Letters

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Comrade Obama and his merry band of morons in Congress have had quite a plateful in these past six months.

The great leader has given us "stimulus 2," a complete disaster that will bankrupt our nation, Obama care, rationing, OMW (Obama Motor Works, no warranty), a tax increase for 20 percent of American's "tobacco."

On the governmental front, he's politicized the Department of Justice, demoralized our intelligence agencies, placed Clinton era retreads, tax cheats and political hacks in high government office -- not to mention 30-plus "czars" who are accountable to no one but his excellency.

The list goes on. Why bore you with what you already know?

The new scheme of late are two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate. HR-45 and SB-2099, known as the "Blair Holt Firearm Licensing Record of Sales Act of 2009." This law will require you as an individual to declare all of your firearms on your federal 1040 tax form for 2009.

You will be required to pay $50 for each firearm. Your firearm will be registered. You will undergo a physical mental evaluation, fingerprinting, etc. Failure to do so will cost you one year in a federal prison. The bills will only become public 30 days after being voted into law.

Talk about "thief-in-the-night" legislation. If this concerns you, contact your senators and congressmen. Remember, the Second Amendment backs up the others.

P.S. If you plan on visiting Washington, D.C., bring a floatation device. The municipal waste is rising daily.

JOHN J. GWYER
P.O. Box 165
Bentonville
July 31, 2009

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Supporters of convicted murderer Jody Lynn Bradley are concerned that a permissive criminal justice system operating in a society that puts "children first" so frustrated Bradley that he was compelled to assume the roles of arresting officer, judge, jury and executioner of Brendon Barker.

Ironically, it is that same permissive system that has shown Bradley a quality of mercy that he never accorded the 16-year-old. At the present time -- from the point of view of Bradley at least -- the system may not be so bad after all.

Defenders of Bradley portray him as a man frustrated with his attempts to regulate the life of his daughter and to protect her from the dangers of illicit sex and substance abuse. He has the right to protect her and his home by whatever means available, they say.

Given his apparent absence of remorse, though, it is likely that his real motives for killing Brendon were not derived from his sensitive moral conscience. All we can do is suppose this and that, but when we base verdicts and sentencing on supposition, rather than on facts, we shake the foundations of the legal process.

The sanctity of human life demands uniform sentencing in murder cases, particularly those not involving self-defense or requiring the use of deadly force. When a sane individual has a choice as to whether or not to take another person's life, and when that person goes ahead and kills, a substantial mandatory sentence should be handed down. Otherwise, we pay mere lip service to the first entitlement of our democracy: "life."

JOHN CLEM
680 Cave Spring Lane
Edinburg
Aug. 22, 2009

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

If Judge Hupp does not take action on the miscarriage of justice in the Bradley murder case, he endorses vigilantism in Shenandoah County.

Puppy love and teenage rebelliousness are not punishable by death. These were 16-year-old kids.

No one took Bradley's threats seriously, knowing no rational human being shoots another human being for trespass. Bradley is either irrational or inhumane.

One juror tried to convince the jury it was an accident? Not even Bradley claimed that. He admitted, with no remorse, that he raised the gun and shot Brendon.

And by the way, where was the prosecutor's righteous indignation in defense of the county's citizens to match the defense attorney's passion? Why did he refer to a 16-year-old boy as "Mr. Barker"? He was "Brendon," a junior at Strasburg High. Brendon, who was cornered and cowering with his head down in front of Bradley, wielding a .44 magnum pistol, was shot at near point-blank range.

If this miscarriage stands, we are all at the mercy of the inhuman and irrational. If this stands, my fellow citizens, keep your children close to you, and beware the self-appointed gun-toting vigilantes.

Richard Rhoades
45 Hillside Acres Lane
Mt. Jackson
Aug. 24, 2009

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

"Supervisors say regional jail a "no-brainer." I guess it could be if you listen only to the proponents of the project who stand to gain untold amounts of money from the building of a regional jail.

Sheriff Carter has gone before the board several times with plans and figures for a local jail, which seems to fall on deaf ears and he is asked to bring more information to their next meeting. What the people who stand to gain a lot of money from the construction of a regional jail say is regarded as gospel.

The supervisors seem to be caught up with the 50 percent of cost from the state, which may not even happen.

One of my concerns is the operational costs added to our already strained budget, which we will have no control over. We will have to pay what we are told, whether we like it or not. The people who stand to gain the most dollars for their pockets are the very ones disputing Sheriff Carter's plans.

I am not nearly as concerned about inconveniencing Warren and Rappahannock counties as I am of inconveniencing the people of Shenandoah County for years to come by paying for whatever the state deems it wants to do with this project.

Even our so-called administrator seems to be campaigning for a regional jail. I didn't think this was a part of his duties.

All in all, it makes you wonder who all the beneficiaries are if a regional jail is built. It seems our current Board of Supervisors has apparently forgotten they were elected to fulfill the wishes of the people of Shenandoah County and what is best for us. They seem to vote for what they want regardless of the consequences to the people. It seems from their past actions their goal is to grow county government regardless.

I'm not sure the supervisors understand that we are in a recession.

JOHN F. MCCOY
478 Sand Ridge Road
Toms Brook
Aug. 24, 2009

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

We read a lot of bad news in the papers, but there is good news also.

This past weekend I was reminded how many good people there are in our community.

The women of the Bennett's Chapel Church held a diner to benefit a young man who had a bad ATV accident. The parking lot was full of cars of folks who wanted to help. Joe Swiger, who is not a member of that church, donated enough corn on the cob to feed 100-plus people. It was an evening of good food and fellowship with everyone doing his part.

Again Joe Swiger offered corn to Warren County Habitat for Humanity to sell. Twenty dozen went in a hurry and all money went to Habitat. Buyers were generous and $90 was received.

There are a lot of good things happening in our area.

PEARL CROWDER
1224 Rivermont Drive
Front Royal
Aug. 24, 2009

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Recently I received an e-mail joke saying "Al Qaeda members who have sworn the destruction of America had better hurry; President Obama is beating them to it." I chuckled, forwarded it to a group of friends and went on with my life.

Sometime later, while discussing the ongoing health-care machinations, it suddenly struck me: That e-mail may not be so far off base after all.

In just seven months, this president has already succeeded in pitting rich against poor, insured against uninsured, black against white (through his "stupid" comment), private against public sector, young against elderly, nationalists against globalists, proud Americans against apologists.

When someone as obviously intelligent as Obama does all that, I cannot dismiss these conflicts as unintended secondary or tertiary consequences. I must assume that, in Obama's mind, either the primary reasons are of such import that the secondary and tertiary consequences are irrelevant or alternatively that the secondary and tertiary consequences are indeed intended and actually his real objectives.

As astute a student of behavioral science as Obama is, I now believe what I'd rather not: that he wants to tear down the America we know from the inside, by internal conflict if necessary, and remake it more to his liking.

The administration is now considering behavioral studies to determine why people feel the way they do, why they act as they do and why they don't act in other ways. In short, to determine what makes Americans "tick."

Is this so they can find ways to influence our behavior? If I don't believe in what this administration does, or behave the way they think I should, will they next look to change my behavior through re-education and indoctrination?

This president's every move has been to the detriment of private enterprise and individual freedom. His initiatives would create a society so dependent upon the government that it risks losing its free will.

Americans would do well to remember Ronald Reagan's statement that "a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have."

Lalit "Pip" Piplani
536 Poor House Road
Front Royal
Aug. 27, 2009