Letters published Nov. 4

Time to stand up to build community

Today I stand. I stand because I can sit no longer; I can tolerate the corrosion no longer. I stand against all oppressive and destructive statements and behaviors. I stand in condemnation of all evil actions, movements and personages. Thus I stand with Jews and Sikhs in the face of hateful and deadly attacks. And I stand with Baptists and Muslims and Witnesses. I stand with Adventists and Lutherans and Latter-Day Saints. I stand with agnostics and atheists, scientists and humanists. I stand with Catholics and Pentecostals and Universalists. I stand with churches of Christ, temples of Buddhists and assemblies of God. Today I stand with all Tri-Citians — whenever and however we got here. I stand with conservatives and liberals, minorities and majorities, against all undermining words and deeds. I stand for respectful, compassionate activities and efforts that build community. I hope each of us will stand—for justice, kindness and righteousness — for all — here and now.

Thanks edit board for your research

I appreciate the Herald’s Editorial Board’s opinion pieces on initiatives and candidates in our local elections. I disagree with the conclusions about half the time, but I always learn something I didn’t know before. We’re lucky to still have a local paper that covers local issues and events. Thanks for all the research you do that helps us be informed voters.

Democrats have lost their way

Once upon a time the Democratic party was primarily a group of proud Americans supporting the Constitution’s plan for governing the nation and preservation of states’ and individuals’ unalienable rights. Will Rogers is said to claim, “I am not a member of any organized party ... I am a Democrat.”

More recently, controlling members of the party seem to have adopted a more internationalist approach to governance, favoring assumed rights of World Order superior to the U.S. Constitution, or any individual state’s special privileges. This objective of a comprehensive worldwide collective and its implementation methodology is of course not new.

Consider Plato’s Republic, Hegel’s theory of the dialectic and Marx and Engels’ theory of communism. All are basic to strategy used in establishing the several Progressive Socialist and Communist takeovers during the last century. Common tactics used to assure popular acceptance for a compliant Socialist state is to create a dependent voter base and eliminate dissenters. Many in opposition to such effort are never heard from again. Other, more visible opponents have been subject to disgrace or phony trials. Chairman Mao justified such purging policy, “Where there is a will to prosecute, there is evidence.” Our current Progressive Liberal politicians are on track to to achieve their objective.

Ballot postage waste of money

I just filled out my ballot and will drop it off in the ballot drop box at the West Court Street fire station, which is what I always do when I vote.

The State of Washington is spending $600,000 on the return envelopes postage so that voters can mail in their ballots without paying for postage, I believe that’s a big waste of money because if you’re really serious about voting, you could use a drop box or put a stamp on your ballot and mail it in.

My question is will the money the state has spent on the prepaid postage make a difference, will more people vote or not? It will be interesting to see if more people vote because of the prepaid postage or not compared to other non-presidential election years.

Again, I think it’s a big waste of money that could be used for other things like education, roads, training people for jobs. (There are lots of help wanted signs out there.) I could go on and on because the needs are there.