"Arms and these particular men" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Arms and These Particular Men

            Wait a minute!  Second Amendment enthusiasts, is this what you had in mind?  Does the march in Charlottesville by neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and white supremacists represent the ultimate expression of our right to bear arms?

            Was anyone else a bit taken aback by the sight of American Youth for Hitler armed with helmets, shields, and semiautomatics, parading in torch light, shouting “Jews will never replace us” and “Blood and Soil”?  Or is it just me?

            Excuse me, where does it say in the Second Amendment that we have the right to bear arms for purposes of intimidation and threat?  Or am I mistaken, and those guns were on display simply to show pride in America’s military heritage?

            My right to free speech does not permit me to shout Fire! in a crowded theater, just for the fun of watching terrified people scramble.  Does the legislated right to carry arms openly allow hate groups to file down our streets in military formation, groups that preach hostility and have a history of violence ? To use our public parks to sermonize as their centurions with AK-47s stare down protesters or passersby?

            If we view the Second Amendment as absolute and as expansive as its fiercest supporters advocate, and if we suspend our ability to make judgments about limits to rights that threaten public safety, Charlottesville will not be the last or the worst act of domestic terrorism committed under the banner of American greatness.

Publishing History

Daily Freeman                      8/28

NP Times                               8/31

Shawangunk Journal           8/31

"Tough Trump" Letter to the editor Tom Denton

Tough, Trump

In the past two weeks we’ve seen the “tough” Donald Trump bluster through speeches to two predominantly male audiences: one, thousands of teenage boy scouts at their jamboree; another, to Long Island police officers.  In the first event, his purposes seemed to be to titillate a group, which needs no encouragement, with his suggestions of wild parties on rich men’s yachts, and—bizarrely--to celebrate with him his revenge on Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, the media, and others who’ve defied him.  In the second event, he clearly exhorted cops not to “be nice” in handling suspects, as in protecting their heads while loading them in police cars. 

 The visuals for both occasions were stark: backdrops of seas of uniformed males, some pre-pubescent, others mature.  Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, the Texan of Stetson and cowboy boots fame, offered to posterity a You Tube study in sycophancy, standing behind Trump, laughing at his jokes, clapping, seeming slightly disjointed with Trump’s sex innuendoes to the boys.

            So the American public was offered two views of our leader’s brand of masculine strength, the engine behind his promises of endless “winning.”

            No thanks.  On any day I’ll take the toughness shown by two senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who firmly resisted enormous pressure from the administration and their Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the GOP repeal and replace bills for Obamacare.  Standing on their principles, honoring their promises to constituents, they showed Americans what authentic courage and strength truly is.  Two women, defying Trump’s fury.  Wow.

Publishing History

NP Times, Poughkeepsie Journal, other Gannett             8/10

Times Herald-Record                                                           8/11

"Net Neutrality" Letter to the editor Amy Kletter

Net Neutrality

The FCC (federal communications commission) is considering removal of protection of the internet as a public utility. Often called net neutrality (referred to as restoring internet freedom by the FCC), the internet is currently protected byTitle II. If the FCC eliminates this protection, the new rules would favor big corporations over free access. Besides higher costs for us, it will be harder or impossible for independent voices to be heard, for mobilization of grassroots movements. This would seriously impact our access to an open internet and ourfreedom of speech!

If this is as troublesome to you as it is to me, please make a comment to the FCC before September 1 of this year. Comments can be very simple. The main point is that you want the FCC to maintain Title II protection of the internet. Send your comment to the FCC via internet by using fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express,choose express comment (proceedings number 17-108) and fill out the form.

       Let your Congress people know how you feel. Encourage others to comment.You can get more information now on sites like Save the Internet, but if this protection is removed, that freedom may no longer be available.

Amy Kletter

U-Act (Ulster Activists)

Publishing history 

New Paltz Times     8/3/2017