Traverse City Record-Eagle

Your Views

March 22, 2012

Letters to the Editor: 03/22/2012

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Arrogance, ignorance

We were treated to the arrogance of public employees in the quotations from Traverse Area District Library Director Metta Lansdale, library board chairman Jerry Beasley and Grand Traverse County Commissioner and library board member Jason Gillman.

Public business with public money is basically none of the public's business is the way I read the most timely article by Brian McGillivary (March 15) on a proposed major reduction of a 40-year service to almost 800 area visually impaired citizens. The arrogance of Lansdale and Beasley seems to be matched by their ignorance, real or feigned, of the impairment of service their proposed change will make.

The fact that a citizen making an inquiry is told by library employees that they, the employees, are not allowed to speak on the subject is appalling.

Who does the library director think she is? The head of Homeland Security? Three presumably normally sighted people have no problem making major decisions affecting large numbers of visually impaired citizens without their knowledge.

It's easiest to take from the weakest, particularly if they don't know about it until after the fact.

Robert J. McElroy

Empire

Take it back from whom?

I get tired and angry every time I hear someone say they want to take back this country.

Take it back from whom?

President Obama was elected by a 5.5 million-vote margin.

George W. Bush lost by 500,000 votes (but took office because of two votes on the Supreme Court by people his father appointed).

So which president has more claim being legitimate?

I've disagreed with the actions of several presidents in my life but have always been told to respect the office if not the man who holds it.

What happened to that rule now that an African-American named Barack Obama was elected by a majority of the real voters?

As long as someone keeps repeating phony stories like "death panels" and will not treat President Obama with the respect he is due (take back our country or the birther nonsense), real discussions concerning how best to deal with a 21st century world and handle the problems we have will never happen.

Don Seman

Bellaire

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