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OPINION
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Fauquier Times | August 19, 2020
Last chance to see this pretty tree "I think that I shall never see, A poem as lovely as a tree…” This unfortunate tree needs to come down. I contacted the Virginia Department of Transportation on July 20 and received a response on July 28 that it will be addressed in 30 to 45 days, so I wanted to show off his beauty to you before it is to be removed. However, with all the rain and suspected storms, I fear that it will come down on someone's car before it is removed. It is located on Waterloo Road, about 3 miles west past the WARF on the right-hand side, just before Oakwood Drive, in case you would want to see this remarkable tree.
NANCY ANDERSON Warrenton
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Ballot harvesting, as in Nevada law, is unconstitutional In 2018, Republican candidates were leading in 10 Congressional races in California when all votes were counted on election night. Within weeks, all these races were certified for the Democrats. What had happened? Ballot harvesting. There is a fundamental difference between mail-in ballots for every registered voter and absentee voting. Absentee voting has been a proud tradition since 1864. Mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting are a relatively new phenomenon. Ballot harvesting occurs when a political operative visits a home and volunteers to help a voter make the “right choice” and then they mail in the ballot. On Sunday, Aug. 2, the Nevada Demo-
crat-controlled legislature passed, and its Democrat governor signed Assembly Bill 4. This historically undemocratic measure not only guarantees a mail-in ballot to every registered Nevada voter, but there is no requirement for a postmark; it allows any voter over the age of 65 to request assistance to vote for them, sign the ballot for them, and mail it for them. The new law stipulates that votes can be cast and will be counted up to three days after Election Day. In addition, without a postmark, election officials could be counting ballots in Nevada for weeks. What this means is that if Nevada Democrats, who control the process, do not like the outcome on Election Night, then they can simply har-
U.S. Postal Service must be restored Here’s a quote that is recognizable to all: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” This unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service, which dates from 1914, encapsulates the agency’s actual mission statement (as codified in Section 101(a) of Title 39 of the U.S. Code) – “The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.” Given that background, what in the world is happening to the USPS as we know it today? Apparently, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is unfamiliar with the above information. The latest headlines surrounding the USPS – lack of needed additional funding, delivery slowdowns, no overtime authorized, unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, etc. must have Benjamin Franklin
(the first postmaster general – July 1775) spinning in his grave! For the current administration to allow one of the oldest and (in my opinion) most efficient U.S. government agencies to become a political ping-pong ball is wrong on every front. Every American uses the post office and relies on the services it provides day in and day out; something we all take for granted. If you’ve ever used postal services abroad, you would know that the USPS is more affordable and accessible than in most other countries. The idea of not having this agency’s services which we all are accustomed to unimaginable. That said, Trump ally and fundraiser, DeJoy, who has no experience with USPS operation, appears to be leading us down that path. I sincerely hope that people will see what a real problem it is not having the USPS operate as we expect it to and demand that USPS receive the necessary funding to operate during this unprecedented time.
KRISTEN KING Warrenton
vest enough votes to overturn the outcome. In short, they have made it virtually impossible for [President] Donald Trump to win Nevada. No political party should have the power to change an election. Fair-minded people will recognize that this process is patently unfair, undemocratic, and it destroys the fabric of our electoral system. I am sure the dictators in China, Cuba, and Russia would be proud of Nevada Assembly Bill 4 because this is exactly how they stay in power. Let us hope our federal courts will rule that Assembly Bill 4 and other similar state laws are unconstitutional and an assault on our constitution.
HARRY F. BURROUGHS Warrenton
A matter of life and death The Virginia Legislature began meeting Aug. 18 for a special session to consider criminal justice reform, COVID-19 relief and budget issues. Hopefully we will see an engaged legislature this year, unlike last summer’s special session on gun violence, when nothing happened. I would like to address two of the areas for this special session. First, we have all witnessed the ongoing violence against our Black citizens and communities. While we are fortunate here in Fauquier County to have Sheriff [Robert] Mosier and Chief [Mike] Kochis, the rest of Virginia is not so lucky. That must change. We need police reform and accountability across the state. As the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus says, “we must eliminate law enforce-
Letters to the Editor
The Fauquier Times welcomes letters to the editor from its readers as a forum for discussion of local public affairs subjects. WRITE: Letters to the Editor 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, VA 20188 FAX: Editor 540-349-8676 EMAIL: news@fauquier.com
ment abuse, prevent and punish racist behavior, weed out institutional racism and increase accountability at all levels of law enforcement.” Second, we need to address public health funding for COVID relief in Black communities, along with other communities of color. We know that COVID rates are three to five times higher in those areas why would we not aid our citizens who are most vulnerable? Sen. Jill Vogel, and Del. Elizabeth Guzman, Del. Michael Webert and Del. Mark Cole -- we are looking to you to do your jobs and take care of all of the citizens of the commonwealth. It’s literally a matter of life and death.
MAX N. HALL Marshall
Letters must be signed by the writer. Messages sent via email must say “Letter to the Editor” to distinguish them from other messages not meant for publication. Include address and phone for verification (Not to be published.) Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Personal attacks will not be published. Long letters from those with special authority on a current issue may be treated as a guest column (with photo requested). Due to volume, letters cannot be acknowledged. All letters are appreciated. Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Monday to be considered for Wednesday publication.
