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OPINION
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Fauquier Times | September 16, 2020
2016 Trump voter: Denigrating military heroes is the last straw
In 2016 I was among hundreds of thousands of voters who “held their nose” and voted for Donald Trump. As a Marine who served this country for 31 years, I didn’t have faith that Hillary Clinton had the moral ethics to lead my country; in spite of his flubs on the campaign trail, I thought that Trump would grow into the job.
I was wrong in a big way.
I have remained somewhat silent however, because after all, in spite of losing the majority vote, he won enough electoral college votes to assume office. During his tenure, I have listened to mainstream TV, cable outlets and reports from the Congress as they discussed the president. Their clear biases and partisanship aside, there has been general agreement that (a) most of the news isn’t “fake” as he claims, (b) COVID-19 isn’t a Democratic hoax and it isn’t going to magically go away, (c) Russia interfered with the 2016 election and Trump was the benefactor, (d) he doesn’t always tell the truth and (e) he thinks more of autocrats, dictators and adversaries than he does of our nation’s intelligence agencies. I bit my tongue while these reports streamed out – seemingly day after day after day. After today’s breaking news, however, I can and will not remain silent.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump publicly stated that Sen. John McCain, for having been a prisoner of war in Vietnam, was not a hero, but instead was a “loser” because he was captured. For some reason, Trump is still obsessed with denigrating McCain’s memory and continues to attack him after his death. Add to this the very recent reports of Trump’s vile comments about the military and it’s not a stretch to see that they fit a pattern he has molded through his own recorded words. A leopard
Today, I visited the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport to see not only the amazing “World War Two Flying Fortress” on display there, but to see the beautiful new terminal. The display of the plane was great, but the importance of the terminal is greater. It will bring in more corporate jets and business prospects.
Flying into a crummy, broken-down old airport with no amenities does not attract busidoesn’t change its spots.
According to multiple sources, Trump has privately said that service men and women are “losers” and “suckers.” Among the many breaking stories on this, he is reported to have called Marines who died in combat “losers” and he doesn’t understand why “anyone would volunteer” to serve their country in the military.
Normally, I would chalk this up to election politics, but this time is different. This time, the story fits a pattern that Trump has painted on national TV several times. This time, I’m going to remember the last four years when I cast my vote. This time, I hope and pray that those who blindly follow this man and who unwaveringly believe what he says take a closer look at more than just a single news source. This time, instead of believing what Trump says, I’m going to believe my “lying eyes” and ears.
This time, I hope my fellow veterans believe their eyes and ears. This time, I’m not going to be the sucker or loser.
Every American’s vote is a personal choice. Volunteering to serve in our nation’s armed forces is a personal choice. Becoming the commander-in-chief who is charged with supporting those who serve is a personal choice. Trump wasn’t drafted into this job, he volunteered.
Respecting our military and our veterans – honestly caring about them and their families isn’t a choice. It’s a mandate. It’s a mandate on which I consider the current commander-in-chief to be an enormous loser. In my mind and with my vote, Mr. President, I take great pleasure in proclaiming that “You’re fired.” ness. Flying into a beautiful new terminal where there are amenities, a pilots lounge, Wi-Fi, restrooms and showers, and state-of-the-art conference facilities
And the more
JIM GEHRIS
Midland
In defense of Donald Trump’s America
In response to Ms. Martens’ take on “Donald Trump’s America” [Fauquier Times, Sept. 2], I would like to point out that we live in a country that values individual rights — to assemble in a place of worship or for a protest, to leave our homes, to travel, tonot weara mask — even though these activities have a negative impact on the spread of COVID-19.
President Trump did a fine job of listening to the people in 2016 and has done everything he could to keep campaign promises, until blocked by the media and crooked members of Congress. When he took the oath of office, he swore
I would like to thank Coy Ferrell for his excellent reporting on the Fauquier County administration’s use of Federal CARES grant funds. It was reported locally a few weeks ago that Fauquier County employees may receive Federal CARES funds for child care expenses. The current reporting still leaves this matter as a possibility, or at least as a murky issue. Some federal CARES funds may have already been used for this purpose. That is unclear.
I wish to remind Fauquier County administrators of the language in the federal government’s guidelines for CARES expenditures:
In: https://home.treasury.gov/ system/files/136/Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Guidance-for-State-Territorial-Local-and-Tribal-Governments.pdf
I draw attention to the specific language on exclusions following section 6. "Nonexclusive examples of ineligible expenditures"... ... item 3. "Payroll or benefits for employees whose work duties to defend the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, their families and their neighbors.
As in the American “Wild West” an armed society is not only a polite society, it is preferable to a dis-armed people who, without the means to fight back, can be herded off their property or into train cars headed for extermination.
People are free to blame the president for lawlessness, diabetes, sanctuary cities, drunk drivers, the opiate crisis and anything else they can think of in a loud, clear voice.
A.M. REZELMAN
Warrenton
County’s CARES Act expenditures should be transparent to taxpayers
But that doesn't make it a fact. are not substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency."
Emphasis is mine; subsidized day care is a benefit.
I urge our county administrators, who are responsible to the taxpayers and to the spirit of CARES Act purposes and associated fiscal responsibilities, to pay close attention to this matter, prepare a full accounting of your actions and present that accounting to county citizens in clear and coherent manner.
Everyone is on edge due to COVID-19 and it is safe to say that Fauquier County taxpayers have no patience with special treatment of county employees. If there is “means testing” of CARES funds allocation to childcare, please report on the specific methods used and the recipient class(es).
BRUCE CRANDALL
Broad Run
On Sept. 10, Fauquier County supervisors approved a spending plan that allocates $25,000 to create an employee day care
will bring business. The renovated Warrenton-Fauquier Airport.
program. See page 3. planes that fly in, the know that the county considers more fuel is sold. That’s what it the Airport an “enterprise fund” is all about. Our taxpayers should and contributes very little tax
payer money to support it. The airport must do its best to support itself on hangar rental fees and fuel sales.
The beautiful new terminal was made possible by the many millions of dollars that Colonel Darrah, our excellent airport director (a distinguished former Marine flyer and veteran), was able to bring in from the state and federal governments, as well as the very generous donations of friends and supporters of the airport.
KATIE HERITAGE
Marshall District
The novel coronavirus and the national shutdowns associated with it are the latest in a long line of recent struggles that the U.S. farming community must overcome.
Agriculture is by far Virginia’s largest private industry, bringing in $70 billion annually and employing over 334,000 commonwealth residents. Without question, the state’s farmers need more relief from the government during this time of great need. Unfortunately, however, some federal bureaucrats are considering putting more taxes on their backs instead – less than three months before a presidential election that farm country will play an instrumental role in deciding.
Federal bureaucrats recently initiated an investigation into whether they should tax imported Moroccan and Russian phosphate fertilizer at approximately 71% and 30%. Industry groups, from the American Farm Bureau Federation to the Agriculture Retailers Association, as well as a robust friend of farmer coalition in the U.S. Senate, have all sounded off objections in letters to the agency and department. Understandably so.
Phosphate fertilizer is a significant and costly expense for today’s struggling farmers. At the same time, it’s also one of the few products within the agricultural industry whose price has declined in recent years. Bureaucrats imposing new import taxes on it would undercut this rare and much-needed cost decline for our state’s planters and growers when they could really use the break.
Mosaic, a U.S.-based Fortune 500 fertilizer company, seems to be driving the federal government’s investigations. Nevertheless, the facts don’t corroborate Mosaic’s claims.
Within its complaints to the government, Mosaic objects to the government incentives that Morocco and Russia give their phosphate fertilizer companies. But nearly all producers receive government incentives – even Mosaic itself. Since all countries distribute some form of aid, taxing these other countries’ products won’t level the playing field for the U.S. It would tilt it to Mosaic’s benefit and U.S. farmers’ detriment.
Many American farmers would have no choice but to pay the significant premiums on these countries' imports. Morocco and Russia control over 85 percent of the world's phosphate supply and the U.S. doesn’t have enough phosphate to meet its own farmers’ demand.
It isn't easy to see any benefit from these new taxes, especially at this time and under these conditions. These federal bureaucrats should stop their investigation before the agricultural industry succumbs to another hardship. Virginia’s farmers deserve better.
MARTHA BONETA
President, American Family Farm Foundation Paris, Virginia
Stop bashing President Donald Trump
Enough of the President [Donald] Trump bashing! You would be better spending your time reading the Bible!
Proverbs 21:2: “All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves heart.”
KATHY PREZZANO
Warrenton
Everybody get together, right now
“C’mon people now …”
When I was a younger knucklehead growing up in Northern Virginia (1964 to 1969 in Annandale) my high school (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology) social studies teacher let slip that in Arlington, specifically 928 Randolph St., there was, for all the world to see, a national headquarters for the American Nazi Party.
My friends and I were flabbergasted! In our abbreviated teenage way of thinking we could not understand why our country, which had just recently fought a world war to throttle those Nazis, could allow them to promote their anti-Semitic, racist ideas right out in the open. We actually doubted the teacher even had it right. So, with lots of free time and a newly acquired driver’s license we decided to check it out.
Sure enough, as we drove past said address, we saw signs indicating it was the Nazi headquarters and noticed a large swastika banner prominently displayed in their bay window.
Talk about cognitive dissonance (a concept later learned in college) slapping us right in the face. But wait. That wily social studies teacher, having been apprised of our little field trip, used it to drive home a lesson on the First Amendment’s protections of free speech and the right to peaceably assemble. American Nazis as well as Communists could speak, assemble and even run candidates to be the President of the United States (once for Nazis, four times for Communists).
So, the other morning when I woke up to find my yard sign missing for the second time, I figured someone(s) had concluded that the rules had changed. No more free speech and maybe private property was no longer a reliable principle. My signs happened to support President [Donald] Trump. I have heard Biden-Harris signs have been taken as well.
“C’mon people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now” (Youngbloods, 1969) Great song, look it up!
If not “love one another” we should at least honor and protect the freedom/rights that have made us an unusually open and tolerant society.
MIKE STRAIGHT
Warrenton
Negative letters are a natural reaction to Trump, ‘the man in the Oval Office’
This is in response to the letter from Nancy Anderson published Sept. 9. (“Letters page is biased against president”) I’d like to suggest the negativity exposed in the Fauquier Times opinion page may be a reflection of the conduct of the man in the Oval Office. Ms. Anderson also suggests the credibility of the Fauquier Times may be compromised by the information published. In what will she have us believe? The internet? Or Donald Trump’s tweets?
I don’t believe Donald Trump is the problem. He is what he is. The problem is the irresponsibility of the American voter. In 2016, Donald Trump was not qualified to be president of the United States in any category. If you voted for him because you thought he would “shake up” the governing of the U.S. or you didn’t like Hillary Clinton’s attitude: shame on you. We could lose this country. Are we going to let the Russians pick our president again?
WARD O’BRIEN
Warrenton
In our heart of hearts, we know the truth
With so much going on, it’s hard to keep up these days. When I started this letter to the editor, I was going to write about our president encouraging people to commit a felony, by voting twice in the November election. Before I could put pen to paper, Mr. Trump insulted our military and veterans by allegedly calling those who have served and died for this country losers and suckers.
As a veteran and West Point graduate, I am particularly appalled by Mr. Trump’s latest reported broadside against the military. Some will claim that he never uttered these words. The history of the last three-and-one-half years shows us otherwise, and in our heart of hearts, we all know the president did make those remarks.
This is a man who has denigrated our allies, insulted John McCain, scoffed at Gold Star families, and belittled veteran and double amputee, Sen. Tammy Duckworth. He has no respect for our military, our veterans or our country. All of this from a man who didn’t serve, when he had his own opportunity.
Whether voting absentee or in person, I urge you to vote only once this year. Cast your vote to remove this man from the presidency. Our veterans, military and war dead all deserve better. As American citizens, so do we.
MAX HALL
Marshall
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 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.
