Letters to the Editor: A political survey

Calverton

A political survey

Raise your hand if you voted for this:

1. A president betraying Ukraine and forcing them to accept giving up territory to a war criminal who committed illegal aggression.
2. A president who betrayed his campaign promise to lower prices on Day 1, instead imposed irrational tariffs that increased inflation and then lied about doing it.
3. A president who ordered National Guard and U.S. military into American cities to combat non-existent crises.
4. A president who defies international law by bombing small boats off the coast of Venezuela without knowing whether they contain drug runners or fishermen.
5. A president who himself avoided military service, but calls for the jailing and execution of six decorated members of Congress for restating the Military Code of Conduct they served under.
6. A president who fought vigorously against releasing the Epstein files.
7. A president who stonewalled during the government shutdown in order to raise health care costs for millions of Americans.
8. A president whose cuts to foreign aid have already caused sickness, death and/or food deprivation for two million people around the world.

Congressman Nick LaLota, look around!

You’re the only one with your hand still up!

Jerry Silverstein 

Southold

Shop the community

This holiday season, you might be surprised by how many great gifts are closer than you think. The North Fork is full of them.

It’s still tempting to do all your shopping without leaving the couch — tap an app, scroll a little, hit “Buy Now.” We’ve all done it. But some of the most memorable gifts — the ones that feel personal and truly thoughtful — come from right here in our own community.

From handcrafted jewelry, artwork and clothing in our village shops to local wine, gourmet treats and restaurant gift cards, the North Fork offers something for everyone. You might give a spa day, a home design consultation, a family photo session or tickets to a local performance. And for the practical gift-giver, consider a landscaping service, a heating tune-up or a month of dance or fitness classes — gifts that are both useful and supportive of your neighbors.

Shopping locally does more than add meaning to your holiday giving. It strengthens our community. Every purchase supports local jobs, fuels other small businesses and helps keep our downtowns vibrant. It’s a simple choice that has a real impact.

So before you open an app, take a moment to look around the corner. Visit our shops, restaurants and wineries — or explore the North Fork Chamber’s online business directory — to find local options for everyone on your list.

When you shop local, you give twice: once to the person receiving the gift and again to the community that makes the North Fork such a special place to call home.

Wishing everyone a joyful, meaningful and truly local holiday season,

Judy McCleery

president, North Fork Chamber of Commerce

Southold

YMCA? Yea!

So excited about the potential for a YMCA in Southold. A place to swim year round, take water aerobics, water strengthening and fitness classes, and engage in community activities. The therapeutic benefits for those of us with arthritis or recuperating from joint and medical procedures are enhanced by water resistance exercises.  Aside from adults and seniors benefiting from use of indoor pool(s), a facility provides children, toddlers to teenagers, opportunities to learn how to swim — so essential with our water-enriched topography. 

Programs are not weather- or seasonally dependent, and enable lifelong learning, using a Red Cross structure. Swim teams, lifeguard training, stroke training and employment opportunities are all value added to our communities and to individual health directions. This is in addition to the social bonds and friendships fostered by YMCA classes. 

Traveling daily to Riverhead to swim at the community college is not ideal. The membership cost is not feasible for all and it doesn’t offer any children’s programs. We need a local YMCA — it’s a long time coming. How can we not support this proposed project?

Jane Kaminski 

Southold

Honesty is the best policy

What an extremely impressive man Ken Burns is. He has made so many extraordinary films about this country and our experiences. His impact is remarkable for me and many others. So very important, in these difficult times, “The American Revolution” is on so many levels. Talk about division.

The series shows how our country and the founders we revere are flawed. It is written: “All men are created equal.” And yet, the author of those words, Thomas Jefferson, was a slave owner. We like to think that we were for independence. And we were, for the Patriots fighting the English. At the same time, owning slaves was fine, as was destroying American Indians. 

This film acknowledges our warts and foibles. It is history. History should not be whitewashed. We need to be honest with ourselves, our children and our legacy. I really believe that if we, and our elected representatives, acknowledge that we have a flawed past and are flawed people, we will be better for it.

Rosellen Storm 

Greenport

Thank you

Thank you, Town of Southold, for the opportunity to serve as your Trustee for one term and as Assessor for two terms. We are blessed to live in a free and safe community. I wish Ken Poliwoda and Leah Sullivan the best success as future Town Assessors. I want to thank Claire Glew and Kevin Webster for their years of hard work and for picking up the additional work in my absence serving in the Middle East. Iraq and Syria just underwent their elections, too. These elections are not quite as free and safe as ours. I don’t think anyone in Southold who went to cast a vote feared a suicide bomber or worried that someone from a political party would knock on their door to intimidate a vote rather than solicit one. We forget: It was not that long ago that ISIS terrorists killed American citizens as they swept through Iraq and conducted attacks around the world. We forget because our attention understandably is focused on what we see around us. In Southold we are safe from the terror that exists outside our borders. This safety comes at a price, which is paid by both service member and citizen. Serving in the New York Army National Guard as a citizen Soldier means one is willing to serve both internationally and domestically. When a hurricane hits, the National Guard Soldier is pulled away from his or her civilian job to assist his neighbor in uniform. The civilian employer loses an employee and pays a price in productivity and profit — but all for the good of the community. When ongoing operations worldwide call upon the National Guard, the citizen Soldier is pulled away once again to assist. The civilian employer once again pays a price. The citizen Soldier risks life and blood but fully understands the greater good in all of it. The citizen Soldier knows that back home, his fellow citizens will cast their votes safely and freely. 

LTC Charles Sanders