Curry Coastal Pilot, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010-Page 5A
Letters to the Editor
Epitome of what makes town great
Editor: We would like to take this opportunity to honor and thank some people that I think are the epitome of what makes this country and our little town great. Dale and Jackie Rettke and their staff at Mattie’s Pancake and Omelette have for years provided a free breakfast or lunch to any veteran who comes in their restaurant at Benham and Highway 101 on Veterans Day. The atmosphere is always fun and friendly and the food is always excellent.
Keep smoking those cigarettes, folks
Editor: Recently there was a proposal to put negative ads on TV about cigarettes. The labels include “these will kill you,” “cough ‘til you die,” etc. Smokers are being targeted. We have a choice in life to do what we want, and to ridicule the smokers is wrong. If this goes into effect, they should make it mandatory that all liquor sales have warnings on all bottles like “become an alcoholic,” or “need a disease, drink this.” More people become alcoholics, criminals, drunk drivers, abusive, etc. So, I say, keep smoking those cigarettes, folks. Jerry Hartzell Harbor
Ambassadors offer heartfelt thanks
Editor: On Nov. 12, the Curry County Habitat for Humanity hosted the Harlem Ambassadors professional show basketball team for a night of highflying slam dunks, hilarious comedy and feel-good family entertainment. The Harlem Ambassadors would like to extend a special thank you to event organizers Darlene Thomas and Joe Donahue who planned and promoted the game. The Habitat Hammers proved to be an energetic and enthusiastic challenging team and we thank all of the players for their good sportsmanship. The event would not have been possible without the support and generosity of local community sponsors, the Curry County Habitat for Humanity mem-
bers, and the event volunteers. The Harlem Ambassadors thank the community of Brookings for its warm hospitality and look forward to returning to Brookings in the future! Dale Moss President, Harlem Ambassadors Fort Collins, Colo.
Seeing through the ridiculous claims
Editor: Did you hear that President Obama’s trip to India cost $200 million per day, with 3,000 people traveling with him, 40 airplanes and 34 U.S. Navy war ships? It must be true because it was reported on Fox News, it’s all over the internet and Rush Limbaugh discussed it at length on his radio program. And, of course, it appeared in the Curry Coastal Pilot as a letter to the editor. Actually, it’s a flat-out lie, just like death panels, Democrats raising your taxes, Obama being born in Kenya and countless others. It comes from the well-organized rightwing lie machine whose only goal is to advance the interests of Republicans and their wealthy supporters. Truth is not required. This lie is so outrageous it’s amazing that anyone would fall for it. But people do. They swallow it with naive, childlike acceptance because it’s about President Obama. It has been thoroughly and repeatedly debunked in the mainstream press and by snopes.com, truthorfiction.com, and factcheck.org, just to name just a few. Those who champion common sense should apply it to this case. The war in Afghanistan involves 100,000 troops and thousands of vehicles, aircraft and ships, and “only” costs $190 million per day. To say that President Obama’s trip to India costs more than the Afghan war is
beyond ridiculous. But that applies to much of what appears on Fox News, Rush Limbaugh’s radio program and in the Pilot’s letters to the editor. Tomas Bozack Brookings
Free breakfast for veterans a success
Editor: We would like to thank the Brookings Elks Lodge 1934 and the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 757 and associates, and other volunteers for another successful “free breakfast for veterans” in honor of Veterans Day. This is the fourth year, and a total of 240 veterans and families were served on Sunday, Nov. 14. The money raised at this event will be distributed to veterans in need at various veterans homes and hospitals in Oregon. We would also like to thank Ray’s Food Place, Grocery Outlet and Fred Meyer for their generous food donations, which made this event possible. Thank you veterans! God Bless America — land of the free and home of the brave! Sam Vitale, president, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 757 Gary Downing, Past Exalted Ruler Elks Lodge 1934 Brookings
Can God approve something godless?
Editor: I take great umbrage with the term Godless Socialism used in the Nov. 13 Pilot editorial cartoon. Since when did God have anything to do with economic models? There are many aspects of our economy that are socialistic. Social Security, Medicare, the Post Office and the Coos Curry Electric Coop immediately come to mind.
We do have a mixed economy, as does every other country in the world, including Russia, China, Cuba, etc. And we had a mixed economy long before Barack Obama arrived on the scene. I invite all ideologically pure Capitalist seniors in Curry County to 1) refuse their Social Security checks, 2) refuse their Medicare coverage, 3) not use the Post Office and 4) turn off their power. After all, a mean-
ingful stand against Socialism must begin somewhere. It seems to me that Social Security and Medicare are programs that would have a loving God’s approval in that they have reduced poverty and suffering among our less well-todo seniors. I am left with a conundrum. How could God approve of something that is Godless? Robert M. Hintz Brookings
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Editor: The Chetco River Coast Guard contingent under the command of Master Chief Clemens are to be complimented and thanked for their display of Patriotic fervor this past Veterans Day. Over 20 members of the local Coast Guard station visited several older and disabled veterans and performed many and varied tasks around their homes and grounds — tasks that could no longer be done by these past military veterans. This assistance afforded to these older disabled veterans was very much appreciated and the personnel from the Coast Guard are to be commended for their competence in the work they performed and the pleasure they brought to the people they served. Several of the Coast Guard members who volunteered to do this remarkable project will be leaving our local area soon. We wish them only the very best wherever they may be assigned. Several of these young service members may be returning overseas for further duty and we pray that they may be kept safe from harm and brought back home to their loved ones. Charles and Doris Fuller Brookings
We just wanted to let them know that they are truly appreciated by our veterans, and also by those of us who eat with them regularly. Bob Sandy Dietz Harbor
Salute the Coast Guard contingent