleed to death. Those that do survive this torture are later put to death so their enlarged livers, which some consider a delicacy, can be sold.

This cruelty has been banned in many states and countries around the world. It should not be allowed to take place in our town or any other town.

Governor Eliot Spitzer visited our area on November 1 and was served foie gras from Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Let’s give the governor a call and let him know that foie gras should not be raised, sold or served in our town or any other town. He can be reached at 518/474-8390.