LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Bachmann's not paranoid, she's right

8/2/2012

Your July 21 guest editorial, "Ms. Bachmann's paranoia" said U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and a "fringe group of conservatives believes that Islamic fundamentalists have infiltrated the deepest recesses of American government." Ms. Bachmann and these few decent conservatives are correct.

The Obama Administration has supported the Arab Spring and the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East.

Pretend-conservatives such as U.S. Sen. John McCain and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio may not question the loyalty to our nation of Huma Abedin, deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ms. Abedin may not pose a threat to our nation's security; at least let's hope not. However, having more Americans who support or have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood appointed to governmental positions will prove to be detrimental to our nation's future.

This may not be the 1950s, and the age of McCarthyism may be long gone, but at least a few of our elected officials see the threat to American security coming from within.

If America doesn't wake up to what is happening in the Obama Administration, the nation we know will cease to exist.

Mark Campbell

Genoa

 

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Distracted-driving issue gone in B.G.

How heartening it is to see that Bowling Green City Council can heed public input about an issue, then reconsider and retract flawed legislation.

A proposed, somewhat vague distracted-driving city ordinance that not only encompassed existing state law, but expanded the law to an unreasonable extreme, was withdrawn this week.

During the past month, numerous residents appeared at City Council meetings and wrote letters to the local media to object to the vague language of the ordinance. Previously innocuous activities such as eating french fries while driving, holding a cell phone, drinking coffee, turning on the radio, and looking at a map could conceivably have become primary offenses.

Leaving what constitutes "distracted driving" up to the discretion of each police officer also was problematic.

Another complaint was that fining motorists for such a plethora of reasons would have unjustly filled police department coffers.

Of course, drivers remain subject to state law that bans texting, using any hand-held electronic device, or using a laptop computer while driving. But at least we can eat french fries and drink coffee if we're careful.

It's nice when things turn out right in our democracy.

Sally Medbourn Mott

Bowling Green

 

Who all is behind redistrict change?

There is likely to be a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this November to change our state's redistricting process ("Petitions filed to alter remapping; Voters First, We Are Ohio want amendment on Nov. 6 ballot," July 4). Behind it is a group called Voters First, supported by groups such as the League of Women Voters, We Are Ohio, Progress Ohio, and a host of unions.

The argument for this amendment is that it would make redistricting more open. For whatever reason, though, the proponents refuse to list all of the groups that support them. If I'm going to support them and their argument that our state constitution should be changed, I want to know every group and union behind the proposed amendment.

Voters First should practice what it preaches and be completely transparent to voters.

Barbara Spencer

Monclova Township

Editor's note: The writer is a former Monclova Township trustee

 

Attention to Israel a ploy for votes?

I was happy to read on The Hill Web site that President Obama indicated to his staff that he will be going to visit Israel for the first time in more than four years in his second term. Mr. Obama has been to Israel only once, when he was running for president in 2008.

Isn't it odd that only now, in the late stages of another run for the presidency, when Jewish votes are again needed, the President has announced his intent to revisit the United States' closest friend in the Middle East? Somehow, during three and a half years of befriending Israel's neighbors and traveling to many other countries, he never made it to Israel.

But I am not discouraged, because candidate Mitt Romney visited Israel. I wonder if he too was looking for some of those Jewish votes.

Isn't it like politicians to court a voting bloc only when it's to their benefit?

Rollind Romanoff

Sylvania Township