VIEWPOINTS 8A • TRI-COUNTY PRESS • FEBRUARY 3, 2016
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EDITORIALS | LETTERS | COLUMNS | CH@TROOM
CH@TROOM Jan. 28 question Who will be President of the United States one year from today? Why will he or she have won?
“One year from today we will be hailing the almighty and magnificent President Trump. I am not saying I agree with this choice, but yet again it will be a matter of the majority of the population voting against the greater evil rather than for the best choice. I truly long for an election where we can in good conscience vote for the right candidate with passion and belief that he or she is the best and correct choice for the highest office in our society. Trump simply has too much momentum, media presence and too many faithful followers to be stopped. He is saying the things that too many of us feel need to be said, and which the other hopefuls are too PC to state. On the campaign side he doesn't require huge donations and is therefore beholden to none of the special interests. If nothing else, this election cycle so far has been good entertainment.” M.J.F.
“I think it will be Ted Cruz. Most of America will finally wake up and realize that health care isn't a right it is a privilege, that Christianity is the national religion, diplomacy is weak and bombing is strong and good, woman should cede decisions about their bodies and reproductive health to wealthy, white evangelical males, and every citizens duty is to be armed with an open carry weapon of his or her choice. “I can relate very well to his populist story of attending common Ivy League schools, marrying a common Goldman Sach's executive and taking a job where you grind your place of employment to a standstill. “For all these democratic and patriotic reasons I see him coming out on top next year.” C.S.
“One year from today, you arrive home excited because you met with your boss today and he said due to increase in business, he was promoting you to manage the new employees. A nice raise comes with the job. The HR manager informs you your health insurance is going down in price because of increased competition. “Then you think back , a year earlier the country felt like it was rapidly suffocating, No good jobs, increased health insurance premiums and a navy suffering through a Third World country holding guns to their heads on their own ship. “Your choice, America.” J.H.D.
“Right now Democrat Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the favorites for their parties. I think the Democratic nominee has that 47 percent of voters (Romney’s claim of those not paying taxes and/or on entitlements) in their hip pocket. Trump seems to have captured the American voters’ disappointment with current leadership. He seems to have what the frustration fueled masses are looking for i.e. a change or the next Ronald Reagan. I think that voter frustration will ‘trump’ Hillary’s very questionable track record. I hope Trump chooses wisely his VP, cabinet and advisors. He scares me, but I am naively optimistic he can right the ship. I look forward to their debates next fall as it could get ugly. Go Figure!” T.D.T.
Jan. 7 question What is the best way to handle the Syrian refugee situation?
“I read the readers replies about the potential arrival of Syrian refu-
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION There are proposals in the Ohio legislature to eliminate “pay to play” fees for school extracurricular activities (athletic and non-athletic). Is this a good idea? Why or why not? Every week we ask readers a question they can reply to via email. Send your answers to rmaloney@ communitypress.com with Ch@troom in the subject line.
gees into the U.S. I have a Koran and have read it twice. Americans do not have a clue about what an influx of Muslims into this country will cause in the short as well as the long run! “The book depicts the hatred for all those who have not accepted Islam. Those who are not Muslims deserve death. Any Muslim that believes what the Koran preaches is a potential threat! The following is a reply to a young man who had an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer He never received it because what I perceived as being an email address was a Facebook address. I am not on Facebook. “’I read your article in this morning’s Enquirer and the first thing that entered my mind was: Have you taken the time to read the Koran? Ask yourself why isn’t the country bringing in Christian refugees? Is it because Obama favors Muslims because he was raised as one. Multiculturalism does not work! Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, stated as much because of the influx of Muslim refugees into her country. The masses have caused assimilation problems.’ “England and France have the same problems with Muslim refugees. Many Muslims like Christians don’t read their Korans or Bibles and don’t go to a Mosque or church. Muslims that do go to a particular Mosque could be radicalized to commit jihad. Jim Hanson who is a part of counter terrorism (Center for Security Policy executive vice president) stated on O’Reilly’s hour that out of 100 mosques in the U.S. that were monitored 80 were preaching jihad. “The more Muslims that take shelter here and become citizens will add to the caliphate that is the head of the snake! There will be more mosques and minarets and the calls to prayers five times a day. Schools will be affected big time! And with a liberal supreme court Sharia law could be passed and men would be able to beat their wives and all that the book allows Muslim men to do. Women would be wearing burqas in public. Is this what you want to see in this country? “If you read the Koran you will see that it is based on the Biblical old testament. The narrative is twisted to bring about a faith that depicts Jesus as a prophet and not the son of God. Christians and Jews deserve death because they have not accepted Islam as the one true religion. No one knows who created the words of the Koran. Muhammad was illiterate and lived in and out of a cave because he probably had some mental issues. Would God send down Gabriel to give this man the words that depict death to all that don’t believe in Islam? I don’t think so! “SURA 47 - Muhammad: When ye encounter the infidels, strike off their heads till ye have made a great slaughter among them and of the rest make fast the fetters. Infidels deserve death! That includes you and me. The word infidel is mentioned 203 times in my Koran. American’s are illiterate relative to Islam and many like yourself are jumping on the bandwagon to bring them here!”
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Meet new faces at Sharonville Branch Library The Sharonville Branch Library has had several new additions to its staff. Lauren Roth, Jocelyn Barton, Javert ValenzuelaBarrios, Victoria Kier, Christine Henry, Katie Spencer and Anna Flory are Sharonville’s new library services assistants. Each of them contributes to a diverse team filled with charisma. Lauren is a library services assistant whose background is in consumer affairs and advertising law. She has always appreciated libraries and enjoys the atmosphere surrounding the plethora of books and information. She said, “Libraries are awesome – they offer free books, movies, music, computers, information, etc. to all. That’s pretty awesome!” Jocelyn has returned to the Sharonville Library for a fourth year after traveling overseas to teach English in Burundi, Africa. She is working on becoming a certified doula and plans to attend a midwife school in Australia in 2017. In the meantime, she finds her work as a library services assistant very fulfilling. She enjoys customer service with a community focus and feels privileged to be able to “connect people with the world of information and ideas.” Javert is a sophomore electronic media major at
the University of Cincinnati with an interest in visual effects compositJoJo ing. He Winkle decided to COMMUNITY PRESS join the GUEST COLUMNIST Library after volunteering for service hours and said he really likes the atmosphere and the employees. Javert is now a library services assistant at the Sharonville Branch while he attends school. Victoria said she has a lifelong love of the Library and books. She lived across the street from the Library and her mom took her there all the time. She thought she would be a good candidate to work as a library services assistant because of her love of books and helping people learn. She has a husband, a 16-year-old son, a Chiweenie, a chihuahua and a 12-year-old goldfish named Merlin. Christine has always been an avid reader but particularly loves children’s books. When she was a Montessori teacher, she enjoyed spending time at the Library finding wonderful (and free) materials for her classroom. Originally from Dayton, Chris-
tine moved back to Ohio about a year ago after living in North Carolina for four years. Working as a library services assistant, she is amazed at the resources available at the Library and is proud to help them provide for the community. Katie shares that she comes from a family of bookworms and that she and her sisters would try to finish the Library’s Summer Reading Program within the first week it started, so becoming a library services assistant was a dream-come-true. In her spare time Katie loves to craft and play the violin. Her favorite book is “Love Among the Walnuts” by Jean Ferris. Anna has a history degree and studied ancient Greek and Latin. She loves animals, ice hockey, and Russian literature. Before becoming a library services assistant, Anna worked at the classics library at the University of Cincinnati. She loves being surrounded by books and helping people find information. Stop by today to meet any one of the new Library staff. JoJo Winkle is the senior library services assistant at the Sharonville Branch Library, 10980 Thornview Drive.
Careers, happiness and furry friends “What breaks your heart?” I was at a conference and the speaker asked this question of the audience. In my work, I am accustomed to asking people what they are interested in, excited, even passionate about. But this question stopped me cold. Let me back up. I believe that when we limit our definition of our careers to just what we are paid to do, we miss the biggest picture; the opportunity to engage in the world with our full skill set and with our complete hearts and souls. If you enjoy coaching girls basketball, that is part of who you are and even it if it is purely a volunteer endeavor, it is a part of your unique career set, or your “big picture.” Take a minute and ask yourself what your total career is. What does it include, and what would you like it to have more of? If you are an animal lover, and spend any time or resources on animalrelated causes, that is part of your career – part of who you are. I knew I wanted to do something to help dogs, but I also knew that was too broad of a desire. When a goal is too big or too vague, your chances of reaching it diminish, versus developing concrete, actionable goals. What breaks my heart?
When I really thought about that question, I had an “aha” moment. Julie Senior Bauke dogs COMMUNITY PRESS dumped at GUEST COLUMNIST shelters because they are senior dogs. That breaks my heart to pieces. Now what? I know I can’t volunteer in a shelter. My emotions would not survive and I would live as a blubbering mess. I have tremendous respect for those who do. I give money, I get the word out, I work to connect people and resources. I have as many dogs as I can in my home. But still, I knew there was more I could do. When facing the empty nest, we decided that we wanted more dogs. I knew the number was not 50, but it also wasn’t three. We built a home on 15 acres and attached a senior doggie recreation room, dogs runs and a fenced-in yard. It is a place for eight senior dogs who were given up just for being old, to live out their days in comfort and love. I knew we had done the right thing when we got our first resident: Mitzi. It’s no secret that the gray muzzle does not increase your prospects for being
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selected by shelter visitors. Maybe it was my imagination, but when I whispered in her ear that she was now safe, those tired bones took a deep breath and her whole body relaxed. Our world is not lacking in things to be heartbroken over. It can paralyze us into inaction or just the feeling that we can’t do anything that matters. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. I am constantly amazed by our community’s love for animals. Animal lovers are givers – and so are animals. My Furry Valentine, a nonprofit organization that hosts an annual event to bring people and adoptable pets together, is a way that you can get involved. To date My Furry Valentine has found homes for nearly 2,000 shelter pets in the last five years. My Furry Valentine, the region’s largest annual animal adoption event, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13 and 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, Cincinnati, OH 45246. For more information, visit myfurryvalentine.com. Julie Bauke is the chief career happiness officer of The Bauke Group and a volunteer member of My Furry Valentine team. She can be reached at julie.bauke@thebaukegroup.com
Tri-County Press Editor Richard Maloney rmaloney@communitypress.com, 248-7134 Office hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday See page A2 for additional contact information.