05 Nov Speak Your Vues

IMPEACHMENT

Dear Editor:
Last week, Democrats voted to officially begin an Impeachment inquiry.
Democrats claimed it was only a vote to begin the 2nd stage of the
inquiry, but to most people it just looked like that up to that point,
the whole thing was a sham. Even now with more “due process” to Trump
and Republicans, the process is still not fair. In order for the
Minority to get witnesses or for the White House to have their legal
team by the hearing, they need the approval of the Chair of the
Committee. One of those Chairs will be Adam Schiff. This is the guy
that is supposed to approve the due process parts of the hearing. It
really is a joke. This is the guy that denied that his staff contacted
the whistleblower, even though his staff did. This is the guy that
made up what was said in the Trump- Zelensky Transcript. Schiff even
got 4 Pinocchio’s from the liberal Washington Post. Schiff was also
the one that said he had concrete evidence that Trump colluded with
Russia. The crazy thing about all of this is that Speaker Pelosi is
letting this circus go on. This is the same Speaker that said about
impeachment in March “[that it is] so divisive to the country that
unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and
bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path because it
divides the country. And he’s just not worth it.” Speaker Pelosi said
she would do impeachment under 2 conditions; one, it has to be
overwhelmingly bipartisan and two, the evidence has to be so
compelling which is obviously relied on if their is bipartisan support
for impeachment. Not only was their no bipartisan support for
impeachment, their was bipartisan opposition to it from including,
every single Republican from Moderates like, Rep. Fred Upton and Will
Hurd to more Conservative representatives like Rep. Scalise and Lee
Zeldin to Democrats like Rep. Van Drew and Rep. Colin Peterson. Rep.
Colin Peterson is even the current Chairman of the House Agriculture
Committee. The only bipartisan support was against Pelosi’s scheme. A
recent poll came out showing that under 1/3 of Americans want
impeachment to be a priority for Congress. Even looking at
battleground states polling for support of impeachment shows that
their isn’t any bipartisan support. It is time for our nation to come
together instead of putting divisive issues like, impeachment, at the
front door. It is time for Nancy Pelosi to stop being Speaker of the
Democrat Party and to start being Speaker of the Unites States House
Of Representatives.
Sincerely,
Donny Simcha Guttman

Editor’s Note: You don’t seem to get it the Democrats will do anything
to try to regain power.

IMPEACHMENT

Dear Editor:

I really have to admit that I am baffled by current events in
Congress. How could such a simple process be turned into such a mess?

Whether it’s a grand jury or a congressional inquiry the process is
almost exactly the same except that our representatives seem to be
much less disciplined and more childlike. Each process requires
secrecy to protect both the witnesses and the subject until it can be
determined if the evidence supports charges. If it does then the
evidence is presented to the court, or in this case the House, where a
vote is taken to determine if a jury, the Senate, needs to be
convened.

This process happens many times each day in grand juries around our
country. The accused doesn’t get to question witnesses. The accused
doesn’t get to have an attorney present. The accused doesn’t get to
present a defense.

That’s the grand jury system. Are Republicans in the House of
Representatives proposing that we do away with this system because
it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient?

Nochum R

Editor’s Note: The problem is that the Congress is not the Grand Jury
and the whistleblower may have illegally obtained testimony thereby
tainting the evidence.

COWARDLY FIGHT

Dear Editor:

Forgive me for bothering you with this, but this is something that you
might be interested in as a newspaper editor—

Last night, I received 5 emails from my email provider telling me that
they blocked a total of 5 emails from reaching me which were all
infected with a virus.

It seems very likely that this was done by one person and that it was
intentionally done.

I asked the email provider if they would tell me who did it.

They wrote back and said that the only thing that they could and would
tell me is that all 5 came from a NEWSPAPER.

Now, there is no way of knowing WHO at this newspaper did this.

It could have been an editor or it could been anyone who could use
their email address.

But one thing that newspaper editors should NOT do (which some do) is
to publish the e-mail address of the letter-writer.  I have seen many
of my published letters where the newspaper has done this.

Here is how I look at this: I am one of those people who DO NOT like
how politics has become so full of hate, anger, rage, fury, rudeness,
nastiness, disrespectfulness, demeaning insults, name-calling,
bullying, stealth tactics, and sneakiness and lying and making things
up.

I don’t believe that one’s “ends” and goals ever justify the use of
“any” means at all.

We should be able to disagree with each other strongly.

We should be able to hit hard.

But we should be FAIR.

We should never try to HURT or HARM someone we disagree with.

But it happens all of the time.

I always receive hate-postal mail where people call me names like “you
are a stupid **** ****.”

They are always anonymous and unsigned because these people are
cowards and bullies.

This goes on by BOTH sides, but research shows that conservatives and
Republicans do it more than liberals and progressives and Democrats.

I do not like the nastiness in our country, but I know that it is there.

To me, it goes with the territory.

I don’t like it, but it does not bother me much anymore–just a little.

But trying to infect someone’s computer is going way too far.

I’ll try not to write again for a while.

Have a good weekend,

Stew

Editor’s Note: Where do you take this info that republicans are the
ones that resort to name-calling? As a matter of fact most newspapers
are ones that lean to the left. I hope your computer stays safe with
no viruses.

RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY

Dear Editor:

According to President Trump and the national conservative news media,
someone who simply supports a federal government social program that
helps people such as Social Security and Medicare is a “crazy
socialist.”  If we go by that definition, then that would make Dwight
Eisenhower and Richard Nixon “crazy socialists” because they both
signed new federal government social programs into law/existence
during their Presidencies, and they both supported Social Security.

In fact, Ike wrote a letter to his brother in which he stated that any
Republican who wants to abolish Social Security is “stupid.”

It appears that conservative-Republicans have become a lot more
conservative and a lot more “stupid” since around 1980 because we sure
do have a lot of them nowdays who stupidly want to abolish Social
Security and move our country toward a “Survival-of-the-Fittest”
Social Darwinism.

For example, I recently saw President Trump’s “Acting Chief of Staff”
and “Budget Director,” Mick Mulvaney, on television. When he was a
Congressman, he was a favorite of “The Tea Party” and was well-known
for arguing that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme,” that it is
“unconstitutional,” and that it should be abolished.

Very few Americans seem to know that today’s national Republican
Party, more and more, uses “stealth” tactics as it advocates for and
stands for a creeping, crazy, and cold-hearted
“Survival-of-the-Fittest” Social Darwinism in which all federal
government social programs which help the lower and middle classes are
abolished and no longer exist.

The book that does an excellent job of exposing this secret-right-wing
conspiracy is—–Jane Mayer, “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the
Billionaires Behind The Rise of the Radical Right.”

The New York Times chose it as one of the 10 best books of 2018.

To my knowledge, not a single thing that she says has ever been
successfully refuted by anyone.

Jane has also received or been a finalist for over 12 journalistic
awards and prizes.

I wish my right-wing friends a lot of luck in trying to attack her
book in their usual BULLYING ways.

Sincerely,

Stewart B. Epstein

Editor’s Note: I doubt anyone would spend a dime on such a book.

JEWS IN POLITICS

Dear Editor:

Just over 100 years ago, Oscar Strauss made history of sorts by
becoming the first Jewish Cabinet officer (serving as Teddy
Roosevelt’s Sec of Commerce. A few years later, Brandeis became the
first Jewish Supreme court justice. There were also Jews serving as
senior advisors to Presidents going back to George Washington.
However, there is really limited evidence that having Jews in high
places really has resulted in benefits to the Jewish Community in the
U.S. or globally (e.g. considier Henry Morgenthau’s role during WWII).
From a purely parochial perspective, what are the pros/cons these days
of having Yidden serve in the cabinet or other senior roles. I come
away sort of agnostic thinking they should serve if they believe in,
and support, the President’s program but otherwise its really not a
issue for the Jewish community as a whole. I don’t buy into the the
frequently invoked argument that Yidden will be blamed for bad
outcomes (and risk promoting anti-semitism) but never really get the
credit for positive outcomes. Trump’s middle-east negotiating team of
three “frum” yidden (Greenblatt, Friedman and Kushner) seem to have
been unable to move the peace process forward with the growing
criticism that having an all Jewish/pro-Israel negotiating team doomed
the effort from the beginning.

Godol H

Editor’s Note:  There are many reasons for Jews to be in high places.
We don’t know how much worse it could have been if the above mentioned
Jews were not in power.

BORUCH DAYAN HAEMES

Dear Editor:

I heard that Rabbi Yaacov Lipshitz was niftar. He was a throwback to
the previous generation. He will be sorely missed

Boruch G

Editor’s Note: Yehei Zichro Boruch

OUTSIDE VS. INSIDE VENUE

Dear Editor:

I believe that the siyum Hashas should take place indoors. I am afraid
that people sitting outside in the cold weather when they are not used
to sitting in this kind of weather will make a lot of people sick.

Moshe R

Editor’s Note: Yorah Magna umatzla.

SEAT MAPS

Dear Editor:

Japan Air Lines just announced that their seat maps for most
international flights will show whether a seat had been reserved for
babies (under 2yo) so that other passengers would know in advance and
plan accordingly since some would prefer not to pay several thousand
dollars for a 14 hour flight with the possibility of sitting next to a
crying infant. Perhaps El Al might show the gender of those with
advanced seat assignments so that all the big tzadikim who delay
flights because they want their seats changed at the last minute to
avoid sitting next to a woman might be able to avoid such challenges.
Aside from possible legal questions for the El Al lawyers and likely
objections from womens’ rights group, might this type of seatmap
mitigate the problem? Given how many seats these days are held for
airport assignment or last minute changes, the idea may be impractical
and ineffective but the concept was my first thought after reading the
about the new JAL seatmap format. You need to frame it in terms of
“protecting women” from harassment. Thereby by identifying the gender
of nearby seatholders you “allow women to choose to sit next to a
woman to avoid the risk of harassment”.

Framing it as such can get it implemented whereas framing it as to
help protect morality will get it shot down by the leftists and
anti-religious.

Gavriel H

Editor’s Note: I like this idea.

COUNTRY VS. PARTY

Dear Editor:

Mike Simpson was recently quoted in the Washington Post saying, “You
have to go out and try to defend (President Trump).” No, you don’t.
Simpson seems to be drawing a false equivalency between a criminal who
happens to further his political agenda (I’m not even sure how he is
doing that at this point, but I digress) and a good man like President
Obama who did not further his personal politics. There is no
comparison. And deep down, I know he knows it.

We are way, way past the point where Simpson can continue to justify
his votes supporting the monster in the White House. Way past. We have
been begging him to put country above party since the day after the
election. We are right, and I think it is time for him to admit that.
It’s time to support impeachment. It’s time to stop playing coy. It’s
time to lead.

Bella H

Editor’s Note: What happened to the idiom of innocent until proven guilty?

ACT LOCALLY

Dear Editor:

What I would like to see on the editorial page are letters from area
residents regarding local, regional, national and international
issues. Letters let us know what members of our community are thinking
about a variety of subjects. Sharing thoughts through letters to the
editor may help us all to better understand members of our community.
An example is the annexation of Wood Colony by Modesto.

There are problems such as water, homeless people, and pollution,
which affect us locally and are also worldwide problems. We often hear
the phrase “think globally, act locally.” May we all learn to do so.

Jesse M

Editor’s Note: Go ahead send in your letters we will print them.

GLOBAL WARMING

Dear Editor:

I’m tired of all of the hand wringing about global warming. If this is
a reality and will continue unless we cut way back on our lifestyle
then we had better start thinking about what cutting back really
means.

Air travel? Nope. Multiple cars for a family? Nope. Grocery stores
full of processed food? Nope. Large homes with few occupants? Nope.
Yachts, travel, sports cars, water sports? All nope! Our entire
society depends on energy-driven consumption. “I’ll start consuming
less the day our leaders do” — fat chance.

But wait, there’s more.

Unemployment out of control? Yep. Brutal energy conservation
regulations? Food and gasoline riots? Yep. Countries that depend on
our high level of consumption for their own economies to thrive?
Sorry.

And finally, if the U.S. becomes a second-rate power in order to save
the planet I can hardly wait to see what Putin and Xi Jinping do.

When the population of the world settles around 1 to 2 billion, then
we might have a chance. Otherwise I’m going to keep eating ice cream.

Yona H

Editor’s Note: Can you share some ice cream with me?