Letters
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Here’s what I mean: Do you really think in any way that what happens to Britney’s career will effect your life? Do you imagine in your wildest dreams that Angelina and Brad adopting another disadvantaged child will cause you to lose your job, or raise your taxes? Do you care whether Sally Field used an expletive to condemn war in accepting her Emmy? If you do, I suggest you need to get out more often.
But here’s the real kicker: Does O.J. Simpson’s life alter yours in any way? I suspect the answer to all these questions is “no.”
So why must each of the news channels, particularly the so-called 24-hour “news” outlets give us O.J. ad nauseum again? I personally don’t care whether he commits a crime, unless of course it was against me or my family. In his most recent escape, it was against neither, and possibly was not a crime at all. I don’t know, because I wasn’t there, don’t have the facts, haven’t seen the evidence, and neither have you. But now we seemed doomed to relieve the 1994 murder trial, his road rage incident in Florida and every other moment of inappropriate behavior he has ever demonstrated.
Please tell me that there is a reason why hours are spent on this on national television, particularly while we have a war raging a half-world away. Aren’t there any priorities anymore? O.J.’s story deserved five minutes. He was under investigation, he was arrested, here’s the charges. More information when there is truly information, not just when we find another raw bone to gnaw on.
Do we not have an attention span greater than that of a gnat? Apparently not, or we wouldn’t give a hoot about Paris or Nicole or Britney or Lindsay and certainly not about O.J. The world will little note nor long remember any of them (sorry, Abe) but will recall our national achievements and blunders, and what we as a people have done to help, or hurt humanity.
There is nothing with even the least amount of civility about exploiting our voyeurism toward celebrities. Interesting for their given five minutes, but let’s move on. They don’t raise our taxes, put our nation in debt, or put our children at risk of death on foreign soil. We have other things to discuss that should be the focus of media reporting. Things that can and do each of those things. That’s where our focus should be.
Are we that easily distracted from things that really matter? What? O.J. called Britney to ask her out before the hotel robbery incident?
Ooohh, tell me more.
Doug Rhoades lives in Kelseyville.
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- Written by: Donna Christopher
With one kid active duty and one in reserves, who would want to believe that let alone hear it? That can't be right, President Bush would not sell out our county. Sorry but if you sell out our young men and women in the service you are selling out the country. He's the president for crying out loud, not a traitor.
You'd think that. You'd be wrong. Listening to CSPAN on Monday and Tuesday was fascinating in the same way as watching a train wreck. There were some very good, pointed questions posed by people that look like they belong in DC. There were some questions posed to look like questions that merely turned into affirmations that this group of folks should just leave DC and go to work for their respective political parties, public relations/obfuscation bureau. Gen. Petraeus' answer to Sen. Warner's (R-VA) if we were safer question was the last straw. We're not. So why aren't we? Oh yeah, follow the money.
No, don't follow the $9 billion in shrink wrapped plastic on a pallet. Follow the oil money. Get acquainted with Mr. Ray L. Hunt, president of Hunt Oil Company of Dallas Texas. His resume lists many things besides being a very large contributor to George W. Bush, supporting him in all the election endeavors. He is also on the Board of Directors of Halliburton. You know Halliburton, that was the company that Vice President Dick Cheney operated while they did massive amounts of work for Iran, one of the countries that is part of the Axis of Evil. Even when it was illegal to do business with them, Halliburton did; even after Iran was declared Axis of Evil material they continued to sign contracts. Just like the ones Cheney signed with embargoed Iraq after the "first Gulf War.” Smells like treason to me, Mr. Vice President.
But back to Mr. Hunt's resume – he is also trustee on the board of the Southern Methodist University and he graciously donated $35 million to the future George W. Bush Presidential Library located at Southern Methodist University. Now that kind of loyalty cannot go unrewarded but a Medal of Freedom wasn't what Mr. Hunt wanted. He wanted a seat on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a very important oversight body that has access to much classified information.
This made Mr. Hunt an insider so he decided to do a little insider trading. Not on the New York Stock Exchange, but with the government of the Kurdish Province. Having inside info Mr. Hunt knew the oil profit dispersal agreement betweens Kurds, Sunni and Shi'a factions was tenuous at best, so he decided to cut a deal with the Kurds. The Kurds, with deal in hand, no longer had a reason to sit at the table to negotiate. Mr. Hunt put his money on the premise that all these 'hanging by a thread” agreements would fall apart and he took the incentive to make sure the Iraqi Alliances fractured and failed. They did.
If this isn't giving aid and comfort to the enemy – treason – I don't know what is. It is hard to argue with Al Qaeda, Sunni or Shi'a extremists and average Iraqi citizens when they say this war was to steal Iraq's oil when that turns out to be the end product.
President George W. Bush has facilitated this betrayal of our troops (aiding and comforting the enemy) by his appointment of Mr. Hunt to a board (which has access to highly sensitive information) to which he was not qualified to be a member. This is merely a repetition of the status quo of this presidency, toadies need only apply – qualified applicants need not bother. True patriots need not apply. If you didn't pay, you don't get to play.
That's right folks, play. They play with our children's lives. They play with the Constitution. The Geneva Convention made a great soccer ball. Hey, let's blow up the Middle East, that should be great fun.
To hell with impeachment. Bush, Cheney and Hunt should be tried for treason.
Donna Christopher lives in Lucerne.
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- Written by: Jamie M. Ford
As a fellow media professional, with a BA in Journalism, I know what I'm talking about. I'm asking, that you take note of what you are writing, knowing that people close to the victim may be reading. Justin's untimely death at such a young age, has devastated me, and although I cannot speak for the remainder of his friends or family, I can assure you the feelings are shared. He will be missed by all.
Jamie M. Ford lives in Fort Wayne, Ind.
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- Written by: Georgina Lehne
There are many to thank. From those generous folks who bought tickets, those who labored to sell tickets and put the event together, the many vendors who gave so much, and the many who labored at the event to make the Pancake breakfast and barbecue happen.
The Fryed Brothers Band make our feet move and gave us a smile after a busy day.
Thanks to the following who gave so much to benefit our Youth Club: Joyce Overton, who gave so much of her time and talent and chaired the event; and to our sponsors, Conrad Hydroponics, Dick Michaels Insurance, Clearlake Veterinary, Airport Auto Brokers, Marvin Carpenters Insurance Services, City of Clearlake, Foods Etc., Lakeshore Lions, Holistic Solutions, Wal-Mart, Computer Geeks, Epidemic Construction Inc., Buckhorn, Perfect T’s, Clearlake Kiwanis, The Iron Doctors and Ironhorse Creations.
Georgina Lehne is executive director of Lake County Community Action Agency. The Aug. 18 Blue Heron Rally was a fundraiser to benefit the organization.
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