Editor:

The Coronavirus Pandemic has evolved into a political football that keeps getting kicked up & down the field with neither goal line in sight.

The death of George Floyd has made “rioting” synonymous with “peaceful protest” and “looting” synonymous with “reparations.” Criminal activity has become the norm while the Police are scorned and ridiculed.

In a little less than three months, we’ll all have a choice to make. And in my mind it’s really quite simple: Constitutionality and Law & Order vs. Government Corruption and Liberal Chaos.

Don’t cry if you choose the latter and your life doesn’t turn out all “peaches & cream”… like you were promised.

Steve Smith

Churchville

Greetings,

COVA EMS was established in 1979 for the sole purpose of treating and transporting the sick and critically injured patients in the Orleans County Community. This includes the Village of Albion, Towns of Albion, Barre, Carlton and Gaines. COVA has always been there not only for our community but for the surrounding communities in their times of need. Over the years COVA has continued to change with the times to meet and exceed this demand. The transformation of COVA has progressed from an all-volunteer agency to a blend of both paid & volunteer staff.

Due to the declining insurance reimbursements, default payments, as well as our increased operational expenses our ability to continue to operate and serve the community is in jeopardy. COVA wants to remain a community based ambulance and would like to secure ambulance services for the residents. We need you to contact your municipality to show your support. COVA EMS wants to continue to serve the people of this community to the best of our ability and the only way we can continue to do so is with your help.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT,

Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance, Inc.

Sincerely,

Laurie J Schwab, Paramedic
Chief Operating Officer

Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance
239 South Main Street
Albion, NY 14411

Office: 585-589-4163 x205
Cell: 585-322-4058
Fax: 585-589-0263

www.covaems.com

Editor:

August 7th was designated “Purple Heart Day,” a time for Americans to pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who were either wounded on the battlefield or paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.

I received my Purple Heart in Vietnam in 1969. The Purple Heart is a symbol of the brave men and women who have put their live on the line to protect this nation’s founding values. Included in those values is the right to protest since this nation was born out of the act of protest.

While President Trump and his Republican sycophants storm the streets of Portland, Oregon and other cities, (unwanted and unwelcomed by local authorities) with officers, in unmarked and unaccountable uniforms, ostensibly to protect federal buildings, thousands of Americans die because of President Trump’s and Republicans’ failed leadership on the Covid-19 crisis.

Another founding value is the right of citizens of this country to vote in safe, secure and honest elections. Republicans have refused to take any measures to secure our elections from foreign interference.

The President has welcomed assistance from Russia, and tried to get the governments of Ukraine and China to assist in his re-election. When asked about foreign help for re-election, Mr. Trump stated: “I think I’d take it.”

While Democrats in the House have passed several bills strengthening our election laws the Republicans have failed to take any action on them. As a combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient I would like to ask newly elected Congressman Chris Jacobs does he support sending in unaccountable federal troops against the wishes of local officials and does he support foreign interference in our elections?

Does Mr. Jacobs support President Trump’s canoodling with President Putin while Russia puts a bounty on American troops?

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

On August 10, the Orleans Hub reported on the results of the survey compiled by George McKenna regarding acceptance or opposition to the proposed Heritage Wind project in Barre.

In summary, 735 surveys were sent out, with 258 returned (35 percent) and 176 of those 258 returned (68 percent) offering a resounding NO to the project.

A previous letter to the editor suggested that those results indicate only a 20 percent objection to the project (176 of 735). Sorry, but that math is completely invalid.

Using elementary statistics, one can calculate the “95 percent confidence interval” of the result.  In other words, what is the possible range of NO votes that would have been recorded had everyone responded to the survey?

The calculation yields a result of 63.4 percent to 72.6 percent would oppose the project. There is a 2.5 percent chance the actual result would be lower than 63.4 percent, and a 2.5 percent chance the actual result would be higher than 72.6 percent.

Proper mathematical methods are needed to produce accurate results.

Steve Royce

Appleton

Editor:

Sen. Kamala Harris is a magnificently qualified VP choice. She first came to my attention several years ago with a successful initiative to help children. She knows good communities start there.

She got top marks as an executive running a huge law enforcement department. She quickly rose to prominence as a respected leader of both Republican and Democratic Attorney Generals.

Harris  is additionally ready from legislative service on foreign “Intelligence” protecting us and “Judiciary” protecting The Rule of Law.

Nothing was handed Senator Harris and she overcome obstacles anyone born with a silver spoon in their mouth cannot fathom. She cares but is no one to trifle with. She is no nonsense about getting consensus and the job at hand done.

Kamala has demonstrated detailed knowledge of the matters before her as a Senator. She knows the legislative process first hand and how to work with others. Even Lindsey Graham has voiced deep respect. (Let’s see if he is now forced to flip.) Calling her socialist or radical left does not square with her career.

If you have watched, anyone, left or right, trying to feed her a scripted or evasive answer will find her ability to strip them bare devastating. With her mastery of the actuals facts and reliance on very forthright questions, even brazen liars crumble. AG Sessions ended up mumbling. AG Barr stopped answering to avoid perjury.

Vote for her or not. But check her record yourself no matter what gets made up and thrown about in this election season. You will find she can listen, analyze, organize, communicate and lead.

Kamala Harris is an exceptional, historically talented and capable candidate.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:
Big kudos to Dr. McKenna (“well-to-do-radical”) for fighting with more than his own opinion. Any “real pollster” would understand that a 35% response rate is at the very top of the norm.
I’m not in this fight but I recognize good, righteous effort, which is hard to find in these dark times.
I also appreciate the recent letters from intellectuals and want for more. It gives me hope.
Sincerely,
Kenneth B. Gminski
Holley

Editor:

Sounds like the phony baloney “survey” in Barre was a bust. Less than 25% of households are opposed to the project. The opponents will spread the falsehood that 70% are opposed.

That’s a bold-faced lie. A similar lie was spread by SOS in the Town of Yates, where I live. Real pollsters are laughing at your 35% response rate on a “hot button” issue. Anyone appearing before the Barre Town Board meeting this week and saying “survey says 70%” will have the same nose as Pinocchio.

Barre residents, don’t be swayed by a handful of well-to-do radicals who don’t care how much you pay in taxes.

Ralph E. Smith

Lyndonville

Editor:

I read recently your published letters from Mr. Thaine and Mr. Lauricella and felt compelled to answer Mr. Lauricella’s characterization of K-12 education. Seeing as I have been in school for a while (RIT Microelectronics B.S. 2010, University of Rochester Biomedical Engineering M.S. 2013, Ph.D. 2018, Current Post-Doctoral Associate), I feel well placed to comment here.

Throughout my schooling, I have always placed a very high value on my education from Albion High School (valedictorian, 2006), where I learned many things about our republic (and others, see: Rome), in addition to the many Arts and Sciences I enjoy professionally.

I am not persuaded that I was taught “political correctness, multiculturalism, that they are global citizens, anti-bullying, I need a friend benches, common core, to embrace the homosexual LGBTQ agenda, handed out condoms and birth control, that racism is hiding in every corner, and this year the completely revisionist history of the 1619 project and white fragility. To hate and guilt themselves for the way they were born and the white color of their skin.”

I seem to remember primarily learning about the challenges (sometimes life-or-death) that many different groups of people faced getting to our country, and staying here. Parts of my family immigrated here after WWII, and my father’s teacher (and long-time family friend) escaped the Soviets in Hungary after destroying their secret files, knowing no English. Learning about these struggles and different perspectives is part of the richness of our country.

“What makes us superior to all other countries and a nationalist model is our constitution and bill of rights. Our genuine American culture. We can go anywhere in the world and as soon as we open our mouth you hear Ahh an American. Being American means you are best.”

I do not agree. Having traveled a bit in my studies (University of Nottingham, U.K. 2013, 2015-2016) and worked with many brilliant minds from all over the world, I would say the advantages of any researcher (or American) are to work diligently, admit our mistakes plainly, try again, and fix them. That is how we can be the “best”; it’s simple to say, but hard to do (see: Constitutional Amendments). Many of the items in the previous list are attempts to do just that, though it is clear Mr. Lauricella and I would disagree on some of their effectiveness. Only time will tell if they fix the issues that led to their elevation in the first place. If not, we’ll try something else.

My own observations over the last 6 years from discussions with many international visitors and students coming from Iran, China, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, India, Sudan, Libya, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Mexico indicate that we are rapidly losing any perception as being a shining city on a hill, or the “best”.

It is a mistake to believe that we live isolated lives anywhere on this planet, no matter how much we may wish for it at times. There may be 10 billion people on this planet in 30 years, somehow we will have to manage on our pale blue dot. I believe that if we are to lead spaceship Earth into the future, we will do it through “Achievement, Character, and Success for Life” – the mission statement at Albion Central School.

Greg Madejski

Gaines

Editor:

Let me first start by sharing my appreciation for your commitment to free speech and providing an avenue for residents (and past residents) to share their opinions.

With that being said, I am gravely disappointed by the abhorrent and putrid ideas that are festering in my community back home. Something clearly changed in society within the last four years that has permitted individuals to share such vile opinions without concern for others.

In a recent letter titled “Don’t let ‘leftist indoctrination’ rule in school classrooms,” I see an apparent objection to educating younger generations.

Over the course of several letters directed to the editor, the author seems to indicate that our children would be better served in ignorance, unable to critically question what is happening in the world around them. This belief encourages us to accept the great American experiment as an unquestionable success and for that reason, we have ascended above all others. Anything else is pure “Marxism.”

At some point we will stop setting up these straw man arguments, drawing attention away from the true issues put forth. The author would prefer that we understand the genocide of Native Americans at the hands of Europeans as acceptable because of the alleged “genocidal treatment by Indians against other Indians.”

How dare we suggest that our founding fathers were racist? That the enslavement of human beings, the auction or sale of people, is acceptable in some way because “the slave trade was initiated by African kings.” Then again, this is the same person who denies the existence of white supremacy and systemic racism. If we believe hard enough, or at least ignore enough, it does not really exist, right?

At this exact moment in time, there is nothing that makes us superior to all other countries. We are organizing a presidential election while two global superpowers are openly preparing to influence the results. Our nation is currently debating the future of Confederate monuments, statues erected to the memory of white supremacists who lost a war over 150 years ago; seems quite contrary to our founding beliefs?

There is no need to tap into the statistics from that “hoax” called COVID-19 to see where we rank globally. At this point, it seems as though we cannot even guarantee those inalienable rights Jefferson defined in the Declaration of Independence.

If educating oneself to critically question our history and society makes them a Marxist, I guess I am a Marxist? Instead, I would encourage the author to pick up a copy of Marx’s Communist Manifesto and redefine his understanding of socialism, communism, and Marxism. Otherwise, we should expect to regularly read the continued regurgitation of Trumpian rhetoric that so easily defines the right.

Matthew Ballard

Statesville, NC (formerly Clarendon, NY)

Editor:

Mr. Thaine. Your complete leftist indoctrination by the American education system proves the points of my letter. The communist and socialist party’s smile when they see what a good job they have done with your mind and they didn’t have to fire one shot. We are a country unlike any other where although we have made mistakes, we right our wrongs. Just read the Bill of Rights. The ugly righted wrongs left there for all to see.

You say the violence in the country is warranted? You teach children? Scary, frightening. Is the genocidal treatment by Indians against other Indians taught? These people were savagely brutal to one another as well as whites. It is a fact that many had slaves that they brought along with them on the Trail of Tears.

You are aware that the slave trade was initiated by African kings in now Benin and other west African countries. They raided and captured other Africans and traded and sold them for gold to the Muslims, British, Portuguese, Dutch and many others. That’s is some real Black on Black crime.

The men who fought and gave us the greatest republic mankind has ever witnessed and yes a superior country to any and all as we have a bill of rights. Not a set a rights given to us by government, men in black robes or case law, but a set of rights given to us by the creator, by God. Natural rights. Both slave owner and abolitionist ratified and signed our constitution. Both knew the end of slavery was coming. The creation of this great republic was what was most important and necessary to meet that end.

What makes us superior to all other countries and a nationalist model is our constitution and bill of rights. Our genuine American culture. We can go anywhere in the world and as soon as we open our mouth you hear Ahh an American. Being American means you are best.

I guess you would have to be a legal immigrant that came here from an oppressive communist socialist country to understand what indoctrinated people take for granted.

Most important teach your own children the truth. Do not rely on the Marxist point of view that children are obviously getting in school. Thank you Mr. Thaine for exposing that.

Paul Lauricella

Yates