'Support a politician who supports us' and more

Letters to the editor July 9 to 15

Posted 7/8/20

Letters to the editor July 9 to 15

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'Support a politician who supports us' and more

Letters to the editor July 9 to 15

Posted

Gratitude from WSPL

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Western Sullivan Public Library, I want to thank the public for their overwhelming support. With a nearly 10-fold turnout increase from past elections, we are pleased that voters chose to approve our budget. The dedicated staff and volunteers work hard to make the library a valuable asset to our community with resources for personal enrichment, career advancement and lifelong education. Now that pandemic-related restrictions are easing, a limited library reopening has begun. Check www.wsplonine.org for curbside pickup options, movie streaming, plus terrific online programming and classes. Thank you again for participating in our election!

Chris Peacock, president, Board of Trustees,
Western Sullivan Public Library

It’s called hope’

To stay engaged for two decades on all levels of town and school board issues is not accurately defined as attacks, disparagement or disgruntled-ness. It’s called hope—engaged and relentless hope against all the accumulated evidence that the realization of that hope will always be just outside of reach.
It’s also called integrity, where one’s actions have no collateral self-benefit and the right course could actually have a negative personal and professional result.
As Fitzgerald’s Carraway says of Jay Gatsby, “He was the single most hopeful person I have ever met, and will likely ever meet again.”
Chuck Petersheim
Eldred, NY

Imagine

If you are discouraged or depressed about our current mandated social limitations, perhaps you should remind yourself of the many privileges that we can still usually enjoy. Being told to stay at home or wear a mask is not a “prison experience.” America’s prisons and jails are becoming “hot spots” of COVID-19, and the inmates and workers inside often have few masks or other PPE with which to protect themselves. Physically, the civilian population is decidedly not in prison. Psychologically, that’s another matter. We can imagine all kinds of nonmaterial distress and all of it will be personally distressing, nonetheless.

Proclamations to stay at home may give rise to a fleeting dark chuckle among the homeless population. Further, with rents due, unemployment for vital workers the rule rather than the exception, and government help nowhere at hand, the homeless population may soon be spiking—not unlike another pandemic.

As we all struggle with this once-in-a-century plague, here’s hoping that you have all the basic necessities. And as you remain safe, try to imagine a world where homelessness is met with a massive movement for affordable housing and where prisons are neither privatized to make a profit on misery nor used as a leading answer to society’s many ills. Maybe the siege of COVID-19 can open all of our eyes to these ugly realities and light the fires within us to make things different. Just imagine.

John Pace
Honesdale, PA

What is on my mind?

A good question with a simple answer.

What is happening now in our country is a new form of “bullying.”

We have been telling our children how wrong it is to pick on someone for any reason. That all people have the right to a peaceful, safe and enjoyable life.

But suddenly that has changed. Now we are teaching our children that if someone or something bothers you, you have the right to attack or deface or remove it. If you do not like a movie, demand it is removed, even though some people may enjoy it.

If you do not like history, demand it is changed. Personally, I do not know how you can rewrite the facts, but I guess if you bully people enough you can make it happen.

We are supposed to teach by example: A good example is not destroying things.

All of us are the same and different in so many ways. Instead of dwelling on the differences, start focusing on the similarities. If a book, song, picture or statue offends you do not read, listen, watch or look at it. I know that if questioned everyone could find something that offends them from the color of your skin to the color of your home, religion, your taste in music, clothes, even your choice of friends.

Let us help make the world better for the future by setting a good example. Stop the whining, crying, bullying and blaming.

I repeat what I have said before, we are all the same inside, hearts are all one color. We must share this space. Let us do it with love and respect.

Babette Walters
Callicoon, NY

Support a politician who supports us

Why would Republicans be pouring money into a Republican candidate to unseat Sen. Jen Metzger? Surely they can appreciate that both parties voted to sign into law 21 of her bills!

Surely they would value the fact that she helped 1,000 constituents in need to navigate the process of getting unemployment insurance at a time when the bureaucracy was overloaded.

They should see how helpful her Information and Resource Guide for Constituents is with its listings about food pantries, testing sites and small business assistance. Her Community Conversations hosts local experts to answer our questions about COVID-19 in real-time.

Sen. Metzger has always focused on the needs of the people she serves, be it inflated electric bills or pandemic ills. Her Republican opponent is funded largely by big money interests. That’s how his bread is buttered. Jen Metzger accepts no corporate donations.

We need to support a politician who supports us. I hope you will donate to her campaign at www.secure.actblue.com/donate/jenmetzger or by check to Friends of Jen Metzger, PO Box 224, Rosendale, NY 12472.

Doris Chorny
Gardiner, NY

New perspective

To kneel: to be in or assume a position in which the body is supported by a knee, as when praying or showing submission.

During the playing of our anthem, for some it looks like this has become a new way of giving homage to the military men and women who fought to make this a great nation.

In this sense, kneeling can be a physical way of expressing and being submissive to our great flag and country. It is showing respect and humility because the person doing the kneeling more than likely didn’t have the courage to put on a military uniform and fight to defend our freedoms.

Kneeling during the anthem has brought out varied emotions in many people. The above is my new perspective when I witness someone kneeling while the anthem is playing.

Should this “New Perspective” go “viral,” those lacking the courage might not want to be so easily identified.

God Bless America

Tina Augello
Hawley, PA

Western Sullivan Public Library, COVID-19, unemployment, bullying, politicians, Jen Metzger,

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