Your readers may find this as astonishingly prescient as did I upon finding it among saved articles in my files:
“As democracy is perfected, the office of the president represents more and more closely the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts’ desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcisstic moron.”
That was written by H.L. Mencken and published in the July 26, 1920, Baltimore Evening Sun.
Audrey M. Cherin
Hanover
One doesn’t have to be an atheist to object to a governmental body celebrating one or more religions while ignoring others. Religion isn’t the government’s business, and when it makes it its business, it gets into trouble, as the recent Claremont kerfuffle demonstrates. The Founding Fathers knew this, and Article 6 and the First Amendment were the result. Partisan symbols, whether political or religious, don’t belong on public property, period.
Dale Copps
Enfield
I watched as the Kurds helped clear Syrian cities and towns of ISIS fighters so that American troops could move forward in a continuing effort to eliminate this terrorist group that is a worldwide threat. The Kurds exhibited great courage in their efforts to aid us. Now Turkey, which sees the Kurds as a security threat (because, as I see it, the Kurds just want a place to live that they can call their own), wants to physically wipe them out. The Kurds oppose the policies of Recep Erdogan, Turkey’s president, so they must go. It appears we are giving Turkey the go-ahead to eliminate the Kurds. We, along with the rest of the world, should be giving the Kurds whatever military support they need to ensure their existence — in gratitude for their valiant efforts. Turkey, a human rights offender almost as bad as Saudi Arabia, is proving itself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The Russians, on the other hand, say we have no right to be in Syria. In saying so, they are essentially denying us the right to protect ourselves and others from ISIS, which was not the focus of Syria, Russia or Iran in ridding Syria of anyone determined to be opposing Bashir Assad’s presidency.
It would also appear that the GOP, in 2016, watered down its platform position on the protection of the Ukraine from being overtaken by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. This is reported to have been done at the direction of Donald Trump in his interaction with J.D. Gordon, who is an American communications and foreign policy adviser with known ties to Maria Butina, a recently arrested Russian spy. It is Putin’s intent to regain countries lost in the break-up of the U.S.S.R. It would appear we have been recruited to help him do so. What better time for Russia to move on Ukraine then while we are in planned chaos?
Sylvia J. Heath
Hartland Four Corners
I am still enjoying Alan Tannenbaum’s Dec. 18 letter, “Gun Control Is Nothing But a Liberal Fantasy” — a heartfelt diatribe against every gun-safety concept he could think of.
It calls to mind a poster one could imagine seeing during the recent romaine lettuce scare: “The National Romaine Association (NRA) reminds everyone: Lettuce Doesn’t Kill People. Eating Kills People.”
Robert Spottswood
Norwich
A disabled veteran with two children had a choice of repairing his car so his wife could get to work or paying the fuel bill. He chose the car, and the fuel company would not deliver additional fuel oil until the last delivery was paid for. Consequently, the family had no heat.
A veteran with PTSD was in need of a service dog so that she could live alone and function within society.
A homeless veteran had secured a job and qualified for subsidized housing. He had the first and last months’ rent but did not have enough to cover his security deposit.
These are just a few examples of the people assisted by the Friends of Veterans of New Hampshire & Vermont, which provides help to veterans throughout the two states. Friends of Veterans is a private not-for-profit organization that raises all of its own money and paid out over $134,000 to over a hundred veterans in 2017. Friends of Veterans has no paid staff, so other than paying for our office space in White River Junction, all funds raised go directly to assisting veterans.
Friends of Veterans is currently in need of several additional caseworkers. You do not need to be a veteran; all we ask is that you volunteer for at least four hours a week. Veterans apply through our website and from that point contact with them is through phone or email. All our work is done in our White River Junction office, and there is no travel involved. For additional information about Friends of Veterans or to email us about your interest in volunteering, please visit our website at; www.fovvtnh.org. Thank you.
Jim Barker
Caseworker, Friends of Veterans
Cornish