Area continues to vote red and blame Cuomo, even thou region’s woes predate current governor
Editor:
First, I would like to give credit to Mr. Harker for essentially republishing Mr. Shaw’s letter to the editor.
Having spent my entire life in rural Western New York, I have observed enough in my years to understand that politics and religion rarely function well together. This relationship often reveals the true hypocrisy that is often the root of the “holier than thou” attitude Mr. Harker speaks of.
Raised Catholic, I always found it odd that so many conservative Christians championed pro-life rhetoric and the care for unborn fetuses. Once that child was born, it needs to pull itself up by the bootstraps and better itself, just like the rugged Americans who came before it. A group that claims to be pro-life has its ranks filled with many who find the death penalty acceptable, are fine with placing kids in cages while depriving them of basic human rights, or labeling them as “bad hombres” and criminals if they attempt to escape violence and persecution in their homeland (and no this is not representative of all Christians).
Mr. Harker claims that he does not feel powerless, but in the same breath places the blame on New York’s economic woes on Andrew Cuomo. I wonder if Mr. Harker supports efforts to break Upstate New York away from New York City? A movement that is rooted directly in feeling voiceless and powerless in an increasingly liberal state.
I am old enough to recognize that Albion and parts of Orleans County look the same as they did twenty years ago. That the economic downturn of the rust belt predates Andrew Cuomo, yet the one enduring political aspect of our region is our commitment to voting red. So please do lecture us about the Democratic downward spiral of the state. We can always hang our collective hat on our esteemed recent history of Congressional Representatives:
Chris Jacobs of Delaware North and Boston Bruins family fame. A man who threatened the longevity of the US Postal Service because he could not tell the difference between the Yes and No buttons.
Chris Collins, the original Trump lackey convicted of insider trading, later resigning in shame, and later being pardon in greater shame.
Chris Lee, the esteemed Representative who resigned after soliciting a woman on Craigslist.
A rather impressive list of “common folk” who demonstrate good, Christian values I suppose? At least you didn’t elect that Marxist, Communist, Socialist Democrat Nate McMurray, right?
Mr. Harker steps forward to criticize Mr. Shaw’s quotation of Biblical verse. Despite the early verses being directed at slaves, husbands, and wives, it is not out of context as the final verses of 1 Peter 3 speak to all Christians. Peter calls Christians to unify around the way of Christ (not Chris), be sympathetic, love one another as family, demonstrate compassion, and be humble. I believe that is what strikes at the heart of Mr. Shaw’s letter.
In closing, it was not the weather that made me leave for North Carolina. It was not the taxes, nor the fear of losing my guns, nor Andrew Cuomo himself. A simple drive through the countryside, perhaps the flags that Mr. Shaw spoke of, encouraged the move.
Matthew Ballard
Statesville, NC (formerly Clarendon, NY)
