Letters to the Editor
Nequals1
Published Letters: 332 Editor's Choice: 7
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Reid is a traitor
[Read the article: Harry Reid -- compare and contrast]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Reid's actions do not defend and protect the Constitution.
His actions undermine and harm the Constitution and therefore, they harm we, the people. Reid's actions do not reflect the will of we, the people.
Harry Reid is committing treason.
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Candidates' Stances on the Use of Executive Power
[Read the article: Championing mainstream political thought while pretending to oppose it]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Glenn and Readers:
You will be interested in reading Charlie Savage's story in today's Boston Globe. He sent questionnaires to the presidential candidates about their perceptions and intended use of executive power and discussed the responses or lack thereof. He then included two side bar reports: each question with all of the candidates' responses, and each candidate's responses to all of the questions.
Here's the link (Glenn, if you care to use this, it would this reader's request to include the link somehwere in an update to your post or ideally to write a response to this story as a separate post. Thanks for your consideration.):
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/22/candidates_on_executive_power_a_full_spectrum/
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The Voter As Patriot
[Read the article: Mitt Romney's pursuit of tyrannical power, literally]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thank you so much, Glenn, for writing this response to Charlie Savage's story and accompanying candidates' replies to his questions. I had the opportunity to hear him speak during his book tour at the Old South Meeting House about George's imperialism. To discuss imperialism by a George in that place at this time was a lessson in living history in all of its emotion, drama and urgency to understand and to act (tea, anyone?).
I often comment about how the US is no longer a democracy, and you (and probably others) have responded with an assumption and vehement repudiation of the notion that I am asserting defeat and action futile. That is incorrect, and I realize that I didn't express what can and must be done.
In the absence of impeachment proceedings and Congressional action to rein in the executive branch and to restore the Constitution, there is a clear call to action:
We as informed voters must make every effort to educate our fellow citizens, regardless of political persuasion.
We must continue to write, telephone and meet with extant elected and apponted officials and keep their oaths of office and Constitutional principles and breaches thereof in front of them, so that they may be held fully accountable for their actions.
We must enable all eligible citizens to vote - everything from providing transportation, visiting nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions which hosue people unable to physically travel to voting places to serving as voting observers.
We must keep the issues in the public marketplace. We must stand up, speak out, remain civil in the face of incivility, and we must not waver.
We must be aware that we are the targets, that we will continue to be the targets, and that violence will be done against us.
We must resist.
We must vote all those who have acted against their Constitutional oaths out of office, and we must elect those who commit to fully upholding the Constitution to office.
We must vote.
We must serve as the civic leaders and the bearers of the light of the Constitution.
I hope this clarifies my position and affirms that I am not a defeatist even in the light of how dark it is in our country at this moment.
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A new way toward journalistic independence?
[Read the article: Various items]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I've been stewing about journalism, ethics and corporatism, and this morning, I had a thought about journalistic independence which is a result of your excellent reporting and analysis, Glenn.
In light of the recent worker-hostile NLRB findings, would it be within reason and logistically feasible to consider a regional or national professional association of journalists whereby they contract as a group for their services to news organs of their choosing?
I have been thinking about this model for professional nurses as a means to strengthen professional loyalty, power and accountability to their constituents - patients. This morning it dawned on me that the nation's air traffic controllers might have use of the model, and now after reading your piece, Glenn, many of the loose threads are being brought together, and perhaps this is a warp and weft that would strengthen journalists and the news they could bring to the public without the threat of corporatist demands to satisfy shareholders and investors.
The comment I wrote about that in relation to air traffic controllers and nurses on the excellent blog, The Main Bang, written by John Carr, the former president of NATCA is at this url:
http://themainbang.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/get-lost.html#comment-94703002
And on my dormant blog, I wrote many posts about this idea - nursing self governance organizations - as a means to affect independence from oppressive and suppressive measures used against nurses and patients.
http://universalhealth.wordpress.com
I'd be interested in feedback as to whether this might be a way around and forward toward more jounralistic accountability.