Letters to the Editor: ‘Hate,’ ‘hypocrisy’ at protests. ‘Fault is ours’ if reopening goes bad.

Shelters a necessity

The proposed Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government budget eliminates funding for most of our local shelters: Greenhouse17, Arbor House, Salvation Army, and Community Action Council. This cannot stand. The COVID-19 pandemic has straitjacketed state and local governments in a way we haven’t experienced in our lifetimes. Having grown up relatively poor, I remember the feeling of panic when the money runs out. Our shelters work to help “drowning” people tread water while they find ways to help themselves. Strangling the shelters is a short-sighted solution to the anticipated decline in our tax base. The whole community would pay many times over: Health care would suffer; crime (including domestic violence), hunger, and homelessness would increase, straining our resources further. Lexington would lose much of the ground it has worked so hard to gain in caring for our neighbors, in being a place we’re proud to call home.

I don’t know the answer. I’m increasing my charitable giving, but my giving will only add a drop to the shelters’ bucket of need. I would gladly pay more taxes if necessary. Taxes are membership dues for the “club” called community. The pandemic is hurting everyone, but we are Team Kentucky! We must help our neighbors in need.

Melissa LeVine, Lexington

Hate and hypocrisy

The Confederate “Stars & Bars,” as well as the Nazi swastika, are established hate symbols. While the right to display such symbols is clearly protected speech, it is both disturbing and depressing to see protesters assembling around these banners during the recent protests at our nation’s state capitals, But, to call yourself a patriot, Christian, and/or a pro-life supporter, and then march under these placards of hate, or even to be associated anywhere near while such hate is flaunted, is the very worst kind of hypocrisy I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.

Michael J. Kennedy, Lexington

‘Playing dress up’

People have the legal right to carry guns in public. I get it. They have the right to carry a Confederate flag. I get that too. But why did they think they needed to carry multiple weapons and wave the flag carried by traitors over 150 years ago who sought to destroy the United States when attending a protest at the Capitol? What did they think they might need to shoot? Bullets won’t kill a virus. Did they think they might need to take a shot at a legislator? Or maybe a police officer or one of the Capitol groundskeepers? Playing dress up and trying to look tough just looked silly and did nothing to win rational people to their cause.

Howard Stovall, Lexington

Trump and Lincoln

Being Abraham Lincoln’s ninth cousin, I found myself offended at seeing this charlatan of a president sitting in front of Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial, giving an interview to his favorite (and only) news channel. But I did smile when I heard him say he has actually been treated “worse” than Lincoln. Do you suppose he actually knows?

Bob Sutton, Springfield

‘Fault is ours’

Governors across the United States are being bullied to reopen their states. I am no stranger to opposition from pushing the first federal hate crime convictions to having Kentucky’s same-sex marriage ban overturned in Kentucky Equality Federation v. (Steve) Beshear. These days, however, the bullies are bolder because they look to a leader who is reckless, spiteful, and without a conscience. From suggestions to overthrow state governments who share joint-parallel sovereignty with a federal government they created, to groups who want a permit to kill, our union has reached a boiling point. Over 58,000 died during the 20-year war in Vietnam. Before the end of summer, we may surpass the number of American deaths during World War I, with the loss of over 116,000 souls. The problem is not that humans have not encountered a deadly pandemic before, the problem is that pandemics are not profitable. Wars, however, are very profitable.

Look around at your friends, family, neighbors, and associates because many of them will not be here in the autumn. The irony is the fault is ours. We have permitted our individual states to be overshadowed by the federal government.

Jordan Palmer, Kentucky Equality Federation, Lexington

Birding bonanza

As president of the Central Kentucky Audubon Society, recently I’ve gotten almost a dozen calls and texts about a “rare” not-really-so-rare bird seen at feeders in central Kentucky: the rose-breasted grosbeak. This species, a long-distance migrant that winters in central and South America and summers along the ridges of the Appalachians and in every state north of us, stops by feeders in Kentucky every year just in time to catch the Derby parties. They’re a pretty reliable sign that you can plant your garden. They’ll spend a week or two fueling up before continuing north. The males, with tuxedo-black back, wings, and head, bleached white bellies and sharp white double wing bars, and vividly splashed red breasts looking like they’ve dribbled fresh strawberry juice down their chins and chests, are impossible to miss. And yet, year after year, people do.

But not this year. This year, we’re watching our backyard feeders. We’re engaging in citizen science in ways we couldn’t without the halt of COVID-19. We’re appreciating nature — and realizing we don’t need to go all the way to the Daniel Boone National Forest or Land Between the Lakes to find it. Good for us. And good for the birds, too.

Tony Brusate, Lexington

Keep McConnell

I am getting awfully sick of Democratic senatorial candidate Amy McGrath’s negative campaign. Her malice has confirmed for me that, indeed, Sen. Mitch McConnell is powerful and with his influence protects Kentucky’s interests. If she can not run on her record, why spend millions of out-of-state funds to malign him? I wonder why our commonwealth would risk sending a rookie with no experience to replace the majority leader of the U.S. Senate.

Steven Caller, Lexington

Remove McConnell

The first COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress basically went to big business, except for the extra $600 payments to individuals receiving unemployment benefits. Hopefully, the second relief bill will go to “small” businesses, not those with a $100 million in cash reserves.

The next big news comes from our senior U.S. senator, Mitch McConnell. He has taken care of big business and proclaimed he has helped the citizens of Kentucky, so he is finished helping Kentuckians. He proclaimed no more relief packages (a statement later walked back), and said he favored allowing states to declare bankruptcy.

But what would a McConnell bankruptcy mean, besides following the Trump formula for success in business. Depending on the bankruptcy legislation that McConnell would shepherd through the Senate, the U.S. bankruptcy judge, as the bankruptcy court can now do in municipal bankruptcies, could raise the tax rate, reduce pensions to pay debts; sell real and personal property owned by the commonwealth, like state parks; turn highways into toll roads, or eliminate state employees.

McConnell is done because he does not care about the everyday citizens of Kentucky.

David O. Smith, Corbin

Costly remark

Congressman Pete King (R-NY) has likened our Sen. Mitch McConnell to Marie Antoinette, who supposedly said “Let them eat cake” when told that the working people lacked bread. Now, Senator McConnell didn’t exactly say “Let them go bankrupt” when queried about the shortfalls in revenue being experienced by the states, but what he said was close enough. Marie lost her head for more than a stupid remark, but his remark could cost Mitch his seat.

What is worse is the depth to which the U.S. Senate has sunk in a pit of partisan politics. The Founding Fathers designed the Senate to represent the states and to help assure that all 11 colonies would join the new federation. Until amended in 1913, the Constitution provided for election of senators by state legislatures. Before the Civil War, the states had a voice in the federal government via the Senate. Loss of that voice during the last century and a half is an interesting story but too long for this letter.

The states need a voice at the federal level. Constitutional history and the structure of our Congress assign that role to the Senate. I wonder who will restore the Senate to its constitutional role and thereby become a truly historic figure, such as Henry Clay.

Charles F. Haywood, Lexington

Broihier, not McGrath

Democratic senatorial candidate Amy McGrath may be “the queen of cash” but all the cash in the world won’t convince me she has the chutzpah to stand up to Sen. Mitch McConnell. She has refused multiple times to participate in public candidate forums. Why? The Kavanaugh debacle speaks for itself and demonstrates how her platform shifts with the winds of political expediency. Her scripted arguments will crumble under the weight of Mitch’s ruthless, unscrupulous, and unethical politics. Having witnessed one of her only two public forums to date, it is evident Amy is incapable of moving beyond her speaking points and convincing us she has a grasp of the issues facing Kentuckians. That’s why I’m putting my full support behind Mike Broihier – an honest, smart, Rutgers educated, retired lieutenant marine colonel, teacher, and farmer who has lived and fought in the trenches of life. Mike is a kind, sincere, honest man who puts people before politics. He’s the only candidate who has the chutzpah to stand victorious against Mitch. Money won’t defeat Mitch, but decency and trustworthiness will.

Rita Osborn, Louisville

Choose Broihier

Many of us want Sen. Mitch McConnell gone. He’s not good for Kentucky citizens — corporate donors win, everyone else loses. But how to get McConnell out, when he’s grown such deep roots into the Senate floor?

I believe Democratic senatorial candidate Mike Broihier is our best bet — he represents many Kentuckians in one way or another. He’s a retired Marine, husband, father, and grandfather. He farms, and has worked as a teacher and a small-town newspaper editor. Broihier tells you what he thinks without apology or double-speak. I like the way he comes across, and I believe I can trust him.

I’m with him on basic principles: a belief in social and economic justice for all, preserving the integrity of our democratic system, re-establishing America’s role in the world. But he doesn’t stop with principles. He has concrete plans to change things for the better. Two examples: his plan to fix the national infrastructure, and his plan to revitalize the Appalachian region. Both would benefit Kentucky and the nation.

Broihier is active on social media, with videos and live streams. If you haven’t heard him speak, you owe it to yourself. Learn more, then vote in the primary June 23.

Kelly Feibes, Lexington