Letters to the Editor: 01/16/2013

Opinion

January 16, 2013

Letters to the Editor: 01/16/2013

Anonymous ---- The Record Eagle Wed Jan 16, 2013, 07:14 AM EST

Not just a city issue

On the issue of fences, the complaint from the LaBelles seems a little unwarranted to me. Safety is no issue here; in fact, it adds a safety factor to the homeowner from collateral effects of an accident. That is a very busy corridor and yes, we do need to address this. Where are the findings from the traffic study four years ago? I really don't mind if the tourists find that stretch of road not fetching to the eye because they want to see the water anyway. If stone wall owner Kathie Scott wants the wall, good, I think it looks fine. Look at the bigger issue of traffic on Division, or get a hobby.

Even though this is a city issue, we all drive by the fences. Get involved.

Bruce Clark

Traverse City

Put children first

Regarding a letter about assault weapons printed Jan. 5, I also wish for politics to be put aside and for putting children first. But stating that "hysteria about assault rifles is a media concocted ploy to inflame the uninformed" is absolutely wrong.

The massacre of humans is what inflames people. The availability of guns that can make such massacres possible is what inflames people. So with the guns that can efficiently pump out large numbers of bullets, however you define such guns, we live with occasional massacres.

Of course, many things in society contribute to a person committing such an evil act. But it is only specific types of guns that make the actual act possible. The National Rifle Association has consistently and effectively fought to have these guns available and to ease the process of acquiring (and carrying) guns. Expired laws have defined gun types that give people this level of killing power and efficiency, which is where the term "assault weapon" comes from. Legislation to ban such weapons, however defined, should be the priority of anyone who cares to put children (people) first.

Stephen Andriese

Traverse City

Time for housecleaning

The behavior of those representing the citizens of these United States in Washington during the "fiscal cliff" fiasco, followed by the pork-laden bill to assist those adversely effected by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast, coupled with their approval rating of 18 percent, begs the question of why anyone would vote for an incumbent U.S. Senator or Representative.

I once moved to a city ringed by levees to protect the city from flooding. The locals said the Levee Commission was a do-nothing commission that quickly forgot the problems associated with the last flood and did nothing to solve the problems. Sound familiar? Seeking guidance from them, their suggestion was not to vote for an incumbent.

It is time for a major housecleaning and the removal of all incumbents from office in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives regardless of whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents. The "Tea Party" should disassociate itself from the Republican Party and reinvent itself as they have the organization to accomplish this task. The "Libertarian Party" should refrain from putting up candidates who have no chance of being elected and concentrate their efforts on supporting non-incumbent candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Salvatore Castronovo

Elk Rapids