Letters to the Editor

To the editor,

Where did the main stream media report the major atrocities taking place in Israel and occupied Gaza? Of course, we heard about the bombing and destruction of the building housing Associated Press and Al-Jazeera and numbers killed, but we haven’t heard much about the “roof knocking”, the targeted killing of Palestinian doctors, the purposeful destruction of the COVID lab in Gaza, the “squatting” of non-Arab Israelis (many of which are American citizens) in Arab-Israeli homes in Jerusalem and other human rights violations. One heart-wrenching story reported that every night an entire Palestinian family sleeps in one room so if bombed, they will all die together and nobody will have to grieve. What a toll on the mental health of Palestinians and Israelis. There are more atrocities ignored in the rush to support President Biden’s and others’ assertion that Israel has a right to defend itself from the occupied–from stone-throwing teenagers and missiles lopped against the Iron Dome. The United States, with the explicit support of President Biden, is complicit in this war. Biden should have demanded Israel stop the bombing before it started. Our tax money is wasted in this futile attempt to keep the peace in this region. War is not peace, and rarely if ever keeps the peace. We need to hear the reports of the organization, Jewish Voices for Peace. As Bernie Sanders says, “Palestinian Lives Matter. As Quakers say, “War is not the Answer”. As Martin Luther King said, “Violence begets Violence.”

Nancy Street

Cheney, Wash.

Dear Editor,

The past year and a half has been an eye opening experience for me; I have learned that straying away from the pushed narrative, thinking for myself, and getting opinions or advice from other sources is considered dangerous, resulting in myself being labeled a conspiracy theorist. If asking questions about basic subjects and questioning what the “experts” say is labeled a conspiracy theorist, then yes, I suppose I am.

Critical thinking and questioning are not things that should be discouraged–if your mind, body, and soul tell you something is not right, you should listen. My instinct has been telling me that something is not right for some time now, and trust me; I am not the only one.

Since the very beginning of this “pandemic” the information we have been fed has constantly been changing, and there has been very little science actually followed in this process.

If this virus is so deadly, why do we have to have the news media constantly telling us how dangerous it is? If this virus is so deadly, why do we have to take a test to see if we even have it? If you turned off the TV, unplugged the computer, and shut off the phone it would be a very different story indeed. Asking questions is part of what makes us human, and should be encouraged, not discouraged.

Forcing people to do anything against their will is wrong, and the relentless propaganda campaign for the COVID-19 vaccine sounds a whole lot like coercion to me. For now, we are incentivized, but prescriptive programming and subliminal communication soften us up to prepare for future mandatory vaccination.

How ironic that, to “encourage” us to get vaccinated for our health, we are offered Krispy Kreme Donuts, fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, weed, and alcohol. If the government is so concerned with our health, why not incentivize a healthy lifestyle – decreasing stress, encouraging exercise, and subsidizing healthy food? This would be far more beneficial to individuals, although not necessarily to the makers of the vaccines.

I’ve heard a lot of people say they wear the mask or are willing to get the vaccine because they want other people to feel comfortable–we need to remember that we are not responsible for other individuals’ health; we can only control our own. How can we be responsible for other people’s health if we are not first and foremost responsible for our own health?

It is a strange world we live in at the moment, and it is important for us to remember that we are wonderful, beautiful, unique individuals that have the right to have our own personal views, and should never feel ashamed if we decide to think for ourselves.

America is supposed to be the land of the free, maybe it’s time we started acting as if we are.

“The war is not meant to be won; it’s meant to be continuous” – George Orwell

Savonnah Henderson

Dayton, Wash.

To the editor,

For what it’s worth, I’m writing to endorse Jack Miller for Columbia County Port Commissioner, Position #3. I’ve known Jack for a number of years and found him to be a man of integrity, creativity and resourcefulness–key characteristics with which to properly approach the overweight bureaucracies of our day, and trim them into something useful (or perceive them better written off entirely).

Jack has been or still is a farmer, farm-manager, welder, metalworker, mechanic, pilot, marksman, hunter, teacher, gunsmith, and much more. The aggregate of this background suggests a character molded by a long list of positive attributes. To my knowledge he is inexperienced in public employ or office, which ironically makes him more qualified for the job. I believe he has chosen to run for this position with the sole motive of improving the institution of the Port of Columbia, and thereby the local community. He is sincere, serious, iron-backboned, level-headed, even-handed, and entirely incorruptible.

Seth Murdock

Dayton, Wash.

To the editor,

The City of Dayton has been faced with some challenging issues, in the past as well as currently. These are times that try men’s hearts. The answer lies in having strong leadership, accountability, and transparency. During the upcoming election cycle, we have the opportunity to put in place, via the will of the people, and through an honest voting process, those that can fulfill that role.

Where do we look and who do we look towards in finding the prime candidate? Ideally, befitting of our small city, we would want a slice of ‘Americana’. We want someone that has the values, morals, and ethics that coincide with the overwhelming majority of the local, conservative population. Further, one with strict fiscal accountability.

Tyler (Tiger) Dieu has entered the race for City Council position #7. In Tyler, I find that he meets or exceeds those succinct expectations. I say this by way of having been afforded the opportunity of getting to know Tiger (it is what his friends call him) quite well over the last three years. Tiger and I are both volunteer firefighters with fire district 3. We both drive the ambulance. We sit on the Dayton Volunteer Firefighters Association, and lastly, we are both members of Blue Mountain Search and Rescue.

What I see in Tiger is an absolute eagerness to serve his community in so many ways. He has a heart of service and a passion for the youth, and the elderly, in this community. He is hoping for a bright future for his three young boys in Dayton. I want to see drugs out and a prioritization of necessary spending Tiger told me during a recent conversation. We need to build cohesion, and respect for people in this town he stated.

Ultimately, Tiger stands for, in his words, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Tiger is a member of, and supported by, the Columbia County Conservatives. Please join me in voting for Tiger for City Council position #7.

Steve Tapio

Dayton, Wash.