Letters to the Editor: Educate yourself on the issues, then show your power by voting

Vote for justice

There are two Kentucky virtues that I know most of us believe in: justice and common sense. Common sense means paying attention to what is obvious. We know that political ads, especially negative ones, distort truth when they are not outright lies. Let’s ignore them. If we want to know who to trust, look at what that person has actually done. If that person is a politician, then what laws have they supported and who have those laws benefited. Look to the heart of the person. What does he value? Does she actually care? About the country, or more about his or her wealth?

We Americans almost universally say we believe in justice under the law, for everyone — including the highest officials in the land. And justice is not one thing for rich and one for poor, one for conservative and one for liberal, one for white and one for Black or brown. We know this in our hearts. Does anyone with common sense believe that God loves white folks better than Blacks, rich better than poor, conservatives better than liberals? C’mon, Kentucky! Let us vote for what is just and right, or as close to it as we can come.

Rev. Ken McCullough, Lexington

Poll power

Federal judges and the U.S. Supreme Court have at their disposal plenty of ways to suppress the vote. That is why it is so gratifying to see thousands of people, all over the country, standing in endless lines for hours and hours to cast their ballot. In spite of efforts to curtail and disenfranchise, they are letting the rest of America know they will not be intimidated. And I honestly believe that many are tolerating these lines for the sole purpose of letting those in power know they will not be silenced. Interesting times when the simple act of casting a ballot is also an effective protest. The truth of democracy to those seeking to render us powerless.

Ross DeAeth, Lexington

Educate yourself

Each day I’m bombarded by TV ads, newspaper ads, internet ads, all blaring that we should register every voter, make it easier for people to vote, do whatever it takes to increase the number of people voting.

Did you watch either of the national political conventions?

Have you watched any of the TV debates between the presidential candidates?

Do you read a daily newspaper?

Do you watch your local/national news on either of our local TV stations?

Do you watch any national news/political talk shows (primarily on Sundays)?

Have you read the political material mailed/delivered to your door?

Are you familiar with the campaign platform of either party?

Unless you can answer “yes” to at least 50 percent of these questions, I am asking that you please DO NOT vote. You are an uninformed citizen, and although you may have the constitutional right to vote, we don’t need your input on choosing our leaders. Regardless of party, we need every single INFORMED citizen voting so as to potentially choose our best representatives. Uninformed voters merely make it more likely we will end up with an idiot (whatever your version is) leading our government.

Joe Mercer, Lexington

KU helping

If people would stop planting big trees under the electric wires there would be no misshapen trees. I wonder if we have forgotten the ice storms that caused so much misery because of trees falling on the wires. I think Kentucky Utilities is doing us all a service by removing the trees or limbs that can cause so much misery.

Joseph E. Long, Lexington

Baffling behavior

I don’t understand the reasoning of some people who feel that protecting themselves and their fellow citizens is not worth wearing a face covering properly. Many of these people are the same ones who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars buying guns for the expressed purpose of protecting themselves and others. I may have missed them, but I also haven’t seen the protests against laws designed to protect our citizens… you know, those requiring the wearing of seat belts or complying with traffic laws. Do people protest the forced closing of businesses such as restaurants which are found to be operating in an unsanitary or unsafe manner?

Perhaps there is another virus out there which increases irrational behavior and I have been too careful to contract it.

Richard Betsworth, Versailles

This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 2:44 PM.