Letters to the Editor: Support toy drive for miners, Eastern Kentucky
Toy drive for Eastern Kentucky
Once again, Heritage Baptist Church in Lexington will be going back to Harlan on December 14 with hopefully a truckload of new toys. We will be collecting toys at the church at 163 N. Ashland Ave, from 9 a.m. to noon this week through Friday.
People from Central Kentucky have been so generous since we started this journey back in August with collecting school supplies and then winter clothing that were delivered in August and November. Our initial goal was to help out the Blackjewel miners, which we have been able to do, but we also broadened our giving to include anyone in Harlan and surrounding counties that were and are in desperate need at this time of year.
For the Blackjewel miners, and many others, this year has been very bleak and we are trying to just help out by providing one brand new toy for these parents to pick out for their children. Many of the parents have told us that this one new toy will be the only thing under their trees. Our goal is to collect 2,500 new toys, if you can help, it will be greatly appreciated.
Terry Aldridge, Lexington
Barr must go
President Donald Trump in my opinion improperly intervened in the case of Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher. I have a lot of military in my family: one active duty and several veterans of various branches. I am disturbed that Trump’s involvement leads to a weakening of military discipline.
I am greatly disturbed that our current 6th District Congressman Andy Barr is not pushing back on President Trump’s totally improper action. This is yet another reason Barr needs to be replaced as congressman.
I am a lifelong moderate Republican in the same mold as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and our two former Republican senators, John Sherman Cooper and Thruston B. Morton. I am very proud that these two senators were part of the moderate Republicans who helped pass the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts when many Southern Democrats and conservative Republicans opposed extending these rights to African-Americans.
It is time that we return this government to the rule of law, which has been woefully lacking these last three years. Barr is serving the interests of the 2%, his special-interest donors, and his hard-right caucus leaders. He needs to be replaced.
Chuck Eddy, Lexington
Vets did job
I am human scum, just like William Taylor, top diplomat to the Ukraine (and a West Point graduate), who served 18 months in Vietnam. I served two years there and now the president of the 40 percent chastised Mr. Taylor and all like me who have served our country without demanding glorification but just going about doing our job, with or without bunions. I think many of us suffered numerous afflictions (non-battle inflicted) such as hepatitis, dysentery (I did), drug addiction and overdose, etc.
I worked in military intelligence as a code breaker. Can you imagine that if I broke a code (which I did) stating 40,000 North Vietnamese Army troops were heading south on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and the president said, “Your intel is all wrong. I know more than the generals.” That kind of narcissistic thinking puts lives in danger.
Now to disrespect those (the Kurds) who took up arms to defend their “homeland” and for our president to tell them, ‘Oh, you can just move near the oil wells where you’ll be safer” is like telling 80 percent of the residents of Lexington to move 20 miles east or south or maybe to five miles west of Versailles.
Bob Hoeller, Lexington
200-year-old truth
I recently read an essay by Washington Irving entitled “English Writers on America” and came across this line: “ . . . truth is knowledge; whoever, therefore, knowingly propagates a prejudice, willfully saps the foundation of his country’s strength.” Although this was written exactly 200 years ago, the daily tweets escaping Washington, D.C., over the past three years only serve to bear witness to the truth of Irving’s insight. Elected officials, cowering cross-legged on the ground with hammer and chisel in hand, chipping away at our foundation. Is this how great civilizations end?
Edward J. Kasarskis, Lexington