Welcome to real world
Saturday, October 18, 2008 12:35 AM PDT
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E-mail this articleOct. 18 Letters to the Editor
Welcome to real world
The current situation on Wall Street is one of hope that the market will recover. It’s just a hope and dreams of days long past.
In today’s economy, the market is lucky to survive. The government is filling the hopes of millions on a pipe-dream fantasy that it will get better. Allowing other countries to aid in the stock market is not a good financial move, because they can buy out the market and dominate it, which gives them control of what they want — the land we walk on.
There is no sure-fire way to get out of this mess of financial setbacks, which is caused by bad financial planning and excessive spending. It’s like having a credit card with no limit but no money to pay it back. Welcome to the real world of financial nightmares.
Jack Jameson
Kelso
The miracle of life
In response to Jean Bruner’s Oct. 13 letter, the act of bearing a child and giving life is a miracle that we as women uniquely share. It is an awesome responsibility. We are the givers of life and I cannot reconcile this with the taking of that same life.
Pro-choice proponents point to cases of “incest and rape.” In truth, those cases, tragic as they are, represent a small percentage of the abortions in this country, as do those pregnancies resulting from failed contraceptives. The overwhelming number are performed on women who use this as a method of birth control for the inconvenience of having become pregnant.
Do we really want to be a society of people who condone such practices such as partial birth abortion, which can only be classified as “barbaric”? I did speak of this to my Grandma many years ago. She raised my mother during the depression. Although she would have liked more children, she had only one because that is all she could afford. She spoke of personal responsibility. She spoke of the miracle of life and my role as a women in this.
When I held my daughter, and later my grandchildren, I truly understood that miracle and how special and lucky we are as women to be able to give life. Perhaps it would be better to see it that way instead of as a tragedy or an inconvenience.
Linda Curnell
Castle Rock
Who’s at fault?
In 1977, Democratic President Jimmy Carter initiated the Community Reinvestment Act to make housing affordable for the poor, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created to facilitate it. Democratic President Bill Clinton further lowered the guidelines in the 1990s. Mortgage banks reluctant to lower their standards were harassed and intimidated by the (Democrat-supported) radical organization ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now). One organizer, Democrat Barack Obama, trained members and defended ACORN in court.
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, under the supposed “watchful eye” of Democrats Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, collected and packaged these “risky, sub-prime, teaser ARM mortgages,” selling them to investment firms which readily absorbed them because they were “insured.” Republican George W. Bush expressed his concern in 2001 and in 2003, Frank lampooned a Republican-proposed control bill claiming that system was in “good shape.”
In 2005, Republican John McCain led another charge to “stop this runaway train wreck,” but the Democrat-controlled Senate (including Obama) voted it down. The rest is history. Rising fuel costs and collapse of the inflated housing market trapped many low-income people in houses they really couldn’t afford.
Doug Harvey
Longview
An Obama advocate
It was just announced that Paul Krugman, a long-time economics professor at Princeton University, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for economics.
I have heard this learned and humble man speak several times throughout the years, and recently saw him being interviewed on television. He not only strongly advocated for an Obama-Biden administration, he also suggested that, given the dire financial straits this country is in, Obama’s economic team step up and take over as soon as the election is over, should Obama win.
Now I know that many diehard Republicans will continue blowing off any actual wisdom on this subject, but hopefully there are others out there with good minds who can see what might actually benefit the country in this upcoming election. I surely hope so.
Myrna Dillinger Johnson
Longview
Got judgment?
The 2008 presidential campaign boils down to fundamental differences in policy and judgment. While supporters of Sen. John McCain may agree with and defend his foreign and domestic policies, they have no basis in which to defend his poor judgment. McCain has chosen a divisive, power-abusing running mate. He decided to “suspend” his campaign and interject politics into a national crisis. He has chosen to run a negative campaign 100 percent of the time.
These recent decisions reveal a man lacking the necessary judgment to lead our country through perilous times. Of particular concern is his incendiary attacks on Sen. Barack Obama’s character. McCain has overtly insinuated that Obama is a terrorist and has driven his followers to vicious and vile attacks. Even as McCain’s supporters call to “cut of his head” and “kill him,” McCain refuses to cease his baseless, riot-inducing rhetoric.
Policy differences are one thing, lack of judgment is something else altogether. McCain has decided to further divide an already divided nation. Our country may be able to survive McCain’s foreign and domestic policies, but we have no chance of surviving his lack of judgment.
Jake Alabiso
Kalama
Keep Judge Grant
I’ve been campaigning for Judge Jenefer Grant because I’m convinced that she possesses the character, temperament, education and experience Columbia County needs in a Circuit Court judge. I’ve met many people who know, like and respect her.
I respectively suggest that we give Judge Grant the vote she needs to continue to serve the people of Columbia County in a positive manner.
Lawrence N. Derby
Clatskanie
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