Letters and comments for August 19, 2009

Dependent on government

To the Editor:

The founders of America designed a constitutional nation based on independence and liberty. Individual independence free of governmental interference for all things not legal. A liberty to make choices pertinent to you and your family and the responsibility to perform those charges without relying upon the government. The government was not designed or charged to be another mother.

We are now faced with a government interested in strengthening themselves under the disguise of creating benefits for the citizens. The path to accomplishing this sham is “give-away”-type programs outside the original constitutional charges. These programs are of the nature that jerk heartstrings and make you feel guilty if you don’t support them.

In reality, these programs are intended to make more and more people dependent upon government support. The more dependent the people, the stronger it makes the government and the weaker we become. That is necessary to increase the government power base by threatening to remove a program due to funding — a threat parallel to becoming hungry with the prospect of meals being reduced. People would quickly support programs to alleviate that threat, thus strengthening the government power base (voter base). We have a tendency to accept current gifts regardless of future cost.

Obama’s adviser, Rahm Emmanuel has stated, “Never waste a good crisis,” and in government eyes, the current joblessness is such a crisis to not be wasted as it puts more people dependent upon government support. It also enhances the support for government-provided health care services that would increase dependence upon the government. This is especially true under the label of being free to all except the so-called rich, a seemingly great gift from the government to be paid for by someone else. That unnamed someone else happens to be our grandchildren and their descendants.

Most of us were taught that our family responsibility was to provide and care for our offsprings. The offerings by the government reverse that teaching to the point our future generations are to support us. Is that really what America is about?

Gene Erwin

La Grande

County fair is tops

To the Editor:

Our names are Pam and Jerry Witmer and we live in Forsyth, Mont. We lived in the La Grande, Union area about 20 years ago. We came back for a visit and Jerry played in the fiddle contest sponsored by the Blue Mountain Old Time Fiddlers. The contest was very well run and we really enjoyed it.

We had a great day starting with the breakfast provided by Safeway, which was a nice community service. We love the family atmosphere of your fair, the exhibitors, livestock and the fiddle contest. I have been to many small county fairs over the years and feel yours is the tops.

If all goes well, we hope to be there again next year.

Jerry and Pam Witmer

Forsyth, Mont