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Opinion
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OPINION
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Fauquier Times | September 23, 2020
Correction
In a letter to the editor last week, Mike Straight wrote that he attended TJ High School. It was changed by the editor to read Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the school’s current name. But while Straight was attending high school, it was just Thomas Jefferson High School. Straight said he didn’t want “to misrepresent” his educational beginnings.
Fauquier County must change now
The time has come. It has been a long time in coming. Centuries. But the time has come for Old Fauquier County to defibrillate into the present tense. Now. And to observe in 2020’s ambulance rearview mirror that “data” is somehow present tense seems comical, at least to those of us who (have to) work in other (real) Virginia counties.
But of course, Old Fauquier County is “different” than other Virginia counties. Old Fauquier is graced in the python-grasp of an archipelago of ancient beneficents: sultans, princes, lords, masters of the universe, etc., for whom that ineffable chronological quantum between the “world wide web” and “data” holds no practical application in lives blurred through chopper blades between Upperville and Positano.
But all is not well, for all, on the luxury-lined Titanic that is Old Fauquier County. You see, some of us (have to) work. And some of us who (have to) work have children. And some of those children don’t board in London (where they have “data”).
So, to opine now that COVID is the tip of the iceberg that sunk Old Fauquier County is to miss this careening meteor of a point entirely. Old Fauquier County has sleepwalked itself off a century-high cliff, and not buzz-driven itself into some temporary, and murky difficulty.
Do you know, Old Fauquier County Board of Supervisors, that one can now find five bars of cellular signal in much of Rappahannock County? Some of you just realized that makes Old Fauquier County now the most ass-backwards county in the United States (West Virginia, Mississippi and North Dakota notwithstanding).
Stone walls are nice. I have stone walls. But cell towers are better than stone walls because stone walls can’t educate my children (the ones that don’t board in London, where they have data). And I’m not a cellular radio engineer, but I don’t think too many stone walls need to be demolished to erect cellular radio transmitters on every single existing power line pole in Fauquier County. I see power lines outside my window, and everywhere else I look in Fauquier County. Why don’t I see cellular antennas on every single one of them? Come on.
Fox hunting is pretty. I blithely crack a smile when they “ride through” in their $14,000 knickers. Good for them; I begrudge no master of the universe a tallyho (or two) through my property in $14,000 knickers. And I’m not a fiber optics engineer, but I don’t think all that many hunt clubs need to disband in order to string fiber optic cable between every single existing phone line pole in Fauquier County. I see phone lines outside my window, and everywhere else I look in Fauquier County. Why isn’t there fiber optic broadband in every home already served by existing phone lines? Come on.
This is easy. It’s not hard. Because where there is a will there is a way. And to say: “Data is the same as sewage, you moved there!” is false equivalence. No one made the education of children contingent upon sewers. Education in Virginia is a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right. Sewage treatment isn’t. Besides, I can buy a septic system, but I can’t buy a cell tower. And a septic system only helps me: but a cell signal helps everyone.
Even masters of the universe dial 911 now and then. Now they can dial from their choppers in Rappahannock County. How about Old Fauquier?
Come on.
BEN DRONSICK
Delaplane
Donald Trump has not kept his promises
In response to A.M. Rezelman (Fauquier Times, Sept. 19, “In defense of Donald Trump’s America) who tries to defend Mr. Trump by stating that the country values individual rights like freedom to assemble in a place of worship, or for a protest, or not to wear a mask … I would like to say hogwash. Americans have the right to assemble for worship, and contrary to current events, has the right to protest (but I guess they only have the right to protest if it is a cause that Republicans believe in).
But Americans do not have the right to endanger others because of a health crisis. Do people complain when they cannot enter a store without shoes or a shirt? There are countless facilities that forbid entry for those not wearing shoes or shirts, because it is a health issue. Where are all the protesters complaining about that??
And concerning the statement that he was doing everything he promised in his 2016 campaign, where is the wall that Mexico paid for? Where is the great new health care plan? Oh yeah, he did help to drain the swamp ... He hired them and most went to jail.
Now Mr. Trump did not create the COVID crisis, but he has done nothing to slow it down, despite admitting to the journalist/author, Bob Woodward, months ago that the virus was deadly and was a plague.
When questioned at his latest rally if he was worried to have so many people gathered inside during this medical crisis, his response was I am safe because I am several feet away from all of the people. He did not show any concern toward the others in attendance. What a great guy!
Trump has not done anything but try to con voters to re-elect him. I am an independent voter and have voted for Republicans before. If you vote for Trump in November, you and all the other Republican members of Congress are condoning his countless lies, his incompetence, his stupidity, his racism and you must agree with him that the veterans in cemeteries are losers and suckers.
If that is called being an American, then you can call me un-American. I believe in the medical experts and not the snake-oil salesman. Trump is not an embarrassment as a president, he is an embarrassment as a human being.
DAN OWENS
Amissville
If I could speak to the person(s) who have stolen my political yard signs (third time), I would say in my most Reaganesque disarming manner, “There you go again.”
Because I would really like to know what is motivating them. Maybe they would tell me they think trashing my sign is the patriotic thing to do — y’know –- keep our beloved country from being ruled by an autocrat. Or maybe they have disdain and disgust for our country and really prefer revolution.
If I get the chance, I would try to first soften them up with some of my best “Dad jokes” and then turn the discussion to some more constructive uses of their passion and energy. Maybe they could promote a candidate that supports their more liberal policies. Or they could volunteer with and fund efforts to feed, house and enfranchise people who are suffering in our community. I am pretty sure we could have a meeting of the minds.
However, if unsuccessful, I could at least warn them that though I am a bit miffed at their antics, my wife, on the other hand, is becoming nearly apoplectic (great word, huh?). Her measures to deter so far (life-size cardboard cutout of John Wayne in the front window and a game camera) have been for naught.
And I overheard her mumbling in the backyard, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men (people). Only the Shadow knows.”
MIKE STRAIGHT
Warrenton
Support Bob Good for Congress; he will help Donald Trump rebuild America
Nov. 3, 2020 will go down in history as one of America’s most important days. We have reached the “fork” in the road. Do we turn to the left and succumb to the “allures” of socialism? Or do we continue down the road with traditional American values?
The choices are clear. The Democratic party has moved far to the left. They no longer believe in traditional American values. They have become socialist at best. And every time socialism has been tried people lose their freedom and their standard of living declines.
The only winners are the rulers. Prior administrations, Republican and Democrat, have allowed millions of American manufacturing jobs be shipped overseas for cheaper labor and less regulation. Big business and the Democrats now work together to keep this going.
This has been a huge hit against America’s middle class – the heart of America, President [Donald] Trump is bringing jobs back to America. He is rebuilding America’s middle class. The Democrats don’t like this.
We must re-elect President Trump and continue rebuilding America for everyone. This cannot happen without senators and congressman who will work with President Trump. One such person is Bob Good, Republican candidate for 5th Congressional District. He knows what is needed to keep the district working. And he is a strong supporter of President Trump. Together they can bring back the jobs.
The Democrats seek equal outcomes – everyone the same. Republicans seek equal opportunity where we are free to go as far as we want.
JOHN GREEN
Bealeton
DEBATE, from page 5
Social Security
On Social Security, Farnsworth asked how the candidates would protect Social Security for today’s seniors and strengthen it for future generations.
Rashid answered by accusing Wittman of “work[ing] with the president to try to defund social security, even supporting the repeal of the payroll taxes, which would effectively harm Social Security and Medicare.” Rashid said.
“We need to protect Social Security by strengthening it and by making sure our senior citizens know that it will be accessible to them when they are ready to retire,” Rashid said.
Rashid further said Wittman has “refused to stand up to the president” to demand that he not repeal Social Security.
For his part, Wittman said, “We absolutely have to honor our commitment to our current Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries and those who are nearing eligibility.” He further called for raising the income threshold on which Social Security withholding applies, saying: “Once somebody makes $137,700, they no longer contribute to Social Security. Instead, there shouldn’t be a cap. That way, we’re increasing the amount of contributions into the system.”
Rashid pounced on Wittman’s failure to mention preserving Social Security for future generations, saying: “Think about what he just said. That we need to honor the current commitment. That means that he is, again, supportive of getting rid of Social Security altogether for those who may not have qualified for it yet.”
COVID-19
Rashid and Wittman also sparred over the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Americans.
Wittman, who has a master’s degree in public health, said that he is “fully committed to protecting Virginians and raising awareness about how public health issues impact lives and communities.”
“We have to develop a vaccine and we must do so quickly and effectively. And we must continue to focus on masking, testing and social distancing,” Wittman said.
Rashid said Wittman had not criticized President Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic, even when Trump called it a Democratic “hoax.”
“The frustrating thing about this is that we have seen our economy shrink by one-third, 30 million Americans are on the cusp of eviction, our small businesses have been decimated … and we still refuse to get cooperation on this virus from the president,” Rashid said. “... [Trump] took the longest job growth economy in the history of this country, and my opponent helped him drive it into the ground.”
Climate Change/Green New Deal
Farnworth asked both candidates if they believe climate change is primarily caused by human activity, and if so, what their plan is to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.
Wittman responded that “we absolutely need to protect the environment.” But Wittman added that “we can have the debate on how much man contributes to climate change or we can focus on ways to address these changes.”
Wittman did not answer whether he believed that climate change was caused by human activity, even after Rashid repeatedly pressed him for a response. The U.S. government released a major scientific report in 2017 that says humans are the dominant cause of the global temperature rise.
“We can and must protect our environment by promoting policies that encourage clean energy like nuclear, hydropower, natural gas, wind and solar,” Wittman said.
Wittman also attacked Rashid for his support for the Green New Deal, saying Rashid was “pushing a far-left socialist agenda” that would cost taxpayers trillions. Rashid countered by saying the Green New Deal could create millions of new jobs in the green energy sector and help create a more sustainable and energy efficient economy.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Setting the record straight on misinformation about President Donald Trump
I want to reply to two similar postings, in the opinion page of the Fauquier Times, Sept. 16 claiming that President [Donald] Trump said that the military are “losers” and “suckers.”
The Atlantic magazine claimed that anonymous sources said this. The author, Jeffrey Goldberg, later admitted that anonymous sources “are not good enough,” as reported by the New York Post, but the damage was already done. I take this as a retraction as there was no evidence of this ever being said.
Some government officials, like former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, who is a known Trump critic, even said, “I was there for that discussion” where he didn’t hear such comments. (This was Sept. 4, reported by The Hill and The New York Times, etc.)
The Washington Post, Sept. 15, said that former Deputy Chief of Staff, Zach Fuentes said, “I did not hear POTUS call anyone losers.”
In the same Washington Post article, it stated that former deputy assistant to the president, Jordan Karem said, “This is 100% false. I was next to POTUS the whole day! The president was greatly disappointed when told we couldn’t fly there. He was incredibly eager to honor our fallen heroes.”
Per the same Washington Post article, others who also backed the denial of such comments, are Secretary of Defense Mark Esper; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie; Chief of staff Mark Meadows; National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien; Lt. General and National Security Advisor to the Vice President, Keith Kellogg; former Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney; former Chief of Staff to the Vice President Nick Ayers, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany; Assistant to the President Alyssa Farah and Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere all agreed that President Trump never said these things on that day.
The Washington Post is not good to our president so, for them to report this is a big deal.
The Vox internet news quoted a tweet from Dan Scavino (on Sept. 3) saying, “I was with POTUS in France, with Sarah (Huckabee-Sanders), and have been at his side throughout it all. Complete lies by ‘anonymous sources’ that were ‘dropped’ just as he begins to campaign and surge. A disgraceful attempt to smear POTUS, 60 days before the presidential election! Disgusting!!”
Dan Scavino is the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for communications and director of social media.
Also, keep in mind, this is a smear campaign close to the election.
It is this type of false information that hurts someone that is working harder than any president in the past and loves this country more than any before him, that makes me sad.
The supposed anonymous sources, vs the real people that went on record, further supports that this did not happen.
By the way, just recently, President Trump is directly responsible for recent peace agreements but CNN and the others either don’t mention it or barely mention it at all.
GAIL GIBSON
Warrenton
Joe Biden would offer experienced, compassionate leadership for our country
A recent Facebook exchange yielded this comment, “To be as educated as you are … you have to know that Biden cannot run this country … what has he accomplished? ‘Convince me.’”
“M” laid down the gauntlet and I accept the challenge. These conversation threads often get lost in the abyss of social media and so I am sharing my thoughts here.
I did not include the disparaging comment “M” made about former Vice President Joe Biden’s intellectual abilities. I decided that it didn’t merit repetition and distracts from the main point, which is Biden’s ability to govern.
First, if you’ve listened to VP Biden speak in recent months/ weeks, you will readily hear that he is intelligent, articulate, compassionate and thoughtful. This includes extemporaneous speaking with everyday citizens. Check any number of videos of Biden interacting with others in interviews, at the podium, or socially distant campaign events to confirm my point.
Accomplishments? He was the youngest person ever elected to the Senate at age 29, soon after losing his wife and infant daughter in a tragic car accident. He had the fortitude to carry on with his duty and still parent his young sons traveling between D.C. and Wilmington, Delaware, every single day.
Biden was chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1995. He introduced the bill that became the Violence Against Women Act -- a vital piece of legislation that helps protect women from abuse, sexual assault and stalking.
He was chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee twice: 2001 to 2003 and 2007 to 2009 and has impressive foreign policy experience -- something particularly critical in 2020 given our poor global standing, alienating our allies and pandering to our enemies.
He resigned from the Senate to be vice president and an influential VP he was— orchestrating the successful withdrawal of thousands of our troops from Iraq and tilting the decision in favor of the auto industry bailout, saving millions of jobs and the communities that relied on those jobs.
Finally, besides receiving the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom; in March 2017, Biden received the Congressional Patriot Award. It’s an award by a bipartisan group of leaders recognizing his work in successfully crafting legislation with Republican and Democratic support. If ever there was a time for healing this nation and working across the aisle, this is it.
Is there any comparison between this faithful, intelligent, decent and dedicated public servant and the current White House occupant? Yes, disposition, decency and experience matter in the job of president and VP Joe Biden has all three in abundance.
Thanks for asking, “M.” Biden’s accomplishments in service to his country considerably eclipse anything we’ve seen in the last four years. Biden has demonstrated his skill in bringing together various factions to enact meaningful change. When you consider this, the raging firestorms in the West, the pandemic and the collapse of our economy, the choice is clear.
KATHY KADILAK
The Plains
