Letters To The Editor, June 18, 2009
Rep. Waters Has Done Quite Enough, Thanks
Editor, Times-Dispatch: After reading the news story, "Lawmakers Act on Foreclosures," one word instantly came to mind: Chutzpah!
I know little about the background of Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, one of two individuals named in the article. However, the other lawmaker, Rep. Maxine Waters of California, has played a very prominent part in recent events -- namely, the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which triggered our current financial crisis.
The article states that Waters "has called mortgage lenders directly to seek lower payments for her constituents . . . she has spent more than an hour on hold . . . she wasn't able to resolve the situations until she appealed directly to the chief executives of Bank America and Wells Fargo."
For those who did not read the Wall Street Journal's "Economy Quotes" by Waters: "I have sat through nearly a dozen hearings where . . . we were trying to fix something that wasn't broke," and "We do not have a crisis at Freddie Mac, and in particular at Fannie Mae, under the outstanding leadership of Mr. Frank Raines. Everything in the 1992 act has worked just fine."
Though there may be other more familiar names associated with our economic collapse, most have tried to fade from history's spotlight. Waters is the exception. She seems completely unfazed by the damage caused to all of us by her blatant defense of poor government practices in the past, and is now on a crusade of personally harassing those she has already helped cripple the most -- banking institutions.
If this happened in the private sector, she would be a name on a previous-employee list" Only in our present government can such an employee with this much controversy be retained -- and even permitted to continue causing so much trouble to an industry that she unabashedly helped ruin.
Maxine C. Fitzgerald.
Glen Allen.
How Much Control Does a Woman Have?
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In a recent editorial entitled, "Street Speech," you opine that you support a woman's right to have an abortion -- and her broader right to control her own body.
If this logic is correct, then why is a woman arrested for the act of prostitution? After all, it is her own body. Coleman "Ray" Gross. Prince George.
Obama's Cairo Speech Recalls Chamberlain
Editor, Times-Dispatch: President Barack Obama's Cairo speech is certain to cause grave concern in Israel. The president showed his naveté when he said that he would support Iran becoming nuclear for peaceful purposes. Israelis are not so naIve. They know full well that Iran is determined to achieve nuclear-weapon capability as soon as possible. Iran's president has repeatedly called for Israel to be wiped off the map.
It is becoming increasingly clear that Obama is willing to sell out the Israelis, despite his assurances, in order to achieve harmony with the Arab world (which does not have a single democracy among its 22 nations). Obama is an untested amateur when it comes to foreign policy.
Though the liberal media are praising Obama's speech as something that will be revered for decades to come, the same was said by a gullible world when Neville Chamberlain, the prime minister of Great Britain, came home in 1938, proclaiming "peace in our time" after meeting with Adolf Hitler. The end result was World War II and deaths of tens of millions of people.
Neville Chamberlain sold out Czechoslovakia to placate Hitler. The Israelis have every reason to be concerned following Obama's speech to the Muslim world.
Paul Schoenbaum.
Williamsburg.
More Voters Might Have Changed Elections
Editor, Times-Dispatch: A whopping 6 percent of registered voters voted in Virginia's Democratic primary. This election raised two issues for me: One is voter apathy and the other is having to make a choice for which ticket to vote because I live in Hanover.
We have the good fortune to be able to vote in a democratic process because throughout our country's history, people have died to protect that freedom. We currently have soldiers fighting and dying far from home in order that citizens of other countries may also have the right to vote. We registered voters in Virginia should hang our heads in shame.
While declaring a party affiliation isn't required for voter registration, I still had to choose for which party's ballot I wanted to vote. In two districts there were primaries for a legislative office; but Hanover voters were allowed to vote only on one ballot. Either we voted for candidates running for governor and lieutenant governor, or we voted for candidates running for the House of Delegates. All three of these positions are important because the people who will ultimately hold these positions will be making decisions affecting all Virginians.
In the Hanover race for the House, there was only a three-point difference in votes between the winner and second place. I wonder if the result would have been different if everyone who wanted to vote on both matters had been able to do so. [Turnout in Hanover's Republican primary was about 13 percent.]
If the state is holding elections, even if they're considered primary elections, voters should be able to vote in all the races. Our districts are so gerrymandered at this point that whoever wins these primaries that some voters find so unimportant will most likely end up being the elected official -- based on small percentages of registered voters.
Ann H. Smoot.
Mechanicsville.
Reader Reactions
Here is an excerpt of Netanyahu’s speech,
“I now am asking that when we speak of the huge challenge of peace, we must use the simplest words possible, using person to person terms. Even with our eyes on the horizon, we must have our feet on the ground, firmly rooted in truth. The simple truth is that the root of the conflict has been and remains - the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish People to its own state in its historical homeland.
“In 1947 when the United Nations proposed the Partition Plan for a Jewish state and an Arab state, the entire Arab world rejected the proposal, while the Jewish community accepted it with great rejoicing and dancing. The Arabs refused any Jewish state whatsoever, with any borders whatsoever.
“Whoever thinks that the continued hostility to Israel is a result of our forces in Judea, Samaria and Gaza is confusing cause and effect. The attacks on us began in the 1920s, became an overall attack in 1948 when the state was declared, continued in the 1950s with the fedaayyin attacks, and reached their climax in 1967 on the eve of the Six-Day War, with the attempt to strangle Israel. All this happened nearly 50 years before a single Israeli soldier went into Judea and Samaria.
“To our joy, Egypt and Jordan left this circle of hostility. They signed peace agreements with us which ended their hostility to Israel. It brought about peace.
“To our deep regret, this is not happening with the Palestinians. The closer we get to a peace agreement with them, the more they are distancing themselves from peace. They raise new demands. They are not showing us that they want to end the conflict.
“A great many people are telling us that withdrawal is the key to peace with the Palestinians. But the fact is that all our withdrawals were met by huge waves of suicide bombers.
“We tried withdrawal by agreement, withdrawal without an agreement, we tried partial withdrawal and full withdrawal. In 2000, and once again last year, the government of Israel, based on good will, tried a nearly complete withdrawal, in exchange for the end of the conflict, and were twice refused.
“The fundamental condition for ending the conflict is the public, binding and sincere Palestinian recognition of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish People.”“We withdrew from the Gaza Strip to the last centimeter, we uprooted dozens of settlements and turned thousands of Israelis out of their homes. In exchange, what we received were missiles raining down on our cities, our towns and our children. The argument that withdrawal would bring peace closer did not stand up to the test of reality.
“With Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, they keep on saying that they want to ‘liberate’ Ashkelon in the south and Haifa and Tiberias.
Even the moderates among the Palestinians are not ready to say the most simplest things: The State of Israel is the national homeland of the Jewish People and will remain so.
“Friends, in order to achieve peace, we need courage and integrity on the part of the leaders of both sides. I am speaking today with courage and honesty. We need courage and sincerity not only on the Israeli side: we need the Palestinian leadership to rise and say, simply “We have had enough of this conflict. We recognize the right of the Jewish People to a state its own in this Land. We will live side by side in true peace.“ I am looking forward to this moment.
“We want them to say the simplest things, to our people and to their people. This will then open the door to solving other problems, no matter how difficult. The fundamental condition for ending the conflict is the public, binding and sincere Palestinian recognition of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish People.“ (End quote)
And what about Israel, do they have nuclear weapons?
who is really naive enough to believe Israel doesn’t have nukes? Why don’t we pester them a little too while we’re at it.
Israel is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and refuses to officially confirm or deny having a nuclear arsenal, or having developed nuclear weapons, or even having a nuclear weapons program. Israel has pledged not to be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the region, but is also pursuing a policy of strategic ambiguity with regard to their possession. In the late 1960s, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yitzhak Rabin informed the United States State Department, that its understanding of “introducing” such weapons meant that they would be tested and publicly declared, while merely possessing the weapons did not constitute “introducing” them.[39] Although Israel claims that the Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona is a “research reactor”, or, as was originally claimed, a “textile factory,“ no scientific reports based on work done there have ever been published. Extensive information about the program in Dimona was also disclosed by technician Mordechai Vanunu in 1986.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Federation of American Scientists, Israel possesses around 75–200 weapons.[40] Imagery analysts can identify weapon bunkers, mobile missile launchers, and launch sites in satellite photographs. Israel may have tested a nuclear weapon along with South Africa in 1979, but this has never been confirmed (see Vela Incident).
On May 26, 2008, former US president Jimmy Carter stated that Israel has “150 or more nuclear warheads” at a press conference at the annual literary Hay festival in Wales.[41]
“If this happened in the private sector, she would be a name on a previous-employee list” Only in our present government can such an employee with this much controversy be retained—and even permitted to continue causing so much trouble to an industry that she unabashedly helped ruin.“
IF this happened in the private sector, she would get a raise and a million dollar bonus….
or if she did happen to get fired, she’d get a golden parachute of millions and millions, because it’s in her contract….
As you note states, she does need to be held accountable, but why single her out, when there are so many that have caused this whole thing….including those who took out the loans in the first place knowing they couldn’t pay them back, or with lack of understanding of the terms.
And what about those who worked at banks , who knowingly , provided loans to people who couldn’t pay them back, knowing they could re-sell them.
What about large Banks like CITI bank selling these loans overseas as AAA rated? You don’t get a world wide crisis by pinning blame on one person.
Of course they’re villians, don’t put words in my mouth. It’s unbecoming of a reverend.
The translation of Ahmadinnerjacket’s speech was not correct, that was my point.
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was addressing thousands of students at a World Without Zionism Conference. Oct 28, 2005.
In referring to the recent suicide bomb in Hadelera, he said “there is no doubt that the new wave in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot (IE:ISRAEL) from the face of the Islamic world…The fighting in Palestine is a war between the (whole) Islamic nation and the world of arrogance”.
Aljazeera aren’t too clear on the translation to begin with, but then give more detail on the speech (initial story being carried by Associated Press). Also found at http://www.indymedia.com
NON-RUSH CITATION FOR THOSE THAT STILL THINK IRAN’S LEADERS ARE NOT A VILLAINS!
“Iran’s president has repeatedly called for Israel to be wiped off the map.“
Non-Rush citation needed.
“If this logic is correct, then why is a woman arrested for the act of prostitution? After all, it is her own body.“
Why indeed. If it involves consenting adults, what’s the problem?
Excellent point Ray.
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