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Opinion Letters and comments for September 10, 2008
Letters and comments for September 10, 2008
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Cimon, Strandberg
The arrogance of the speakers at the Republican convention in their snide putdown of volunteer organizers who do the heavy lifting in our communities, has been matched only by the party’s failure to organize anything at all during the years they took power. What do organizers do? In this town alone the list touches all of us many times over. The farmer’s market; the workshop that connected landowners and wind developers; hospice care and the outreach to those who grieve; the volunteers at New Day who work with the handicapped; the tree planters who have transformed our streets; all the county boards; the planning commission; the Model Watershed; the senior center; and Red Cross. The list goes on and on — all of it community organizing. Each of you could name dozens more I’ll bet. This party, which just a few years ago was touting exactly this sort of grass roots effort, has become almost unrecognizable. Norm Cimon La Grande Recently my daughter and a friend (still in their mid-20s) were doing errands in my car. On my car are several bumper stickers that politely express my political beliefs. As the girls were turning into a driveway an elderly man screamed, “(Expletive) the Democrats!” Thankfully, my daughter and her buddy just had a good laugh at this “gentleman’s” thoughtful opinion. I, however, was appalled. What in the world could be the reason for a grown man to yell such a thing at two young girls? Is he frustrated with the current presidential campaign? Is there an issue that he is particularly upset about? Does he make a habit of yelling obscenities at folks practicing their First Amendment rights? Is this the new Republican strategy to win the hearts of the people? If he is frustrated with politics I would suggest he spend some time or money promoting the party of his choice. If a particular issue is what stirs his passions, perhaps he could find information on that issue and work toward change. No matter what the choice, I sincerely hope that he works at expanding his limited vocabulary so that he can express his frustration articulately. Lynn Strandberg Union |
