After 9/11, 2001, I will never be able to look at a piercing blue, cloudless sky without thinking of it as a “9/11 sky.” On that day, passenger flights going overhead to land or takeoff at Stewart International Airport were replaced by the scream of fighter jets. On the wall of my office, I have a poster with the names of the over 3,000 victims where were murdered from AA Flights 11 and 77, United Flights 175 and 93, the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. The names are positioned to spell out the words “NEVER FORGET.” I and many other Americans, and especially the people who live in the 22nd New York Congressional District who personally had family and friends murdered on that day when our country was attacked, have not forgotten. However, it appears our so-called representative in Congress, Maurice Hinchey, has since he refuses to speak out against the proposed mosque at Ground Zero on behalf of his constituents. Shame on you, Mr. Hinchey. You’d better believe that I won’t forget you on Election Day this Nov. 2 when I choose to replace you with George Phillips.
Pamela O’Dell
Gardiner
We like Mike
A few years ago, my family and I were faced with the unfortunate reality that we had some tough decisions to make for our parents. My father was diagnosed with a terminal illness and my mother’s frailty was becoming more evident. We decided that it was time to take the legal steps necessary to ensure our father’s last days would be as stress-free as possible and that what was left of our mother’s future would be secure. Having never experienced this before, we were unsure of not only how to go about doing this or who could we trust to guide us along the way. We started to ask friends and family who they would recommend. Our choice was made easier when we were told, by more than one person, that Mike Bruhn Jr. was just the person we should be talking to. Upon our first meeting with Mike, we knew we had made the right choice. His place of business was as warm and welcoming as his personality. He instantly put us at ease and guided us through the decisions we had to make with expertise, kindness and comfort. We left feeling that some of this heavy burden was lifted and handled with sound peace of mind.
We explained the advice given to us by Mike to our parents and they also felt comforted that we had found the help we all needed and knew we could trust. Our experience with Mike didn’t end in his office or with the signing of the papers. When our father ultimately lost his battle and passed away, we were a little shocked but pleasantly surprised when Mike came to pay his respects. He didn’t have to do that, but we have come to realize that’s the kind of man Mike Bruhn Jr. is. We continue to use his expertise and rely on him for advice for all our legal needs. More importantly, we have come to consider him a trusted friend. That is why we are casting our vote for Mike Bruhn Jr. this election year. We trust that Mike will take the position with pride and will have the staying power to serve our community with the same wisdom and care that he does for his clients. And as the September primary and November election approach, we urge you to do the same.
J. M. Hughes
Kingston
Pick Lorigo
We have a Conservative primary on Sept 14. Absentee ballots have already been sent. There is only one contest — the governor’s race pitting Rick Lazio against Ralph Lorigo.
For those of you who support Carl Paladino, who is not on the Conservative primary ballot, let me share a conversation I had with him at the Republican reception on Thursday, Aug. 26 at the Hillside. When I said “I might write in your name on my absentee ballot,” Paladino said, “No — vote for Ralph Lorigo.” Paladino said Lorigo is an ally.
Most of you know Lazio as a “liberal” Republican. For those of you who don’t know Ralph Lorigo, he is a life-long Conservative and has served as the Erie County Conservative Chairman since 1994. You can go to his web site at http://www.lorigoforgovernor.com/ where he states he is “not a stand in or straw man for anyone.” However, he also says that he likes and admires Paladino.
I think a primary vote for Lorigo gives us the best chance of getting the required 50,000 votes in the general election if Lazio loses the GOP primary. If you are in doubt, my best advice, as always, is vote for the Conservative.
Tony Tantillo
Chairman
New Paltz Conservative Party
I have a nightmare
Glenn Beck is my nightmare. As I watched him stand in the place where Martin Luther King stood years ago, and declare our nation a Christian Nation, I thought, “here we go again” — having to defend the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Now, to be clear, I accept Christianity as a religion, just as I accept Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Muslim, Native American, (the one that should get first priority if we were to be a “Religious Nation”), and all other religions. I thought that getting into the various types of Christianity (38,000 sects) would be hard, but then, it became easy when I discovered that Beck was a Mormon. I had to conclude that the Christian Nation he referred to was Mormon, so I looked into some of the Mormon beliefs.
Did you know that Mormons believe that God created multiple worlds and each world has its own God? That Mormons believe that we are only subject to our God and if we obtain the highest level of heaven we can become gods ourselves? (Hmm. I wouldn’t mind being God of a Universe. That would be a trip.)
Also, Mormon marriages are considered eternal. If a husband and wife are sealed together in the temple, they can be together on into the celestial kingdom. The church does have a process for annulment and sees divorce as an “unfortunately” necessary evil. I can buy that — unless of course, you married and divorced a multi-millionaire, in which case it would be a “fortunately” necessary evil — but I digress.
Here’s my point. If Beck, Limbaugh and Gingrich want to tear our country apart with religious wars inside our country, I’m willing to give up my political stance to keep our nation from another civil war. So here’s my offer. I am going to suggest that we break the “party” barrier, and come together against a possible takeover of our fundamental rights as a Democratic Republic nation — built on the foundation of the Constitution.
I will consider voting for either and any party candidate that does not stand for dividing our country by race, religion and corporate loyalty; any candidate that does not accept money from corporations that say that the Obama tax cuts are going to hurt people that are struggling. Repealing the tax cuts for the wealthy, are not going to affect only the wealthy. So if anyone running sticks to their policy, provided that they have a policy, I will consider voting for them, no matter which party. Right now most of the Republican candidates do not look acceptable, but if they break from the propaganda, and show me some facts, I’m open.
Let’s remember: United we Stand, divided we fall. Let’s come together and give some thought to the bought and paid for propaganda. It may mean resorting to some reading, and sharing facts with friends and family, but what the heck, the price of losing is just too deep. It’s getting serious folks. Time to remember that Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Jill Paperno, Glenford
The Gulf oil spill coming to New York State? What? How is that possible? All the easy oil and gas has already been extracted from the earth. Just as the Gulf oil spill was a risky procedure so is hydraulic fracturing (fracking) here in New York State (or any state with shale). New York State sits on very large natural gas deposits deep under the Marcellus Shale and the Utica Shale.
Recently, the state Senate voted 48-9 for a moratorium until May 2011 to study the effects of fracking on public health and the environment. In fracking, gas is searched for in many horizontal wells (as deep as 10,000 feet below the earth’s surface) by forcing sand, millions of gallons of water and proprietary chemicals at very high pressure. The chemicals do not have to be disclosed because of what is known as the “Halliburton Loophole” passed as part of the 2005 Energy Policy Act and Safe Drinking Water Act that only the oil and gas industry are exempt from disclosing what they put in the environment. Congressman Maurice Hinchey has introduced a bill into Congress to eliminate this loophole so there would be full disclosure of any chemicals used by this industry. It is in debate in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Fracking is not safe. Can the oil and gas industry assure us they have contingency plans for human error or technical problems causing accidents, spills or even quakes? They can’t. The bottom line is they cannot build computer models for what is exactly in and under the shale. With all their technology and information from geologists and others in the science community, will they be able to predict that one time when the high pressure
exerted to break open the shale will start a rippling effect of fissures or tremors they do not expect and are not prepared for? Will they have a surefire way to capture all the post-frack waste water that is now poisoned from the chemicals and radioactive from the shale? Where will they discard the waste water they do capture besides in open pits to be covered with dirt and sand?
Will the tax revenue that it will generate for the state and local municipalities be worth what it will cost to fix a disaster? Does the money from leasing their property to gas drilling worth the landowner’s health rapidly declining, land being ruined, water poisoned and home unlivable? Do we need any more proof that fracking needs to be studied first as is outlined in the moratorium recently passed by our state Senate? Why take a chance?
What can you do? Call Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver — (212) 312-1420 — and tell him the New York State Assembly must bring the moratorium vote to the floor this September. Call your Assembly person — for most, Kevin Cahill at (845) 338-9610 — to ask him to get this bill on the floor and convince others it is the right and safest thing to do. Call Gov. Paterson — (518) 474-8390 — and tell him to encourage Assembly passage and then to sign the bill. Spread the word to everyone and be informed yourself. Learn what has happened to Dimock, Pa., and Fort Lupton, Colo., for a start. Some of the many web sites out there to inform you include www.earthworksaction.org, www.frackaction.com and www.Gaslandthemovie.com.
It’s our water, our air and our soil for all to share. Let’s do our part to protect our natural resources for this and all future generations.
Our calls do make a difference!
Rosalyn Cherry, New Paltz
The mosque is too close
If a Muslim were uncommitted to the teachings of the Qur’an and the Hadith, and was committed to this nation, then surely the building of an Islamic Center would be no different than the building of a Church or Synagogue.
Reality check — we have seen the work of committed Muslims. No Muslim country permits Christians or Jews to construct Centers, Synagogues or Churches. Only Islam has a social-political framework that mandates forced submission to Allah and his prophet by any means possible. Islam should not be viewed as just another religion, and Allah should not be viewed as being the same God of the Jews and Christians.
The number of Muslims in America is growing (now 9 million), due to immigration (legal and illegal), high birth rate, and prison converts (view Muslim Demographics online to understand the problem). Defend the Constitution, follow the money, reclaim Dearborn, Michigan. Muslims need to become committed Americans, and we all need the Prince of Peace Jesus. 9/11 is their bold declaration of victory and intent to conquer. The mosque is too close — on purpose.
Pastor Donald Moore
West Hurley
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