Letters to the Editor

RECESSIONS AREN'T THAT BAD--REALLY!

2008-09-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

A record 777 point drop.

Markets are now terrified that they won't get the bail out they desperately want.

But if they do? Where does that leave the American taxpayer?

Up a creek without a paddle.

And a very expensive one at that.

But I think that what Wall Street is afraid is that this recession of ours will get worse if they don't get their money.

Well, I hate to break it to them--but that recession has claimed a lot of people's livelihoods already in the past year. And things are going to get worse before they get better.

That's the nature of these recessions. But none of us should fear something which is clearly out of our control.

Even Wall Street's.

Schuyler Thorpe

XX XXX XXXX

Everett, WA 98206

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

SOME OF US ARE ALREADY HOMELESS BECAUSE OF HIGH RENTS

2008-09-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

After reading a recent letter on the high rents here in Snohomish County (particularly Everett), the writer should take some solace in knowing that because of this trend, my wife and I are being forced out onto the streets because we can no longer afford any place of our own.

Even on Section 8 housing.

But because of some minor credit problems, we cannot rent from anyone whom runs an apartment complex.

And in the 13 years I've lived here (since coming up from Vermont), I have never seen it this bad. But I fear it may be several years before we can get back on our feet.

Only because this foreclosure mess and credit crisis has affected practically everyone with a source of income--even those on fixed like myself.

I wish there was a lifeline that we could hold onto, but the sad fact is...? Every state and city service is tapped beyond measure.

All we can do is wait till things get better.

Schuyler Thorpe

XX XXX XXXX

Everett, WA 98206

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

GOVERNMENT ISN'T LISTENING TO US

2008-09-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

If neither the government nor Congress listens to what the people are saying and demanding in the past week, why should we spend $700B to $1 trillion plus dollars bailing out Wall Street?

I keep getting that tingling thought in my head that we are simply being 'tuned out' by our own representatives and their just going to do whatever the heck they want--with or without our consent or approval.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

HOMELESSNESS ON THE RISE BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL CRISIS

2008-09-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

In less than 9 days, my wife and I will be homeless.

Not because we made bad judgments, didn't read the market right and whatnot, but simply put--because people like me (whom are on low-income)--are simply priced out of both house and home.

The victims of this financial meltdown brought on by the Bush administration's love affair with de-regulation and his rich cronies--has been (unfortunately) homeowners and renters.Homeowners whom lost their homes and have flooded the rental market in record numbers in Western Washington these past several years, and long-time renters (like myself) whom have been relying on public housing to get by; because our normal amount of disability or other government-reliant--checks--is woefully insufficient to keep up with the now staggering costs of renting out even a 1-bedroom apartment.

But because of the crisis, housing agencies have become unable to absorb the extra costs.

And therefore, we were denied our voucher. And since we cannot afford to live anywhere else--becoming homeless once again is a sobering reminder of just how neglected the people have become since the Republicans took over Congress and Bush took over the Presidency.

And now--because of the financial crisis at hand--we are now staring down the barrel of the most expensive bailout in US history. All for Wall Street's benefit, but not Main Street's.

Mine will be on these cold streets of Everett--because there is no home for me or my wife.

It may be some time before we can get back on our feet--if at all. But I never once gave it much thought that we would be affected like this.

But I was wrong. So very, very, wrong.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WORKERS FED UP WITH GETTING THE SHAFT

2008-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

For all the hoopla and rigid defense of the rich and powerful's continued need to keep screwing us where it hurts the most, I'm finally starting to get a small inkling of change on the horizon. (And it's not the kind that John McCain will promise to deliver upon getting (s)elected to the White House like his failed predecessor did in 2000.)

The change I'm referring to is the kind where the American worker (big and small) is finally telling Big Business: "We're mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore!"And why not? Big Business and Corporate America has been screwing the average American out of a living wage, affordable health care, and benefits for *years*.

Our well-being is no longer important to them. All these rich jack rabbits care about is themselves and no one else. How else can you explain why execs are getting paid rich bonuses and other thrifty pay packages and the guy at the lower end of the pay-scale are still getting paid slave wages and no incentives to boot?

Even after years of loyal service?So what do I think of the latest strike by Boeing? I think it's a wake up call to the company to start treating their employees better. With all those billions of dollars in yearly profits, surely a generous increase in pay, benefits, and job security won't cost that much--will it?

Or does Boeing intend on keeping a majority of their workers hitched to poverty wages for however long they intend on working there?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS ARE 'LEADERS' TOO!

2008-09-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

I find it distasteful that Sarah Palin has to stoop so low as to mock the work and dedication that many of our community leaders have done since time immorial.

Makes me wonder if she ever seen or read Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream"-speech?

Because if she did, she would've realized that Obama truly has more experience in dealing with the day to day affairs of the common people--than some glorified 'hockey mom' with a backwater taste for hunting bears and wolfing down overcooked moose burgers.

Simply put, community leaders are a vital part of our society. Without them, the world as we know it wouldn't function.
I just wish the Republicans would know this instead of making light of a life's work that some of us here in America believe in more than politics itself.

Because--when you get down to it--it is the people (not the party) that benefit from their leadership, wisdom, and compassion the most.

It shows that they care enough to put some effort into changing our lives for the better.

That's what makes Obama's situation all that more special. And he should be commended for his work as a community leader.

Not condemned out of sheer spite by Sarah Palin--John McCain's VP pick.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

JOHN MCCAIN'S FLIP-FLOP MAY COST HIM

2008-08-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

As a former Alaskan myself, I find McCain's pick of a female vice-president from my home state to be baffling as much as it is a shock.

It comes as no surprise that the GOP aren't a big fan of women or women's rights in general.

McCain clearly has every intention of restricting women's rights on abortions--with more federal restrictions on the way. He also views gays and lesbians as 'second-class' citizens of America--and harbors little doubt that he'll bomb Iran the first chance he gets. (Just so he can show the world that America means 'business'.)

But what baffles me about McCain's pick is that Palin has zero experience on the national stage.

While his supporters are claiming otherwise--it's become all that painfully clear that this young female candidate of his was more designed to placate Hillary's supporters (to show that he's all for women voters) than anything else.

To satisfy his minority social conservative base, she was the best pick because of her anti-abortion stance.

To satisfy the Christian right, a little cute story about her son with Down Syndrome being carried to full-term.

But her youth and inexperience is what shuts the door on John's attacks on Obama about his own youth and inexperience--labeling him to be more hypocritical than anything else.

How can McCain now continue to attack Obama on his lack of experience when he now has a candidate who is less experienced than him?

If you don't have a migraine now over this general election, you will have one soon enough.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

STATE ISSUES MORE COMPLEX THAN DINO THINKS

2008-08-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Coming online today, I got a glimpse of a campaign banner on my homepage which Rossi declared he would:

Lower Taxes
Reduce the Deficit
Fix Our Transportation Problem

Trouble is, President Bush also promised a lot of things when he ran for office in 2000 and again in 2004.

He lowered taxes for the rich, but increased it across the board for everyone else. (How else is he planning on paying for his nearly $10 trillion dollar spending spree so far? The rich certainly won't be picking up Junior's tab.)

As a consequence, the lack of higher tax revenues by our government has forced it to spend more than it could take in on a yearly basis--raising the deficit by leaps and bounds.

How does Rossi plan on reducing a state deficit that's in part due to the souring economy and falling state tax revenue? Does he plan on making it all "go away" through some magic hat trick, or will he just tell us that "deficits don't matter"--and spend away like Bush did these last 8 years?

Our transportation problem here at home is simply another symptom to a much larger truth that we badly need to revamp our national transportation grid to the tune of $1.5 trillion dollars.

The fact that we haven't gotten any further (or anywhere in some cases) points to the complexity of the issue overall--and requires time to iron out.

Something that Dino hasn't quite caught onto just yet.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHY ISN'T THE HOMELESS AND POVERTY THE MAIN FOCUS?

2008-08-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

The foreclosure crisis has claimed us as the latest victims in the ongoing rental squeeze.

For the last six years, my wife and I have been on housing primarily because of my disabilities. After losing our jobs to 9/11--we've had an especially difficult time getting back on our feet and finding decent jobs.

But the 30% increase in our basic rent over the last 4 years has pushed the two of us closer to the homeless fringe than we ever have since I was single back in 1996; where I spent 14 months out on the streets and in the Everett Men's Mission.

We don't know what to do or who to turn to for help in our latest crisis. City services are tapped out and housing is at its absolute limit in giving us flexibility in where to live.

However, our latest credit check came back rejected and because of that, we don't have a real place live in the six weeks we have left here.

I don't want to face the specter of being homeless or continually living on limited income, but through this, I wondered why isn't our two Presidential candidates addressing the two main issues of poverty and homelessness here in this country--instead of focusing on oil drilling and wars in the Middle East?

I guess my problems just aren't "big enough" to be considered a top priority for either the Democrats or the Republicans these days.

Or anyone else for that matter.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

IRAQ WAR SHARPLY DIMINISHES US INFLUENCE ABROAD

2008-08-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

Don't recall who said it first, but either Petraeus, Gates, or Donald Rumsfeld made boisterous claims that the US could and was "able" to meet any threat that comes up on the horizon--even though we were mired in Iraq.

Like Katrina, the Russian conflict with Georgia made it painfully clear that the US isn't able to respond at all to any disaster, threat, or conflict which has clearly risen to the forefront.

Why?

Because of all the years we wasted spinning our wheels and chasing our collective tails in Iraq. Wasting billions of dollars of taxpayer monies, manpower, and equipment--all to prop up a discombobulated government which clearly has less power than the people whom ran it before it became what it is now: A shadow government for Iranian interests only.

As such, our military heads and our government reps were unable to get the Russians to stop their invasion of Georgia, let alone reverse course in good faith.

All they did was rebuff us, laugh in our faces, and keep marching on.

As someone whom grew up during the Cold War, I never thought I'd see the day when we couldn't even get Russia to play nice.

But I never thought I would see just how little influence we now have on the international stage these days either.

All thanks to the Iraq war. All thanks to one George W. Bush.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

STOP BLAMING CONGRESS AND BLAME YOURSELVES!

2008-08-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

I for one am getting sick and dog-tired of people whining about how high gas prices are going and why Congress and the Democrats haven't done anything about it.

It's no secret that this nation hasn't had an energy-policy worth mentioning for as long as I have been around. But to shift the blame to the Democrats and to Congress when gas hits well over $4 a gallon--is beyond ridiculous.

Neither Congress nor the President controls the price of oil. Get that through your collective heads!

What drives this finite commodity is supply versus demand. I'm sure everyone reading this letter took a course in Home Economics. I know I did.

I learned that when supply is low, demand is high, you get expensive gas. So trying to pin this one on everyone else but ourselves is about as childish as it can get!

WE the people--of this United States of America--have an insatiable addiction to oil. And that's not going to change anytime soon. We also do not have an adequate supply to meet the demand of a nation that so far has refused to even accept change in our daily driving habits or the status quo.

All we can do is blame the Democrats, blame Clinton for not drilling in the mid-90s, or anyone else--but ourselves--for the energy crisis which we now face today.

We caused this problem to happen! But instead of embracing new ideas and new sources of energy, most Americans just believe that 'drilling our way out' will solve everyone's problems!

The sad part is: We don't have enough oil to go around. And that's a truth that few people are willing to accept these days.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

US GOVERNMENT TRAINED THE TALIBAN TO FIGHT THE SOVIETS

2008-08-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

It's astonishing to see so many people with such short memories these days.

Not that I don't blame the letter writer of a recent letter ("Extremists pose an enormous threat") for forgetting and all.

Most Americans these days don't want to face down the consequences of our own actions during the Cold War: We trained those extremists that we are now fighting today.

Yes, it's true.

While the writer gives such historical examples of how much death and carnage caused by the Taliban and blames an entire peaceful religion on the acts of a few nuts on the international stage, not once did he also explain why things have gotten so bad as they have these days.

These extremists didn't just "pop up" all of a sudden and declare war on the US--as some claim. These extremists that we are fighting today are a direct result of foreign policy decisions carried out by a single US President and the CIA during the 80s.

In order to fight the bad Communists in Afghanistan, Reagan and the CIA covertly funded and trained Osama and his people to hold the Soviets at bay in that country. And it worked.

As a result of the stalemate, the US government ceded Afghanistan over to the Taliban as a reward for their actions--where the latter seeds of 9/11 were sown.

Because of what Reagan and the CIA did, today we are fighting those same extremists we once trained and funded.

Wonder what the American people would think of that--if they knew this truth? Or the boomerang effect that we now have to deal with today as a result of our own government's actions back then?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH MUST THINK THERE ARE 300 MILLION TERRORISTS LIVING IN THE US

2008-07-16T00:52:00.000-07:00

In this misguided Age of Terrorism, Bush has been pushing for Congress to give him the unadulterated leverage in which to spy on all of us without court approval or warrants.

This week, he got it--thanks to the spineless Democrats and the rest of the Constitutional-shredding varmints currently infesting the halls of Congress.

Thinking about how our Founding Fathers gave this nation its fundamental rights and liberties, Bush must have been in some kind of drug-induced hallucination into believing that there aren't 300 million Americans currently living and residing within this country of ours--after all--but discovered that he was really surrounded by 300 million Islamic extremists with deep ties to terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda instead.

So out with the Constitution, in with illegal spying for the last 5 years.

And when the government comes knocking on your door--accusing you of being a Muslim terrorist--be sure to thank your telephone carrier for their role in this whole mess as you're being led out in handcuffs with a hood over your face.

Because it was they whom illegally turned over all our personal phone and internet records to the government in the first place.

All without a court-ordered warrant. All done in absolute secrecy.

In the same of fighting terrorism.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

(This letter was published in the Everett Herald of Snohomish County.)

MORE BULLYING, LESS DIPLOMACY

2008-07-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

When it comes down to dealing with rogue nations--or nations we just don't plain like--the status quo of this country has always been: "More bullying; hold the diplomacy mayonnaise and the pickles."

In the last 8 years, we've seen many such examples of our own country reps giving nations hostile to US interests both barrels of 100% True Blue American Bullying. (And it's fat-free!)

Diplomacy? What's that? Is it where we actually have to sit down and talk with these roguish nations or nations we just plainly despise because of a brevity of reasons known only to us, but not to them?

Well...yes.

Talk.

From a historical standpoint, this nation has gotten a lot more done talking to its enemies--rather than bullying or threatening them with force.

I realize that we have no love of Iran for the moment, but talking to them certainly would do more wonders than just desperately wishing to throw missiles and bombs into the heart of their country--with the blind hope that this will work so much better than good old-fashioned diplomacy.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR OIL BLAME GAME TO SURFACE--DID IT?

2008-06-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Personally, I would like to know why The Herald delights in irritating some readers by publishing such outrageous hogwash and ridiculous propaganda in the first place. ("Environmentalists stopped the drilling.")
Blame the Democrats and environmentalists for not wanting the rest of us to destroy every inch of the environment we live currently in? Sure! If it fits the party rhetoric and classic blame game! Let's get it printed! (Should sell the paper more copies, right?)

But I seriously doubt that writer even knows why gas prices are so astronomically high right now, or the real reasons behind our lack of no new refineries or production facilities these last 30 years or so.

It's not just Democrats and environmentalists whom had a hand in clamping down, or introducing legislation to perserve sensitive areas to new drilling contracts all these years, but also Republicans!

Did the writer even consider that in his recently published tirade? I don't think so.

But it's so easy to blame one side when you don't have all the facts and information at hand. Isn't that right folks?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WOMEN EVERYWHERE SHOULDN'T BE AT ALL ANGRY

2008-06-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

I didn't read the whole column ("White Women Takes The Gloves Off"), but the first paragraph about how most female voters feel that Clinton was unfairly 'victimized' by the media (and unproven with Obama)--because she was a woman, says in itself the transparent arrogance by such attitudes--which still permeates our nation's social fabric today.

From my perspective, the moment Clinton got into the ring, she was asking for it. The same with Obama. But to imply unfairly that she was mostly targeted because of her outlying gender is ridiculous.

Many women have been targeted for less than that, but where was the uproar then? It only happens when you're someone important and you happen to have serious name-recognition--does the terms "unfair" and "foul" start to come into play.

Only because you or your supporters believe you weren't given the benefit of the doubt.

In Clinton's case, she was given every opportunity to make her case stick. But she didn't. And she lost.

But not because she was just a mere woman.

That's ludicrous!

Clinton lost because she grossly underestimated the political landscape and the mood of the nation.

But it doesn't mean the world is over because of this. Because of Hillary, many women will now see that they too can reach higher pinnacles of...well, aspiration.

It's no longer a man's world anymore. And that's what Clinton proved in this election.

So women: Why be angry over that revelation at all?

The door is now wide open. The barriers broken. It's time for you to step through.

What's it going to be?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BARISTAS NO DIFFERENT FROM...?

2008-05-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

In regards to the silliness over what women should wear in the workplace, it kinda reminds of all the times I either watched an adult video, skimmed through a Playboy every now and then, or drooled over the latest swimsuit calendar in Wal-Mart or Borders.

I thank both heaven and earth that things like these give guys like myself the reason too keep on living and being happy with my choices in life.

Much like these women dressed in dynamite bikinis at these baristas.

So? Where's the fire? Where's the real threat with some java joint babes dressing differently? I remember a few times we had women parading around in bathing suits in car washes about ten years ago.

To spruce up business. Where was the outcry then?

Why is now any different from a decade ago? Why do we have some people think that women in bikinis has now become something of a public safety menace?

And stalker risks? Please! These places have been hit by robbers more often for their money than anything else. (Does the famous "Captain Jack Sparrow" robbery a few months back ring anyone's bells?)

I seriously doubt they will be going after women in binkinis soley for appearance.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

NO ANSWER TO THE MESS IN IRAQ

2008-05-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Despite one recent letter writer's insistence that things are going "swell" in Iraq, one should always keep an open mind about the sacrifices that our troops are being asked to commit to--both here at home and abroad.

Here at home, we have one Republican candidate and one President whom wants to veto GI funding legislation aimed at giving our soldiers the college education that was promised to them--upon enlisting or re-enlisting--while at the front (in Iraq), we no longer have a clear strategy to win the war in Iraq.

We have an Iraqi government that is the worst example of US-planning ever conceived thus far--an institution that neither wants nor desires unification of any kind--leaving our military to bear the brunt of this occupation/"police-force" until when?

2013? Or 2103? I think McCain said both.

We all know by now that our military has no desire to leave Iraq in its present condition--despite second and third-hand reports that they desperately want to.

But the Iraqi government is neither moving forward or backwards. And we all know what that means, don't we? No progress in hindsight.

However, nobody wants us to stay in Iraq forever--not even by the smallest of margins. But getting out is a question that no one--not even the military heads--can easily answer.

Because no one has ever encountered a military paradox like this one.

So we are down to two obvious choices here: Leave and lose everything we worked for. Or stay and literally bleed ourselves to death over an extended period of time.

Which will it be?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

OBAMA STILL GOING STRONG

2008-05-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

Something I noticed while watching the news today: How so many black pastors are turning Wright's words of hatred and flights of fancy into calls of unity and hope behind Barack Obama's message of change.

I'd say that despite all the mudslinging and exchanges of misguided Republican rhetoric, Obama has shown true leadership and integrity in his run for the White House.

He has shown that he doesn't have to play by the same old rules governing both parties. He can change when he wants to.

And he has changed the way we think and act already.

As President, I can see that he will do so much more. And this...is what we need as a nation: A man whom can change things for the better--instead of following the same tired political playbook over and over, and over these many past years.

If you need an example: Look at the gas tax 'holiday' proposal both Clinton and McCain are currently fielding.

Then look at Obama's. And you will see what I mean.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

MISSION NOT SO ACCOMPLISHED AFTER ALL

2008-05-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

Surfing the news on the 'net recently, I finally got a few answers to a long burning question that had left me scratching my head--like so many others:

"What was the purpose to the 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' banner anyways?

As we all know--five years ago--Bush flew on the Lincoln to declare such a thing: "Mission Accomplished!"

The war in Iraq was over. We had prevailed.

Or so we thought. The symbolism of the banner implied--as the White House had intended--was to signify a victory over our enemies in Iraq: That...we had won...the war in that country--and the President wanted something to portray such a victorious cavet for all to see.

Up went the banner.

Now--5 years later--the White House was simply implying that the banner was supposed to illustrate how the Abraham Lincoln had "successfully" returned from its 10-month mission overseas.

Not how we initially won the war in Iraq.

So did Bush simply 'misspeak' what was later documented in his speech on the carrier's deck? That 'major combat operations in Iraq' were in fact not over?

Maybe on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq war, we'll finally have answers to these questions too.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

PAINFULLY EVIDENT THAT WE NEED TO STAY INFORMED

2008-04-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

I'm going to get this out of my system by saying that if Obama was just every other white candidate, we wouldn't have so many people trying to nail him to the wall for every comment or statement he's said.

As much as McCain and Clinton have screwed up with their 'misstatements' or 'gaffes'--it seems a little bizarre that some individuals here in this country have to go out of their way by blowing everything Obama has said way out of proportion--by trying to paint him to be something he's clearly not.

First, it was his name, then it was his racial heritage. Then it was what his pastor said, then kids and births. Now, it's what he said in Pennsylvania recently about people's inherent nature to fall back on what they believe in are the absolutes in life: Guns and religion--when our own government fails us. Or fails them in particular.

And now, some are suggesting that these latest comments are indicative that he's against people owning guns and practicing their own faiths in good stead.

How did this come about, I ask you?

It came because some Americans in this nation of ours just don't bother with doing enough research, or wish to stay informed. They want to run on whatever floats their boats and thus are rigid and incapable of doing otherwise when the truth finally comes to light.

And that creates--in itself--a disturbing atmosphere filled with many gross misconceptions and 'misstatements'.

One of which creates the impression that our nation is more stupid on the surface than in actual reality.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

HELP COMES FROM THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES

2008-04-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had a pet emergency which required one of our beloved pets to undergo emergency surgery--and thus drained us of our limited monthly budget.

We had no money to get our most basic essentials and we had nobody to turn to in our time of need.

So I hatched on a desperate idea to turn to the 'net to petition complete strangers for help and assistance.

Despite some people's outward reservations and callous e-mails, people from across the world chipped in to help two people whom needed help; and going to great lengths to see that our needs were met for this month.

Even though times right now are tougher than nails.

And that left me and my wife with a feeling like none other. It just reinforces the belief in us that though there are selfish and uncaring individuals out there, some people still find it within themselves to step up to the plate and help others whom they don't even know.

Because it was the right thing to do. And that is the reason why we can't thank them enough for their generosity and assistance in this recent crisis.

I just hope that one of these days, I can turn around and do the same in return.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

(Note: This letter was published in the Everett Herald of Snohomish County, Washington)

CUTTING BACK HURTS EVEN THOSE ON LIMITED INCOME

2008-03-30T02:24:00.000-07:00

Sometime in April, I'll have to do something I haven't done in 8 years: Cut out my phone service completely.

Why?

Because I can no longer afford it or keep up with the payments. It's not to say I've been reckless or irresponsible with my phone service. A recent cut in my already limited income has made me realize that I can no longer keep up with even my most basic bills.

This past weekend, I got another shock: PUD still hasn't credited my 60% discount on my latest bi-monthly power bill--like they said they would.

I'm now faced with a $160 bill rather than $120--despite my best efforts to conserve energy. (As our place sucks in the heat retention department.)

And given Bush's recent upbeat comments that the economy will turn around in a few months? I certainly wish I shared in his fantasy optimism. It would've made my financial pain at home even less of a burden than it already is now in real life.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

FED BAILOUT WILL ONLY HURT US; NOT HELP

2008-03-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

It took me by surprise when I learned that the small bank of Bear-Stearns was on the brink of financial ruin.

It stunned me even more when a rival bank and the Fed decided to "bail out" the bank by giving out a loan that would allow it to remain in operation for another 30 days.

Why does this sound like a nightmare--instead of a candy-coated dream?

I don't remember much of the S&L scandal, but I do know that it hurt American taxpayers pretty bad in the pocket book. (Which John McCain was an accessory to--if anyone cares to recall.)

So why is it in our best interest to bail out bad lenders, mortgage brokers, and investors--from the very "Mary Shelly" scams that they themselves participated in and helped bring about?

The reason is quite clear: The Fed is trying to salvage whatever dignity it has in an equally bad situation. Since the interest rate cuts aren't...how shall I say this...cutting it...? Ben Bernanke has decided the next best thing is to start bailing out the current ship of state--in hopes that this move will lessen the impact the recession already has on us.

He thinks that money is going to solve everything. And in doing so, create the biggest financial mess seen since the days of Herbert Hoover.

Will the government be around to bail us out when that day comes?

Probably not.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

THIS IS HOW STUPID WE ARE

2008-03-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

No matter how much we've progressed as a nation, there will be that glaring Achilles heel in which has dogged us since the end of the Civil War: Racial intolerance.

Anyone of different ethnicity that doesn't prescribe to the all powerful white Aryan race (to borrow a phrase from Hitler's book) gets racially played like a deck of cards:

What is this person's skin color? Is this person gay? Is this person an illegal immigrant? Is this person an American-hating Muslim? Is this person a gimp?

The insults go on and on and on. And--painfully--it's coming from us: The American public.

So lately, I've been on some board forums where people are coming out of he wood works claiming Obama is a Muslim, hates our country, and doesn't say the Pledge of Allegiance often enough.

To make matters even worse, some people are now saying because his pastor went off the handle with his inflammatory remarks, it must mean that Obama is in league with him! He must hate America as much as his pastor does!

And on and on it goes.

Which brings me to my point: We can't stay informed, we can't get our facts straight, and so...? This is the reason why our government has been able to play on our fears like a second fiddle: Because we are so stupid, it's become evident that in the face of truth, we'd rather remain racially intolerant and woefully ignorant.

No wonder the GOP loves us so much.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

ONLY BUSH BELIEVES IN HIS OWN ECONOMIC FAIRY TALES

2008-03-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

Mark my words, this recession we are in is going to be a rough one.

Despite what Bush believes to be the exact opposite of what is really going on with our nation's economy, I'm seeing the effects already--and I don't have to go far to tell you what that is.

Take Wal-Mart for example. I swore I would never shop in this place, because I had always assumed it would take much needed jobs away from our economy.

Until I discovered how many plastic bins I could get with my money--then I fell in love with the place.

To make a long story short, Wal-Mart has been the place of low, low, prices--until I found my usual brand of generic toilet paper and other basic necessities were going up by a dime here and a dime there--all in the space of a month or two--and then I knew that even Wal-Mart was having problems keeping prices low.

And Bush? Bush will always remain Bush. Only he believes in fantasy make-believe. Or in this case...his fairy tale economics.

Where--if you only believe hard enough (like he does)--then all our economic hardships will turn into that real boy.

And if not? Bush will then turn and make a joke about how bad things are going. Because he doesn't believe in the real-world in which we all live.

But he will find out soon enough--just how harsh things are going to get for us all.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

NO TAXES, NO INFRASTRUCTURE. HOW'S THAT?

2008-03-08T22:53:00.000-08:00

You'll have to excuse my bluntness here. But I rarely get the chance to speak my mind on the all importance of keeping and maintaining our state roads and infrastructure.

After I got done reading one writer's letter ("Democrats want our every last dime"), I came away with the impression that people like him whine way too much about paying their share in taxes.

You know, maybe on second thought...maybe we don't need all these renovations to our bridges, fixes in our roads, new bridge spans in our highway system, or anything else that would require millions of dollars to reinforce, repair, or replace entirely.

Heck no! We don't need that! Why? Because some people feel like they are being unfairly taxed to death by a state government that has put more monies into the transportation budget than any state on record.

Remember the W-35 bridge which collapsed because of age, wear and tear? I heard that the city there didn't want to pay any new taxes to get a good replacement in the works. Too much money the people said! They didn't want to pay out!

What happened?

Down went the bridge. People died as a result.

Now, imagine that being one of our major bridges or tunnel spans like the Alaskan Way Viaduct--filled with hundreds of people at the height of rush hour and the whole thing collapsing in on itself.

Then ask yourself this:

What's more important? Your money or people's lives?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

HAS ANYONE DONE A STUDY ON THIS?

2008-03-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

I was pretty elated by the news that our state will soon be granting 172 rights to same-sex couples. While the issue of gay marriage being legalized may be only a couple decades off the beaten path, something else popped up which grabbed my attention.

State Republicans are decrying that such a move would only lead to a rise in the crime rate, juvenile deliquencies, and parents working long hours.

Has anyone thought to doing a study on the impact of same-sex relationships in these three areas...versus traditional marriage?

Because from my personal experience in dealing with same-sex couples (my mother being a lesbian herself), I hadn't seen no rise in the local crime rate, I have seen no children being neglected, but I have seen both my mother and myself (being traditionally married) work long hours to support ourselves and give the same loving attention to our kids.

So it leaves me wondering: On what basis does the state GOP peg their accusations on?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CONTRACT LOSS AMUSES WRITER

2008-03-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

As much as I respect this company for providing much-needed jobs for the greater Puget Sound area, I found myself laughing over the news when it was announced that the aerospace giant wasn't getting the $40B Air Force tanker contract.

I was equally amused when I heard a disgrunted Boeing work sound off with: "Who wants to buy a French plane anyway!?"

Who indeed? (laughing here)

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

MANKIND AND GLOBAL WARMING GO HAND IN HAND

2008-02-17T16:42:00.000-08:00

In regards to a recent letter "What Snow pack Decline in the West"; I took interest in noting how the writer is eager to throw out evidence that global warming has been 'hyped up' by the media--by telling us how much snow we are getting in the Sierras or in the Cascades--as contrary to the belief that such an impact isn't the result of global warming.

While the writer urges that people get educated, the threat of global warming is an all too real event that can no longer be ignored.

For example, there are reports that Lake Mead may dry up by 2021. A major lake in the Southeast--feeding into Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama--may also be bone dry in the next 5 years. What about the massive drops in the water levels of Lake Michigan? Or how how about the recent study where it shows that man does indeed have an impact on the world's oceans?

Just because we don't see global warming in action, doesn't mean it's not there. All these examples show that we are causing a preliminary shift in the way our planet behaves and operates. And global warming is a direct result of our tampering with the very environment that we've lived in for hundreds of years.

After all, we've been able to change the course of mighty streams and rivers in the past. There is little that Man cannot affect now with the right technologies at hand. And the effects tend to take awhile to catch up with the rest of us.

And when they do...? The results are nothing short of spectacular.

Or devastating.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

VOTE SHOULDN'T BE TIED TO PARTY AFFILIATION

2008-02-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

What's the deal here, people? We live in a free country, and yet--in the state of Washington--we are supposed to pledge fealty to one party or another; just so we can vote?

Doesn't that just smack of fascism here?

I noticed an article in the Herald which said that 17,000 votes weren't counted in Snohomish because voters failed to identify which party they belong to.

Um...maybe it's because some of us are sick and tired of being tied to a broken 2-party system and we are voting independently?

Has our election officials figured that out yet? Maybe some of us are just tired of all the broken promises and the partisan flame wars which has consumed our seats of government--and are looking for a change in the status quo.

I for one don't care if these election counting nitwits don't count my vote. In my mind, I belong to no party. And when it comes down to voting, I will vote accordingly.

Because my message is clear on that front: Even this vote counts!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

RESULTS OF THE LAST 8 YEARS MADE PERFECTLY CLEAR

2008-02-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

I fear for the future of my own country as a concerned citizen.

For the last 8 years, we watched as the Republican Party had made it their hallmark signature to demonize their opponents, vilify their critics, and simply call anyone who disagreed with their stance as being "anti-patriotic" and "un-American".

For 8 years, we watched our country's standing do a death spiral down the universal toilet of life--as we adopted many of the same standards as past dictatorships classically embraced as "torture" to the outside world; and nary blink an eye (or a moral fiber) to the unseen consequences belittling our nation as a whole.

For 8 years, we watched as our country's finances get eaten up by massive amounts of debt and tax cuts for the rich--while our infrastructure at home has rapidly deteriorated to extremes that I have only seen in third-world countries on TV, and read about in National Geographic magazines.

And now we have a Republican running for President who promises to keep the same ball rolling for the next four to eight years--without abated breath--if elected President. And to top it all off? McCain claims that he's a morally driven conservative whom seeks the glory days of Ronald Reagan. (Debts, deficits, and recessions.)

So it makes me wonder: Why are so many Republican voters that willing to vote against their best interests each and every time--when they know the end results will damage all of us one way or another?

Why?

The answers are perfectly clear: We did this to ourselves--by letting other people make the decisions for us. And as a result? Our country is worse off than it ever has been.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

THERE IS NO ISLAMIC WAR

2008-01-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

I really wish I knew which history book this letter writer read from when he had his letter posted recently in the Everett Herald. (And for that matter--I would like to know why the editors of this paper didn't catch his erroneous gaffes either!)

The writer in question posts great examples of historical events and 'attacks' to push his ideological vision of a 'war' supposedly started by Islamic fundamentalist groups--and claiming that the US itself has been under attack since that day; in 1979.

But these aren't attacks. Just the results of our meddling in the affairs of other countries.

Most of those events detailed briefly in the 1980s and early 90s wasn't just funded in part (or in secret) by Iran or Saudi Arabia, but also Libya. (Did the writer forget that last part?)

However, these all have curious links back to past Presidents such as Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and now Bush II. Our foreign policy dictates of the last 30+ years has allowed radical groups like Al-Qaeda to exist.

Because we were responsible for their creation in the first place!

As for the war with Islam? There isn't one. Just an ideological fool's fantasy; bred to insinuate that we have a dire threat that must be dealt with on a global scale.

Strange thing is, is that we are dealing with only a localized event. Not a worldwide one.

No one country has fallen to these radical groups. No one army has been defeated. No pocket of Western civilization has been subjected to the extremist ideas perpetuated by these same fanatics which we helped breed and create for our own sinister purposes.

In short, there is no fire. Just the usual fear and ignorance.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

TAX REBATE CHECKS AN INSULT TO THE LOW-INCOME

2008-01-27T05:34:00.000-08:00

See, this is the reason why I hate how tax rebate checks are being doled out: If you make between $85-$110,000 a year, you get an additional $800 to $1600 extra as a 'bribe' for being part of the well-to-do and the wealthy. (Party-time!)

But what about those on the low end of the pay scale? Those making between $10,000 and $15,000 a year?

The government just ignores that part of the working-class and just focuses on what brings earns them large campaign donations every election cycle: Namely the rich, the wealthy, and big business.

They need the money, right?

Think I'm joking? Back in 2001, I was supposed to have gotten $300 as a single tax-payer. I was promised this! I thought I was going to ride high on $300! But because of my paltry income level, I only received a measly $75!

Big-ticket items like a TV or a computer? Forget it. What I got couldn't have paid my way out of a paper bag.

But this is what we get at the low end of the pay scale.

This is what the government expects to bail our sagging economy with.

This is why I think that these tax rebate checks are such a joke. The government just doesn't hurt us financially with this callous move.

They insult those very same people--whom are struggling to make ends meet--with a slap in the face and a pissant consolation prize.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

ACTIONS SPOKE LOUDER THAN WORDS ALONE

2008-01-27T05:33:00.000-08:00

I just loved Dino's comments of Gregroire's performance as governor--after her State of the State address:

"Spent too much money and did very little."

That would explain our $1.2B budget surplus, hmm? Wonder why he never complained of Gary Locke's budget deficit during his tenure was governor--while running for office in 2004?

As for doing too little? Gregroire did a lot during the stormy season of 2006 and the recent flood damage last December. She was out there--actively involved in both disasters--instead of just sitting on the sidelines and twiddling her thumbs.

And while some urgent issues need to be addressed still, Christine has proven that she indeed has done much for the state of Washington--than Rossi could've ever hoped to accomplish; had he been elected instead.

Which makes me wonder: Where was Rossi all this time while Gregroire was governor? In hibernation?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHY NOT PAID SICK LEAVE FOR THE MINIMUM-WAGERS?

2008-01-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Forget paid vacations and accruing sick leave the old-fashioned way: Where we all have to bust our butts years on end to accumulate enough hours for a rainy day.

Why not get all our respective employers to start giving us paid sick leave without any strings attached--like they have in Washington D.C.?

If they can't give us decent healthcare packages with our low-end jobs, at least give us the option of handing us paid sick-leave.

Please?

That way, employers don't have to drive up the costs of paying out of the nose for expensive healthcare insurance.

Think about how much it costs for company health insurance premiums over the long-term versus a few days or a week's worth of paid sick leave.

Think about how much that will save our employers every year!

Yes, we may lose some worker productivity, but it sure as heck beats the alternative!

On behalf of all minimum-wage workers here in the state of Washington, I implore our employers and corporations alike to think about it.

Please...just think about it.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WAR ON TERROR MEET WAR ON DRUGS

2007-12-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

I wonder if the writer of the letter "Top Priority Must Be The War On Terror" is working as a hired public propagandist?

I mean, just the way this guy wrote his letter, it leads one to think that he alone has inside knowledge on how to confront a problem which Bush has wasted our military strength and over $9 trillion dollars trying to beat? (Okay, so half that money went to his business cronies as tax cuts for the rich--but let's not get too ahead of ourselves here...)

Ronald Reagan pledged (back in 1984), to wage a "war" on drugs. And in the 23 years since, drugs are still here.

So what makes the writer so sure that we can win against a few extremist groups whom have no aspirations for world domination? (As he sees it?)

No nation has fallen to these extremist groups, no military has been subverted, but curiously enough, we have gone on some kind of moralistic/religious crusade to do what?

Bring the fight to the enemy? Try to stamp them out militarily? Stoop to their level of insanity?

Seven years have passed since Bush has infamously declared his silly war on terror. But terrorism is something that cannot be defeated by mere force alone. It has to be dealt with politically, economically, and socially--on all fronts. All at once.

Otherwise--like the war on drugs--terrorism is going to be here.

No matter who is President. Or what his or her priority is.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CAR BOMBINGS? CIVIL UNREST? ASSASSINATIONS? LET'S BLAME AL-QAEDA!

2007-12-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

Oooh, yes. I just love how our "intelligence" agencies piecemeal things together these days.

Instead of relying on hard evidence, concrete proof, and whatnot, it seems as though everything and everyone we seek to blame for one attack after another (even though we don't have any direct "links" to the source) is based on one thing:

AL-QAEDA.

Yes, that seems to be the "catch-phrase" of the 21st century here.

Instead of the dog eating your homework, our kids can blame Al-Qaeda!

Truly people, I didn't really know that this terrorist organization had its claws into everything--after the alleged drubbing we gave it in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I didn't really know it could reach so far deep into Pakistan and assassinate Pakistan's former minister Benizar Bhutto.

Just like that! Do we have actual hard evidence that Al-Qaeda played a direct hand in this terrible event, or are we just overreaching again--like always?

Because until we find out who was really behind the attacks, blaming one terrorist organization for the ills of the world seems a little childish these days.

Especially since we don't have any reliable intelligence. (To put it rather loosely here.)

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO PUNISH THE MENTALLY ILL

2007-12-23T23:54:00.000-08:00

As someone whom suffers from emotional and mental problems, I find this latest move by Congress and Bush to be a veritable slap in the face.

Instead of strengthening current laws already on the books, the government has now moved in such a way that it will allow gun owners illegitimate access to private healthcare records to determine whether or not that person is psychologically "fit" to legally buy a gun at his or her choosing.

And who's to say the government won't have the same level of access in the future? Hmm? Anyone think about that one?

Once again, the move is nothing more than an erosion of privacy rights for those who are mentally ill, or have emotional issues.

Because of Congress's shortsightedness, a large portion of this country will be denied their their Second Amendment rights to bear arms and own a gun--all because they have a few screws loose in the ol' melon.

But that's okay. The mentally ill and the handicap get discriminated plenty as it is on a daily basis anyways.

We all know it happens. I know it happens. I've had it done to me plenty of times over the years.

But..hey!...what's one more law to tell people that I am a bad person--based on one man's past actions? Sure! Why not? Let's draft more laws for people who are shunned by society as it is.

Make them feel more isolated than ever before!

After all, all we are doing is "protecting" America from individuals like me, right?

No harm done and all that?

Yep.

No harm done. None whatsoever.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WAR DOCUMENTARY CHILLING

2007-12-23T23:52:00.001-08:00

On the off chance, I went and rented a movie called "No end in sight", and spent the next hour and a half just dismayed and stunned.

I'll save the flowery speech about how this war continues to fail for a latter time; as I'll share this nugget of information: Those who started and conducted this war had nothing in the ways of foreign policy experience, nothing in the ways of military experience, nothing in the ways of reconstruction experience.

I watched this administration's reaction to the news of how Iraq spiraled down into chaos early on, and their behavior was clearly one of whom didn't really care. Donald Rumsfeld's evasiveness, Paul Bremer's ignorance of the Iraqis needs themselves, Bush's detachment from the whole affair--as he delegated the most important tasks of the occupation and rebuilding to lackeys whom had nothing in the way of real experience at the theater in question.

Looking at the latest reports of how the Malaki government is still unable to go forward in national reconciliation--2.5 years after being sworn in--I can still see the hand that's been dealt us from 2003 on: The ignorance, the gross incompetence, the lack of an understanding on how to wage war and deal with its aftermath.

All this from the war architects of this administration.

And what was worse about the documentary? I could easily see the ghost of Vietnam crop up in many of the disturbing images. I felt sick and sympathetic--despite my own anti-war stance.

Our soldiers deserved better than this quagmire that Bush hand picked for us all.

And they will never get it.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

PLEBE FOR A PRESIDENT?

2007-12-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

Just like with Iraq, Bush tells us that Iran is actively seeking nukes and is a dangerous country--and should be dealt with either diplomatically or militarily. (I was betting on the latter--waiting to see how much worse we could mess things up in the Middle East.)

In October, he famously stated that Iran's continued proliferation with nuclear weapons would lead to World War III.

Almost two months later, we get an NIE report that showed that (what I had long suspected) Iran was never pursuing nuclear weapons at all.

But for the life of me, Bush is insisting that Iran remains a considerable and viable threat to our nation's (and the world's) security.

Just like Iraq was before we illegally invaded.

Could it be that Bush's bluff had finally been called by the same intelligence officials which he himself handpicked to deliver this dramatic bombshell?

I'd like to think so. But what's been bugging me is what did Bush know in August--when he was briefed on the NIE--and when did he know it?

The man may think we are all still asleep at the switch--or first-year cadets out of some military academy--but some of us are wide awake.

Waiting to pounce on the truth.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH STILL THINKS HE'S DON QUIXOTE

2007-11-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

I find it a bit bizarre how Bush believes that he can achieve a sense of "peace" between Israel and Palestine--when we all know that these problems between the two countries have been around for far longer than some of us have been alive.

Carter couldn't do it. Reagan couldn't. Neither Bush I or Clinton could end the decades of spiraling violence and animosity between the two nations.

So why does Bush think he can?

Because it's his last 'hurrah'.

Iraq and Afghanistan is a mess--hopelessly mired in violence and uncertainty. Pakistan is rife with chaos.

But to get the two sides to agree to a lasting peace is a worthy of a pipedream, and Bush knows this. He just wants to act like he's some Don Quixote and everyone has to do what he says.

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out for us on the foreign policy front. Everything we've taken in has turned to garbage in a few seconds flat.

People say that Bush is being tested and this is a sign of a strong leader.

But a strong leader should know his weaknesses and his strengths. If he is ignorant of one or both; going on about his business in some kind of lucid dream state...? Then he's not a leader, but a stalwart fool.

Those who follow him blindly are just as foolish--and continuing to support such a clown is inherently dangerous for this nation.

Nothing more than what went on in Annapolis will be recorded as a simple photo-op. Because both sides have such steep divisions within themselves that the only way that a true and lasting peace in the Middle East can be achieved is if one side is destroyed or another.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WAR ISN'T JUST LOST, BUT FADING AWAY

2007-11-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Though my historical expertise on Vietnam is limited to who really won that war and what became that conflict--one thing is certain: Iraq is going to follow a similar path no matter what happens in years hence.

In the closing days of the Vietnam war, politicians and the military sold themselves out by portraying Vietnam as a success and how good things were really working--even as the Saigon airlift was in full swing.

Nobody wanted to admit defeat in the eyes of our enemies.

Decades later, we have the same thing going on: Politicians and the military glossing over how "swell" things are going in Iraq; spouting positive numbers and declaring the troop "surge" a success.

But just a few days ago, I suddenly got the sense that--outside of the politicians and the military brass--nobody really cared about what was going on in Iraq.

Nobody in the public is cheering. No one is rallying behind the troops. In fact (like in Vietnam), there's nothing. Just a quiet and persistent form of war fatigue.

Everyone knows that we aren't leaving Iraq now or in the next 50 years. We haven't brought real peace or stability to Iraq. Just spent the last 5 years ruining a country and installing a shim-sham, puppet government.

But the politicians, the military, and even the media are working overtime to convince the people that the war is not lost and we are indeed winning.

If that's the case, then why I do get the distinct impression that no one really cares how the war is going?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHERE DOES SUPPORT WITH THE TROOPS REALLY LIE?

2007-11-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

A recent letter in the Herald ("Quit complaining; support soldiers") had me wondering about something:

Given how the rate of suicides and desertion rates of our soldiers has been sky-rocketing (due to the 15-month extended tours business and the stress of being stuck in an endless "backdoor draft" situation...?) over the past couple of years, where does that writer's "loyalties" lie--exactly?

Is she just there to beat the drums of war blindly and cheerlead our already exhausted men and women until they can't see straight anymore--or does that writer's support also extend to those service men and women whom have killed themselves because of the mounted stress that this illegal war has brought upon them these last 5 years?

Or is it to those soldiers whom have deserted because they could not stand the strain of being forced back to serve yet another tour of duty? (After serving 3 or 4 tours?)

Where does her loyalties lie? Where does anyone else's for that matter? To those who are living in hell over in Iraq, or those whom have deserted, and/or committed suicide?

As an anti-war supporter, it makes me wonder if there are not double-standards to those who claim to support the troops but continue to turn a blind eye towards their ongoing pain and suffering.

It's a harsh reality we live in, but we can't pledge excessive fealty to a conflict without end. Especially one that has harmed us globally and continues to harm our troops at every passing turn.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

PROGRESS IN IRAQ ISN'T WHAT IT SEEMS

2007-11-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Has anyone noticed how quiet things have gotten lately over in Iraq?

Oh, let's not chalk it up to "progress" as the military continues to paint it--making us all believe that this surge has somehow--magically--transformed Iraq into some fantasy fairy tale straight out of a Walt Disney movie studio.

We all should know by now that the military has failed in its objective to transform Iraq into some kind of plutocratic democracy full of laughing and cheerful Iraqis.

In many respects, the military hasn't succeeded at all in many of its operations. It still hasn't achieved a full measure of peace and the Iraqi people still very much hate us with a passion.

The only reason why they haven't turned on us wholeheartedly is because the military has been buying off the local sheiks and tribesmen--those whom control the Iraqi insurgency and its various elements (including the Shiite militias)--with a rock-solid promise that they won't attack coalition forces.

So yes, all these numbers, all these reduced car bomb attacks and so forth may look pretty on paper--may point to progress--but the reality is that we have created our own ticking time-bomb.

How long will it be before even money doesn't stop the militias and the insurgency from attacking our forces once more?

What is it going to take to stop the Iraqi people from driving us out of their own country--now that Al-Qaeda is out of the picture?

One has to wonder.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

RATE CUTS IS GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE--NOT BETTER

2007-11-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

I'm no expert economist, but I don't think that cutting key interest rates by the Fed is going to stop the hemorrhaging being seen by the spiraling housing market.

Under Greenspan's tenure, the respected former chair of the Federal Bank decided to keep interest rates artificially low and not raise them to counter what is now being seen as a bleeding economy.

Because of low interest rates, it allowed so many people on both sides of the economic spectrum to either borrow for a new home or purchase ARMs which soon reset at the end of the year--affecting millions of people.

But if you think that only the millions of homeowners are affected by this fallout--think again.

With each rate cut cheered on by Wall Street, the pain has become apparent that no amount of rate cuts is going to turn things around. In fact, cutting interest rates is going to make things worse again--at some future date. Not better.

Coupled with a weakened dollar, a slowing economy and rising oil prices, our nation's economic engine is suddenly facing the prospect of being ground to a complete halt.

Why?

It's partly to do with our government's insane "trickle down economics" initiatives, and mostly to do with the Fed's knee-jerk responses to its own problems long in the making.

Both have allowed these things to happen, and like Katrina--were so slow to respond to the crisis until it was much too late.

Don't worry though. Some of us will be cushioned from the up and coming recession.

But not all of us.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

PATRIOT ACT ISN'T IN OUR BEST INTEREST

2007-10-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Regardless of what one writer believes ("Trust U.S. officials to protect us"), the Patriot Act is the worst piece of legislation ever devised by this corrupt administration. It systematically butchers our Constitution by letting our own "trusted" government officials to suspend our own rights (and habeus corpus laws) in this war on "terror"--whenever they feel like it.

Using pieces of our own history to justify our government to believe it is "above the law" in the here and now--isn't in our nation's best interest.

Perhaps the writer would also like to reflect on what one of our own founding fathers said: "Those that sacrifice their freedoms and liberty for a little piece of false security--deserve neither." (Benjamin Franklin.)

I am not afraid of terrorists hitting our shores--ever since Bush told them to "Bring it on!"

But I am not about to let our own government destroy our nation's heritage in the face of fear.

The same fear and ignorance which they themselves orchestrated by making such secret and covert deals in the first place--with the very same terrorists that we are forced to confront today.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH'S FISCAL HYPOCRISY

2007-10-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

It's sad and pathetic that Bush is now trying to crack down on spending bills--when--for the last six years...?

He's never had to veto a single one of them.

So why start now?

History's already got him pegged as being the most spendful and "wasteful" President to ever take the Oval Office; surpassing Ronald Reagan and his own father on spending initiatives.

Coupled with two debts, two wars, tax cuts for the rich, and now a flood of booming retirees, there isn't much Bush can do--except to keep on spending our country into debt until he leaves office.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH KEEPS REDEFINING TORTURE

2007-10-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

Remember when Clinton famously said: "It depends on what you mean by definition"?

Well now, here we are--six years into this embarrassing excuse for a Presidency--and Bush has constantly had to "redefine" himself and what definitions mean for certain things.

Things like:

The Constitution

Federal law

Oath of Office

Illegal spying

Indefinite detention

Human rights

Executive power

Habeus corpus

and of course--my all time favorite?

Torture.

Here we have water-boarding, exposure to extreme temperatures, and slapping people till they are blue in the face.

Each and every one of these methods are construed as methods of torture--but Bush keeps redefining them as "legal and lawful methods of interrogation". (Severe as they may be.)

So it makes me wonder:

What will a rogue nation like Iran or Syria use if they capture some of our soldiers out in the battlefield tomorrow?

Will they call it "legal and lawful"--as Bush has done many times over?

I mean--after all--if we can torture our enemies in secret, surely other nations can do the same in return.

After all: Fair is fair--in time of love and war.

Right?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHERE DID WE LOSE OUR OBJECTIVITY?

2007-09-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

I'm stumped.

Did a recent writer tell readers that "in a war, barbarous acts happen"?

Despite the person's perchance to shed some light on past history, did he or she forget about his or her objectivity?

Did he or she forget that we are supposed to be the good guys here?

Weren't we supposed to be fighting an enemy that our President said was a threat to our nation's security?

I think the term Bush used was 'islamofascists'. Catchy phrase, no? Wraps up everything we do in one tidy sum--don't you agree?

So...since we got that out of the way...when has it become acceptable to stoop to the same level as our enemy?

When did we start disregarding ourselves as human beings and start acting out the role of the bad guy here?

No matter what happens in this war, we can never lose our objectivity! We cannot go and start killing indiscriminately because we can no longer tell who the enemy is anymore! And simply taking out our mounting frustrations and rage on a civilian populace (armed to the teeth)--is not winning Iraqi 'hearts and minds'!

It is just proving once and for all that we are no better than the enemy we're supposed to be fighting!

Is this how we want to be remembered from this conflict? The Butchers of Baghdad?

Think about what we really stand for!

Are we compassionate and caring Americans, or are we just blood thirsty barbarians?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BEHAVIOR AT RECEPTION IS APPALLING

2007-09-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Once again, the US shows its true colors by putting on such a dispicable display of hatred and racial intolerance when the Iranian President showed up for a speech at Columbia University recently.

Not only the protestors behavior, but the Columbian President whom chaired the reception. His intolerant behavior towards a foreign head of state is beyond description.

Is this how we treat everyone who visits the US from abroad, or is it just specific people we fear and loathe out of hatred and blind ignorance?

Nice to see that this is what America stands for nowadays.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHEN DID MURDER BECOME THE NORM?

2007-09-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely appalled by some people's lack of morals when it comes to right or wrong.

After reading an article in the paper--in regards to a 22-year-old Marine's conviction in the apparent death of an Iraqi civilian--I wonder just where did some of his supporters leave their common sense?

In a tree? Behind a rock? Buried six feet under? Where did it go?

When did it become a celebrated event for a murderer to be cheered on as a war hero--because his direct actions led to the death of an innocent?

Can anyone explain to me why murdering Iraqis in cold blood is now considered a badge of honor for our serving men and women in uniform?

When did we stop being human beings and started acting like blood-thirsty animals? Are we wolves preying on the weak and helpless now?

Or are we going to start taking real responsibility by condemning those who have committed grave crimes against humanity--instead of rewarding them with a slap on the wrist and the Congressional Medal of Honor?

Until we stop treating Iraqi civilians like they are nothing more than the dirt beneath our feet, we will continue to take heavy losses and pain in this backwards war--each and every day for as long as this conflict lasts.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CHANGING DEFINITIONS OF SUCCESS IS TROUBLING

2007-09-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

Was it January or February that Bush said that he would be sending in a surge of troops to tamp down the violence and give the Malaki government breathing room to make important reforms and legislation?

Almost 9 months later, nothing's happened. At least, not according to the Bush administration.

When the GAO released its report along with the NIE, they both presented a stark reality for Bush's surge: Despite the troop increase, violence still remains high and the government has made zero progress in its drive for political reformity and unity.

It's police force rife with corruption and infiltration, and its security forces needed another 18 months to be ready. (Like the last assessment stated two years ago.)

Bothered by the reality of those findings, the Pentagon and the White House jumped into action and started changing things around. Things that were a failure before have been met with "satisfactory" results.

Just like General Petraeus's recent report to Congress: Everything was so rosy and full of bull ticky optimism.

And not a nary of negative reflection and pessimism over this drawn out conflict.

A friend of mine told me just recently: "If the government has to continue to change its definitions of success (or lowering the bar--as I call it)--just to make things look good--than it's already lost the war."

Then I remembered an earlier conflict that my father fought two tours in--and I said: "Yep. Just like Vietnam."

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

2007-09-14T03:32:00.000-07:00

Since Bush has declared victory with the recent surge of troops, can we call in the Abraham Lincoln--so that we can hear him say: "Major combat operations in Iraq are now over."?

I really missed that moment. Can we have a repeat of that historic day in 2003?

Please?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WRITER DOESN'T VALUE PRIVACY IT SEEMS

2007-09-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

Odd how the writer on one letter ("Liberals Let Murders Happen") openly attacks liberals and blames them for what happened at Virginia Tech.

Stranger still, he hasn't sought to link them to the Columbine massacre, or the Tacoma Mall shooting, or even the Stockton California school shooting which left 5 kids dead back in 1989; with 29 wounded--including one teacher.

As a result, an assault weapons ban was imposed; starting in 1994.

Is this the liberals fault for wanting to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of nut cases like Patrick Purdy?

In the case of Seung-Hui Cho, this kid may have been disturbed and isolated--but he wasn't like Purdy.

He was a student at Virginia Tech. Not a drifter. Not an illegal immigrant. But an American citizen!

Having the government free access to our medical and psychological history profiles would be inviting disaster on a scale that would dwarf anything we have fought and died for--these last 231 years: Our rights to absolute privacy.

The writer may be comfortable with this gross invasion of privacy, but I would never be.

And it shouldn't even be tinkered with. No matter what the circumstance!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

SECTION 8 SQUEEZES THE DISABLED FOR MORE MONEY

2007-09-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be shooting off a letter to my representative, but I thought that I should bring this matter to the attention of the Everett Herald first.

Facing homelessness or forced to eat the $254 for my portion of the rent--my mother-in-law came through at the last instant--and my bacon was saved once again.

At least for another year.

The problem is that for the last 4 years, I have watched my portion of the rent go from $91 a month to a staggering $254 a month now with the Everett Housing Authority. (And I only get $637 a month in disability).

I have been able to handle the increases easily in the past, but lately, they've become a financial burden for myself--since neither my wife or I have worked in 6 years.

I've done what I can to soften the blow. But I really don't know how much longer I can keep this up. Next year may be our last--especially if we have to suffer through another painful rent increase.

The heart of the problem is that we applied for a one-bedroom unit within our complex and was recently denied--even though our voucher was originally slated for a one-bedroom apartment. Housing claims that the space of the one-bedroom was "insufficient" for the asking price of $720 a month. (Which would've made my portion of the rent $111 a month--based on our cap of $609.)

I didn't have a problem with that. Really. I didn't. Both my wife and I desperately wanted this.

But $860 for an unremodeled, 2-bedroom apartment?

Ante up!

More for housing, less for me.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

TEACHERS SHOULD GET PAID MORE

2007-09-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

As a former student, I must say I am heavily disappointed in the way teachers have been handled by the state--or by the federal government.

Has it ever occurred to people that teachers are the backbone of our social education? Without them, where would we all be?

And yet I hear from people is: "I don't want to pay more taxes!"

Can anyone give me one good reason as to why teachers shouldn't be paid more for their hard work? Why can't we give them the benefit of the doubt by giving them what they need to educate future generations?

Are we so stingy on money and funding that we have to force teachers to pay the lion's share in school supplies and other necessities--things which the state and federal governments deem to be unimportant?

Why can't people see this crisis as something which affects all of us? Or are we just naturally blind to the problem and hand?

Maybe we should continue to turn a blind eye and hope the problem goes away.

What is your opinion?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

REPUBLICANS CAN'T STOP SOCIAL EQUALITY

2007-09-06T00:39:00.000-07:00

Why is it that Larry Craig hates admitting that yes, he himself is gay? Either open or in private, being gay isn't a crime.

It's a way of life. It can't be ignored. It can't be voted against. It can't be struck down as being a threat to society.

But for some odd reason, mainstream Republicans are homophobic to the extreme--while other more moderate Republicans--and even some conservative ones--have accepted that being gay or lesbian isn't so bad.

These same mainstream Republicans have shown their animosity towards gays and lesbians by voting against rights bills which would have a more beneficial to the gay and lesbian community.

Kansas has recently voted to protect state employees from discrimination based on gender orientation. An Iowa county had allowed gays and lesbians to marry. But as soon as that happened, the Republican anti-gay machine jumped into action and vowed to blunt and block what I have as seen as social progress.

Not because I want to see gay marriage happen (yet), but because society has changed more so than some people can handle.

Hence the hatred, bigotry, and gender intolerance based on sexual orientation--by the GOP.

Which is fine. This is a free country. But they can't stop the wheel of progress. Sooner or later, they are going to have to accept change as being part of our country's natural evolution.

Whether they like it or not.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH BLAMES AMERICA FOR LOSING VIETNAM AND NOW IRAQ

2007-08-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough that we have a foolish President who seems content in revising his rationale for war--once the original one fails to capture the attention of the American people.

But to simply assign blame on the American public whom wanted out of that sad little Asian conflict in the first place? Does Bush really believe we could've won that one hands down?

How strange!

I didn't know that those who protested the Vietnam War--were responsible for allowing atrocities like the massacre under Pol Pot to occur in the first place!

God almighty! I must've read the wrong history book here! Why wasn't I told of this growing up?

Shucky-darn! I guess I should stop protesting the war which Bush has led us into illegally and start getting right with the program...

However, that wouldn't stop the war. Or the people who want out of this never-ending conflict--as Bush is now looking for a new way out of the mess he himself created.

By drawing on the divisive (and painful) memory of Vietnam, ol' Dubya is seeking to foot the blame on the very people who is no longer supporting his failed war: Namely, the American people.

Namely me.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CANDIDATES HAVE PROVEN THEY'VE CARED FOR NO ONE

2007-08-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Oddly enough, we don't hear much of what really affects Americans these days.

Bush says it's terrorism.

Both Obama and Clinton will tell you that it is the war in Iraq.

But put aside all those devisive issues, and what are the candidates--and the President--really saying about the local issues? Things which really impact the average American at home?

Nothing.

Nothing about the high cost of living. Nothing about the struggling families which are burdened by high medical costs, zero healthcare affordability, suppressed wages, and many of the other things which have hit so close to home.

On the national scale, these matters simply don't resonate with those corporate-bought candidates. They may say they care, but we all know that actions speak louder than words.

And these words are universally adamant with:

"What did you say? I wasn't paying attention."

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

DISGUSTED WITH PEOPLE'S LABELS OF THE POOR

2007-08-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

This is just another clear example of people's ignorance and arrogance of others whom are down on their luck and destitute to boot.

Let's take it out on those individuals who have less than those who are fortunate to have a job!

Sure! Why not? This is a free country!

Let's bomb on the welfare recipients, those getting state assistance, and free medicare--by insinuating that all we're doing (each and every one of us)--is exchanging our checks and food stamp cards for drugs.

Yeah! That's the ticket! Let's all start throwing mud at those people who are struggling to even make a living for themselves!

I hate to break it to that one letter writer ("Make recipients pass drug tests"), but you're talking to one such recipient who doesn't do drugs!

I can't afford it! I'm barely scraping by as it is! Why would I need to fill my body with such filth anyway?

I take great offense to those who imply that all those people like me are the ones who are trading their "free lunch" for meth and heroine. Just like I took offense when a few people suggested that we should execute every sex offender in the state of Washington.

Lack of morals and ethics going on here?

No. Just stupid idiots whom don't understand what people like me have to go through each and every day just to survive on what little is given to us each month.

But what do I know? I'm just a drug-addled "welfare recipient".

Right?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

THERE IS NO GOOD NEWS COMING FROM IRAQ

2007-08-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, woe is me! There is no "good news" coming out of Iraq! No nothing which I can spin to my benefit and lord over all the anti-war despots and protestors!

You know, that's the funny thing about this failed conflict in Iraq: There is no good news coming out of Iraq.

If there was, the Malaki government wouldn't be close to collapsing like the country's power grid is right now. Or the fact that Baghdad doesn't have any running water.

Al-Qaeda being defeated in Iraq? Hardly. All we're doing is hitting the same targets over and over--hoping for a different outcome. But each time we do, we end up killing more civilians than the enemy in the process.

And blaming our failures on the enemy isn't going to make ourselves look any better.

Just ask Private Green--whom got a 110-year sentence for the rape and murder of an 14-year-old Iraqi girl and her family.

Or other soldiers recently convicted of their heinous crimes against Iraqi civilians.

Or the fact that the surge isn't working like the US military had hoped. Iraqi reconstruction and reconciliation failing. Or billions of our tax-money vanishing like a fart in the wind.

And on top of that, we have reports of the Saudis are openly funding the Iraqi insurgency. Didn't we just dump $20B worth of arms over the next 4 years on top of them--hoping to bribe them to partake in the stabilization of Iraq? (Which is looking more and more elusive by the day.)

Yep.

Good news, right?

No. A reality check.

Which is something that some people can't handle at this given time.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

HOW MANY RATIONALES FOR WAR IS THERE?

2007-07-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

I really wish Bush would stick to the main reason for war: That being Saddam was a genuine threat to the world and he wouldn't disarm his WMD stockpile.

I know this sounds silly--because of all the controversy and debate on what exact reason we went in and so on--but come on...!

We solved the mystery that Saddam wasn't a threat to the world, nor did he have any of those scary WMD stockpiles.

But Al-Qaeda of Iraq being the latest rationale to continue waging a senseless war in Iraq?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but where was Al-Qaeda before we invaded Iraq in 2003?

Not in Iraq.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CAN WE EXECUTE OTHER OFFENDERS AS WELL?

2007-07-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Talk about hitting a chord!

A recent letter writer's solution ("Only real solution is to execute them") to the problem of sex offenders and those whom killed the 12-year-old girl is simple: Execution without remorse.

Wow!

Why didn't I think about that?

Sure...why not? Let's execute every single sex offender there is in the state of Washington. And once we get done going through the registry here, let's expand on a national level!

Start blowing away Level 1s, Level 2s, and the dangerous Level 3s--in their homes, on the streets, in their cars...?

Heck, why stop there with just sex offenders?

Why don't we start executing the mentally ill like Cho Sueng Hui while we're at it too! Blow them away before they do any harm to people! And the drug runners who push drugs on our kids? Let's execute them for doing what they do! They are just as bad the sex offenders!

Why not put a few bullets in the problem and make them go away while we're at it?

In fact, why don't we just bring back the old firing squads from the last century or so, and just line up everyone who has offended us--past or present--and just knock 'em dead!

I'm sure that would make us appear more forgiving and humane.

What do you all think?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WRITER'S TAKE ON WAR IS WAY OFF BASE

2007-07-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Wow. I don't know where to begin with one writer's recent letter. ("Our soldiers are not fighting over oil.")

In a minute or less, I figured it out: This writer claims are grossly exaggerated.

1) Our invasion of Iraq was not to remove a blood-thirsty tyrant from power. It was to disarm
that same "blood-thirsty tyrant" of all his non-existent WMDs.

(Just as a historical footnote? We supported Saddam in the 80s. Gave him the very same weapons in his fight against Iran--which allowed him kill thousands of his own people later on. Who's the hypocrite now?)

2) The war on terror is global? So why are we still stuck in Iraq? Shouldn't we have already invaded the Philippines or some other South Asian country that has militant groups like Al-Qaeda?

Oh, that's right: None of these countries are sitting on a massive OIL RESERVE.

My bad!

So to say that our troops aren't fighting over oil is a bit of misnomer. They are fighting to protect oil contractors like Halliburton and KBR.

3) How will the terrorists follow our troops home? Of all the excuses given by Bush and his supporters about what would happen if we were to leave, this question remains unanswered.

4) Our troops aren't fighting to protect the lives of innocent Iraqis, Afghani, or anyone else.

Last I checked, they are struggling to control a country the size of California, and failing miserably at it after 5 long years.

5) Terrorists don't fundamentally hate us for our freedoms. They hate us because we keep sticking our noses where they don't belong.

I think this about covers it.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

PEACEFUL IRAQ? NOT IN THIS REALITY

2007-07-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Taking a page from LBJ, Bush has declared that: "The war is not lost"--flying in the face of a interim report which clearly shows a lack of progress in Iraq.

Whatever miniscule gains Bush believes we have made--clearly overshadows the fact that after 5 years of endless war, Iraq has not improved its chances to become a truly stable democracy--nor has it helped the US's image abroad any.

But Bush doesn't seem to have gotten that memo. He still believes that we will "win"--but only if we sacrifice every last soldier and drain the last of our money from both the US taxpayer, and the US Treasury--in doing so.

However, our President isn't the only one who is suffering from a severe disconnect with reality.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki said: "we could leave anytime we want"--claiming that they could manage Iraq all by themselves--despite the fact that Iraq is no condition to police itself by any measurable means.

All right! We can leave! Finally!

Uh...wait just a minute here.

Which Iraq is both Bush and Malaki thinking of? Because it's clearly not the one that is currently underway in the Middle East.

Nah. They must be thinking of the one which is in an alternate reality. The one where everyone is at peace and the Iraqis are throwing candy and flowers at us. (Not to mention, greeting us as "liberators",)

If that's the case, I'm in the wrong universe here!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

TERRORISM TRIUMPS AGAINST ALL ODDS

2007-07-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

It must be crushing to Bush for him to finally realize the futility of fighting a miliaristic war based solely on defeating an ancient ideology.

In 2001, we allegedly killed three-quarters of Al-Qaeda's followers, drove them from Afghanistan, but let the bulk of its leadership escape.

Big mistake.

A report due to be released by top US intel analysts showed that Al-Qaeda has not only rebuilt itself into a de-segregated entity, but it also has come back stronger than ever.

One can only imagine how this was ever possible.

Was it Bush's blundering at Tora Bora which allowed bin Laden to escape?

Or was it the failed war in Iraq which acted as a blessing in disguise for the Al-Qaeda organization--thus breathing new life into it?

Whatever the cause, Bush must be sorely disappointed that his failure to capture bin Laden and obliterate Al-Qaeda from the face of the Earth forever stands as a living reminder that force alone cannot defeat terrorism.

After all, Al-Qaeda's resurgence is proof of that.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

IF IT WASN'T FOR TAXES, OUR STATE WOULDN'T EXIST

2007-07-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

In response to one letter writer's disdain for Democrats and liberals being 'tax and spend' ("Letter writer is missing the point"), what's his answer for the Republicans and neoconservatives pattern of "spend, spend, spend"--until we are all up to our eyeballs in debt? Who's going to pay that off? How are we going to pay it off? By lowering our overall tax revenue?

Not likely.

That's like having to pay off that $3000 limit accrued on your credit card, but only making the minimum payment each month.

Anyway, it not the property taxes which are driving homeowners out of the state--as the writer claims--but the fact that so many of them homeowners now have mansions upon mansions, home after expensive home sitting on that lush piece of property in the first place.

Blaming Democrats and liberals for collecting on these 'time share taxes' of expensive home ownership is perfectly legal. All that tax money collected on other luxury items that we take for granted isn't going to waste--but instead--going to help improve our community and state's varied infrastructures.

What is so wrong about wanting to keep things progressing in the first place? Without these taxes to hold the glue of our state together--none of what we see on the road these days or elsewhere--wouldn't even exist.

So why complain at all about paying our share?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WRONG MODEL FOR DEMOCRACY

2007-06-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

Remember not too long ago that Bush said that South Korea was the model for Iraq's democracy?

Now he's gone (on record) and saying that Israel is the model for Iraq's democracy!

Um...

Considering the long string of atrocities Israel has perpetrated against the Palestinian people for the last four decades or so since 1948...

I don't think this "pro-Israeli"-democracy model would actually fit Iraq to a T.

Only because we would be asking--no--showcasing a rogue Jewish state in the Middle East whom has shown a complete disregard for human life--no matter what form it takes; and saying: "This is what freedom and democracy is all about!"

Is that what we are trying to tell the Iraqis? That's it okay to kill indiscriminately without human remorse?

I'm certain we all remember the failed attack against Hezbolah last year--where Israel deliberately targeted the civilian population of Lebanon--killing hundreds of people and then turning around and blaming it all on Hezbolah.

If this is the true model for future democracies--in the Middle East anyways--we seriously need to rethink our own democracy as well.

Because we are on the wrong path here.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH IS LIKE REAGAN AFTER ALL!

2007-06-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

Notice anything distinctly odd about Bush's approach to the illegal immigration legislation?

Well, let me fill you in on what I'm seeing here:

Bush says that the only way we can get comprehensive reform legislation passed first and foremost--is that we have to give all these 12 million illegal immigrants a 'path to citizenship.' (In my book, that spells AMNESTY.)

But where's the border and immigration law enforcement legislation? Why isn't Bush pushing so hard on those two fronts?

And the simple answer is this: Because he doesn't want to.

Border enforcement would entail spending billions more securing our borders and making sure that those illegal immigrants are caught and dealt with appropriately. Sounds kosher, right?

Not going to happen.

Immigration law enforcement would entail enacting the current laws on the books and punishing businesses and corporations alike (*cough*! WALL-MART!) who hire such illegal immigrants under the table--and don't report it on their yearly tax forms.

Think this will happen?

Not in a million years.

So what's Bush's solution? Amnesty first, border control second, and immigration law enforcement dead last.

In essence, we're going backwards yet again on this matter.

But what's even ironic about this whole affair is that one other past President (named Ronnie) tried the same thing...say...18 years ago, was it?

And look at what happened once that bill took effect: Hiyo...musami!

(Hello...mustard?)

Wait, that's Japanese.

Wrong language. I meant to say something else, but it came out wrong. How do you say 42 million illegal immigrants in Spanish anyway?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHY MUST THE POOR AND DISABLED SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF RENTERS?

2007-06-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

I recently read the Sunday edition of the Herald--and was stunned by what's trespassing for sky-high rents and outrageous condo conversions.

I never thought for instant that last year, we had over 1,500 condo conversions from apartment complexes alone in Snohomish County. But it would certainly explain why some of the complexes near where I live in Woodland Heights (now Timberline Courts) have suddenly gone "condo-crazy". (And I'm worried mine's next.)

But then I saw how much rent is for some of these "converted" apartments, and I just about fell off my chair. How can any sane man, woman, or child be able to afford these "luxury" prices on their stagnant and falling wages--as a family?

And what about the poor and the disabled? What happens to them? What happens to people like me whom can't afford between $800 and $1200 a month for a 2-bedroom apartment--and are barely making it on housing assistance?

Getting a job is besides the point--especially when the bulk of our jobs here in Snohomish County still rely on minimum-wage. Has renters ever considered this when jacking up the price of a one-bedroom unit? Or a two-bedroom?

Or is this the county's way of driving out everyone but the super-rich and wealthy who can afford to spend such money on these fool's gold ventures?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WAR BY NUMBERS, WE'VE LOST THE CONFLICT

2007-06-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

This letter is by no means giving 'comfort and aide' to the enemy--but rather a stark reality in which this war has been waged thus far to date.

Consider this factoid: 10,000 US and Iraqi "troops" recently started a series of operations designed to kill and eliminate Al-Qaida forces in and around Baghdad.

From what happened in the three days since the launch of one operation, media reports and the US military have confirmed the death of only 22 enemy "combatants".

That's it? Only 22?!? It takes 10,000 US and Iraqi "troops" to hammer the area in and around Baghdad, and we only kill 22 Iraqi insurgents? And let the bulk of Al-Qaeda of Iraq's leadership to escape--AGAIN--on top of that?

Wow. This is soooo impressive!

Really!

At the rate we're going, we aren't going to make one single dent in the embedded Iraqi insurgency for at least twenty more years--if we keep having "victories" like this.

Because if this is all we can hope for, then we have no realistic chance of getting out of this lost conflict in one piece.

It really will make Vietnam look like a 'cakewalk'!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

FROZEN FETUSES MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEDICAL SCIENCE?

2007-06-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

really must applaud George Bush's continuing vetos of progress in finding cures and vaccines for not just Americans, but people afflicted with a host of debilitating conditions and diseases.

I guess preserving frozen embryos is more important than someone who is clearly suffering from a life-changing disease like Parkinson's, or Lou Gherig's Disease.

After all, we don't want these frozen and lifeless treasures of humanity to feel any pain, now do we?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

JUSTICE IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT

2007-06-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Can I be granted amnesty or get a Presidential pardon whenever I break the law--starting right now?

I'm sure that it's possible. I mean, after all, Bush wants to give 12 million lawbreaking illegal immigrants amnesty for their crimes committed against the American public--at the expense of the American taxpayer.

So where can I get that kind of a deal?

Then there's Scooter Libby who is deigned to spend some time in jail for obstruction of justice and lying to the feds. Last I checked--depending on the offense--it was usually 10 years in jail and a $500,000 fine.

But he's only getting 30 months.

And look! He's also looking to getting a Presidential pardon on top of that--all thanks to Bush!

No time served if he's lucky!

Wow! Can I have what he's having? Can I lie, cheat, and steal my through life, and be given immunity for my crimes afterwards?

After all, it's worked for the rich and powerful. People like Paris Hilton. So why can't it work for people like me?

Oh, that's right: I'm poor, insignificant, and I don't have any name-recognition or wealth afforded to me whatsoever.

Gods...American justice sucks sometimes.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

TROOPS BETTER EQUIPPED AT KILLING INNOCENTS THAN TERRORISTS

2007-06-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

No matter what goes on in Iraq, I'm been hearing that the Iraqis are suffering worse under our rule than they did when Saddam was alive.

But what gets my goat is the fact that some writers--and some people--believe that whenever a US soldier indiscriminately kills an Iraqi civilian, they are quick to point out that that soldier was just "doing his duty", or "this is war", and they should be getting a parade or a medal for their actions.

Really?

For what? For Private Green gunning down a family in cold blood last year, after raping an Iraqi girl, and then trying to cover up the incident by setting them all on fire?

Should we give that private the Medal of Honor for his actions? I'm sure that would be just great, wouldn't it?

A nice fat medal...?

Or how about those soldiers whom were responsible for massacring 24 unarmed Iraqis in Haditha? Or how about the recent incident where 3 Iraqi children were killed by a Bradley tank?

Should we give that tank crew a standing ovation, a ticker-tape parade, and a series of medals for ending the lives of those three kids?

Should we?

Yes.

Instead of fighting amongst ourselves, we should be congratulating our troops for snuffing out the lives of those civilians--while we constantly blame Al-Qaeda and the Sunni-led insurgency for our indiscriminate acts of terrorism against the Iraqi people.

After all, our military is better trained at killing people than any terrorist group I know.

Sure, bin Laden bagged himself 3000 dead Americans on 9-11, but how many dead Iraqi civilians have we really killed over the last 5.5 years while in Iraq?

And how many will we continue to kill in the years to come?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

TERROR PLOTS MORE FAKE THAN REAL-LIFE ONES

2007-06-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Let me see if I have this right.

3 alleged 'terrorists' from Guyana and Trinidad want to somehow blow up fuel lines connected to the JFK airport--and cause an even more fantastic 9-11-styled attack--but had no operational plan in the works, no explosives in hand, and had no way of carrying out the plot realistically...(because the pipelines were too well constructed to allow such an explosion to take place anyway--according to pipeline experts.)

But it was somehow 'real'--based on the word of a drug-trafficking informant who signed on just to get a lighter sentence in return?

Just who is the fool who believes these so-called plots actually had a chance in heck of getting pulled off? Anyone?

Or do we still somehow believe that fictional 'liquid explosives' could magically be used to blow up planes too? Or a pizza delivery guy could be capable of killing hundreds of soldiers at a high-security military base in New Jersey--using only a pair of automatic weapons?

Our government is playing you people for saps--hoping you'll take the bait with each an every plot conveniently "uncovered" in the last year or so.

And apparently some of you have: Based on one writer's letter--believing that Bush somehow stopped an 'actual' terror attack.

Please!

If another 9-11 happened, Bush wouldn't see the writing on the wall until it was too late. And neither would our intel agencies.

That's fact. That's reality. All these fake plots perpetrated by our own government and its entourages are just designed to fool the people and keep them scared, and in line. And it's working.

How sad.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

DON'T LET CONGRESS PASS THIS IMMIGRATION BILL!

2007-05-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

I implore you, I beg you--DON'T LET CONGRESS PASS THIS BILL!

Despite what Bush says and the fractured Democratic Congress is trying to sell us, this immigration legislation is nothing more than amnesty. Plain and simple.

If this bill passes, it will open the floodgates to every illegal on this planet who wants to flock to the New World without having to worry about breaking the law--like their 12 million illegal counterparts have been doing since Reagan passed his amnesty bill in 1986. (For those of us who are old enough to remember.)

Just imagine it would be like to having our borders wide open to a flood of people who see us as easy pickings--because both our Democratic-led Congress and our foolish cheesebanger of a President want to grant these law-breakers a free pass for the rest of their lives.

Think I'm joking? They aren't. They want this bill to pass. One side wants cheap labor, the other side wants families to stay together. And together--both sides don't give a darn about what you--the American taxpayer--thinks.

This is all about Big Business and what Corporate America desperately wants. With a flood of illegal immigrants to choose from, our jobs go bye-bye. So does our Social Security (what's left of it), and our overburdened healthcare system.

State governments would be overwhelmed by the thousands of applicants vying for state services already strained to the breaking point from a lack of finances and qualified people. Our federal government would be crushed by the tidal wave of applicants wanting in on our social programs designed to help out the poor, the elderly, and the disabled.

Forget 2025--when 192 million immigrants are forecast to be in this country; illegally or not.

Think of the next three years--when each of us wakes up and discovers that what we had before...

No longer exists.

Because this bill passed.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH CAN'T SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM HIS OWN FANTASIES

2007-05-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Years ago--as I remember--I was told by my own social worker that living--entrenched--in my own fantasies was unhealthy, and wouldn't give me a full, honest, view of what reality was like.

I was stuck in a rut, unable to escape what many saw was my own obstinance and irresponsible take on life. That if I could only keep myself immersed in my own brand of Star Trek fan-fiction, life would simply pass me by, and I would have no care in the world. Or who would care for me as I grew up.

Sadly, our own President is proving me wrong: You can live in your own fantasy world and still be head of the least powerful (and impotent) democratic form of government there ever was on this green Earth.

From Bush's take on Iraq, to his one-sided views about terrorists attacking us here if we were to leave Iraq, to his now odd take on people's opinions on him in recent polls. (He thinks we all agree with him on everything.)

Reflecting on this, I really wish I hadn't left my own fantasy world when I was a teenager. It certainly would've spared me this nightmare we now call the Bush Years...

18 years later.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

LET'S NOT CONFUSE FANTASY WITH REALITY

2007-05-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me how war supporters go on with their daily diatribe of what "progress" really means by measuring just how many schools and hospitals have been built in Iraq thus far--and that alone proves that we should continue the illegal occupation of a nation which never posed a threat to us in the first place.

The sad truth that these war supporters refuse to face--let alone acknowledge--is that Iraq in itself is getting one step closer each day to becoming a failed state.

Iraq's own parliament is in chaos and hasn't passed any meaningful legislation which the US has been striving for as 'benchmarks'. I read a news article illustrating just how chaotic things are: That members of Iraq's own parliament are constantly squabbling, sparring verbally with each other and basically giving other members the cold shoulder when the prospect of formulating anything democratic pops up.

They just aren't interested! All they care about is their own ambitions and their own needs--not the Iraqis they claim to represent.

And it doesn't stop there. Iraq is lawless. The security forces are incapable of bringing peace and security to the country--not when militias, gangs, and terrorist groups continue to have free reign of the nation.

The remaining people don't have the resources they need. Power is in short supply, food is mediocre, and medicine is scarce. Iraqis are leaving the country in droves--to the tune of 2 million and counting.

And Malaki's government? Completely incompetent and unable to govern. It is a weak representation of an equally weak notion that we could ever bring democracy to a country that was simply not ready for it.

Is this what we are fighting in Iraq for these days?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

SECRET IMMIGRATION BILL IS JUST MORE OF THE SAME: AMNESTY

2007-05-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

I don't care what the government says. I've read the details and all I keep seeing stamped in bold black letters across the bill is the word: AMNESTY.

No matter what the legislation's authors say, count on the fact that there will be convenient loopholes added in for our politicians and big business to exploit in the future--all at the expense of the American taxpayer.

Call your Congressman. Write to your representative. Tell them that this bill is amnesty and you won't accept it.

After all, this country belongs to us. Not those who come here illegally and mooch off the system without consequence!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

SOME PEOPLE CAN BE SO WHINEY SOMETIMES

2007-05-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

Can someone toss me a pacifier please?

Because apparently, someone in this state of ours obviously doesn't like to pay their fair of taxes! ("Make politicians accountable, okay?")

So what's this writer's solution? Punish our elected representatives by not voting for them because of a stupid little $30 car tab tax.

Oh the tragedy! Oh the humanity! What ever are we going to do?!

Cry about supporting what's a necessity in our communities? Things like schools? Road maintenance, and every other thing which cannot be generated through the usual state revenue channels?

Listen people: Without taxes, we won't have an infrastructure for our state or any other state in this country of ours. Most of the services which we rely on won't exist without taxes!

You think I'm joking? You think that you can get by without hospitals, public transportation, and everything else which we take for granted on a daily basis?

I'd like to see you try.

Try and live without something which is critical to your social needs. Like garbage pickup for instance.

Think about how much of a smell would emanate if you didn't have sanitation services to come and pick up your crap every day, or park services to keep your precious parks clean and inviting for future visitors.

Still think you pay too much in taxes? Then maybe you should stop and think about what you're getting, before you start complaining about the amount which you have to shell out on a yearly basis.

Because these things don't come cheap. Nor are they free. And that's where your tax monies come in to save the day.

So stop whining and grow up!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

GOVERNMENT OVERPLAYS ITS HAND ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR

2007-05-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

Not surprising, that the government would say that it stopped a major terror attack on US soil recently--in regards to an alleged plot against a military base in New Jersey.

But the simple fact of the matter, is that in incidents like these, only a third of such prosecuted cases in this country--since 9-11--are actually charged with terrorism, and the rest are simply given lesser charges like illegal immigration.

However, don't let this drive a wedge into the government's fantasies that these 6 suspects (three illegal immigrants, and two converted Muslims formally from Yugoslavia--one of them a pizza-delivery guy) are truly capable of mass-murdering hundreds of US soldiers--based on the far-fetched idea that they could actually penetrate a high-security military base using only automatic weapons and a crudely drawn map.

The government likes to hype up things up to make it look like these incidents are truly the work of Islamic radical fundamentalists abroad. But once the smoke clears and people start thinking with a clear head, we all see that these people are nothing more than victims of government fear-mongering and a bloated ego to match.

If these people were truly a threat to national security, and they were really terrorists, they wouldn't be needing to go to your local Supermart technology store to burn a copy of their so-called paintball "training video", now would they?

I'm not saying we shouldn't be vigilant against terrorism here at home, but having the government overplay its hand by making a mountain of a molehill in cases like this one, does more harm to us as a nation than it actually helps.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

IRAQI ADDICTION MAKES JOB OF GETTING OUT ALL THAT MUCH HARDER

2007-05-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

Even as Cheney is in Iraq to tell the Iraqis to get their rears into gear, clearly the reality on the ground is: That's not going to happen anytime soon--even if the Iraqi Parliament takes its scheduled 2 month vacation.

And while some in our government is upset over this move, it's become clear that no amount of wishful thinking on Rice and Bush's part (as seen recently on PBS with Charlie Rose) is going to make everything alright in Iraq.

You can have all the time in the world--wanting more overburdened US troops in Iraq to pick up the slack which Iraq's security force is unable to do on its own, or some other "benchmark" which will never be met in the years to come--but the truth of the matter is this: The Iraqis are unable to stand on their own two feet.

Because they can't!

When we invaded, we practically undermined everything which kept the country together. And since the invasion, everything we've been doing so far has given the Iraqis a classic case of severe drug addiction. That being they relied on us for everything, and having little motivation to show that they can do things on their own accord.

And it's been proven time and again. The Iraqi government doesn't want us to leave because it can't do things on its own. All these glorious benchmarks which we had hoped would reduce our presence in the country, won't come to pass in the near future because of it.

So simply saying: "We need another year for the surge to work"--is giving the Iraqis another good fix for the coming months, with little to show for results.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH DOESN'T PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS

2007-05-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

If anything, Bush has decided that vetoing what the people want is more important than just coming clean with the mandate which we gave Congress last November during the mid-terms: Demand a change in course in Iraq!

But Bush doesn't want to change course. He believes that setting timelines is signaling a victory to terrorists and sending the wrong message to the troops. But recent polls suggest that public support for Congress is clearly overshadowing the President's stubborn refusal to see that he no longer has a 'mandate' of his own.

So where did he get all these arrogant ideas that he alone is the "Commander guy"? That Congress and the American people no longer matter?

If anything, our President has an over inflated ego and an equally over inflated case of hubris to go along with it. And if anyone doesn't understand his "master plan", then he ignores them and shuts them out.

The only problem with that mentality, is that we do understand him, but we don't like how he's carrying out policies. And by ignoring the will of Congress and the people, our President has clearly shown that he refuses to play well with others.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

BUSH USES TROOPS AS SACRIFICIAL LAMBS

2007-05-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Naturally, we all saw this coming: Bush using only two vetoes in his entire Presidency.

While Democrats are saying that this latest stunt by Bush reflects his inability to compromise even at the most basic level, this veto shows once again how little Bush values our own military forces.

Instead of embracing the inevitable that this war will only come to an unsavory conclusion, Bush instead just wants to keep our stretched forces in the midst of a civil war for years on end.

He says that this legislation will only add to more chaos and destruction; not realizing that our very presence there has already done that and more. Bush also says that this legislation will only embolden our enemies.

Sorry. But that's already happened. Long before this legislation ever came into being in fact.

Our enemies are steadily pecking away at our strengths with each passing month. But instead of redeployment, Bush says: "Stay the course."

And with each passing year, our troops are coming back with less and less than what they originally started out with in 2003.

But does Bush care?

Nope. Our troops lives mean nothing to him! Just more sacrificial pawns for a politically sick game of "Risk"...

I shudder to think of what would happen if our nation was invaded by a much more powerful nation in the future. Will our might repel such an invasion or will it not be there to stem the flow?

Given what I see and hear in Iraq, I highly doubt it. Our military strength is being wasted for an ideological notion of faux paz democracy. With no end in sight.

That's the real tragedy here.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

"AMERICA AT A CROSSROADS" SHOWED ME THE STARK REALITY OF IRAQ

2007-04-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

A recent string of nightly documentaries by PBS over the last week opened my eyes to the stark realities of the war in Iraq. When Harry Reid said that the war in Iraq was lost, he was right: This war is truly lost.

In so many ways.

Iraq is nowhere near stable like we want it. The violence and bombings still continue despite the troop surge.

The government we propped up is rife with corruption and religious ties to outside leaders like Moktada al-Sadr--but having zero leadership skills or the ability to unite Iraq under a common goal.

The military and security forces we're hinging our withdrawal timetables on, are still ill-trained and ill-prepared to take over security of the country in the near future--with many of its members either having ties to the Iraqi insurgency or religious or community leaders; but not to the Iraqi government itself.

I realize that exposing the reality of this failed war and its hard truths will irritate some war supporters, but I won't play to the 'fantasy democracy' tune that so many in our government has been doing these last several years since we invaded on false premise.

Because this blind attitude won't make what's happening in Iraq today go away any time soon.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

GOVERNMENT SLIPS BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY

2007-04-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, women have been fighting for basic rights. Basic representation. Basic everything which have been--largely--delegated to a man's world: The right to council, the right to a good education, the right to speak publicly, the right to vote...?

And they fought long and hard--winning great legal battles, and historical ones which changed the face of the society we now know.

But now with the Supreme Court's latest decision is threatening to turn back everything women have fought long and hard for.

By telling women everywhere that they no longer have legal rights to their own bodies--is essentially telling us that our own government has gone back to the 19th century mode of thinking: Where men were the dominant force in the household, and women were meek and complient--and having no rights at all to their well being whatsoever.

A sad day for American women everywhere. Only because some men don't like what they see and fear is happening on an every day basis: Abortion.

It's not an epidemic. It's a woman's right. Not a wrong.

So why are we telling them how to properly govern themselves? This is the 21st century! Not the 19th!

Let women decide what to do with their own bodies! Us men are just simply too stupid to know what's good for them!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHAT'S MISSING FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION? GUESS.

2007-04-22T18:12:00.001-07:00

It's a bit odd: We can nail a President for lying about Watergate, catch one in the cross-hairs about his role in the Iran-Contra scandal, even impeach a sitting President for lying about an extramarital affair while in office, but we can't:

Impeach a President for using cherry-picked intelligence to start an illegal war. (But we couldn't--because he is a "war" President!)

Get one word of truth edge-wise out of the Republican Party for their actual roles in the Abramoff scandal. (Everything then was a liberal conspiracy to them.)

Get the former Secretary of Defense to at least acknowledge that Iraq was spiraling out of control. (This was fun!)

Get the current sitting (soon to be leaving), US attorney general to explain what was really going on within his department, instead of saying, "I don't know" 70+ times to every question levied by Congress! (Who the heck is running the Justice Department? Homer Simpson?)

So what makes it so hard to tell the truth for this administration and its party?

A few words which Bush promised he would bring if elected President in 2000: "Truth, Honesty, and Accountability."

Can you guess what's really been missing these last six years? I can!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

SOCIETY NEEDS TO DO MORE

2007-04-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Over the past week, I've gone and added my two sense into this tragedy at Virginia Tech. And as such, I've sought to shine the spotlight on society's ignorance and incapable decision-process when it comes to dealing with people who have either mental incapacities, or are emotionally troubled.

The Herald...how I love this paper! Too many times in the past, have I seen it display people's outright ignorance of basic current events or have shown people living in their own comfort zones--too oblivious to the reality in which we live.

I know one writer suggested of this tragedy that we should act proactively by locking up those people who present themselves such a danger--and therefore eliminating it--and another has suggested more councilors for troubled teenagers early on in school.

Throwing people in the loony bin or throwing more money at the issue, isn't going to make what Cho or any other person who committed school violence in the past--go away.

What is needed is more social awareness and interaction by people like you and me. As a community, we need to reach out to these troubled folks. We need to tell them that they aren't alone in their personal struggles against their demons.

And though many of us lack the resources, we can still embrace these individuals and give them hope. Offer them a friendly face, a giant ear, a smile. But if we keep regulating them to state services and mental institutions, we're just inviting more school shootings in the future.

I know one person tried to reach out to Cho, but it was much too late. That kind of example is the kind we should all follow. Not just one of us, but all of us.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

DON'T BLAME THE GUNMAN FOR HIS ACTIONS, BLAME SOCIETY

2007-04-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Cho shouldn't be blamed for his actions--though he did kill people.

Cho shouldn't be blamed for his actions--though he did commit a crime.

Cho shouldn't be blamed for his actions--though he did buy a gun.

Cho should not be blamed at all.

Why?

Because though he was a murderer, it wasn't him who caused this massacre to take place in the first place.

It was society.

Society says that we can own guns. So we go out and shoot people. Society says that we can write whatever we want, so nobody picks up on the hidden clues or meanings--in case things go bad. Society says that we can act or say whatever we want because we live inside an institution which grants us certain inalienable rights.

And so--through society--we have set into motion events that will have lasting repercussions. And when someone kills students like they did in Columbine and in Virginia Tech--we immediately blame the gunmen who pulled the trigger; without realizing that it was society who gave them the means to do it.

So in a sense, we are all to blame for what happened on April 16th.

Because we--not people like Cho--are the guilty triggermen.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

NIXON WOULD BE PROUD OF W–IF HE WERE ALIVE TODAY

2007-04-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Naturally–in the Bush White House–secrets must be kept at all cost.

Even if it means to accidentally delete certain records, e-mails, transcripts…

You know, those pesky little things which may or may not prove that either the White House or Rove was involved in the political firings of eight US attorneys.

Of course, this is just…you know–politics as usual.

Nothing that a little arm-twisting, blackballing, and extortion wouldn’t cure.

And why not?

It worked for Nixon.

Nixon was a shrewd little man. The best Republican strategist that you could ever lay eyes on in the 20th century. He had his ways of getting around (or skirting) the laws of justice when it suited him.

When 18 minutes of the Watergate tapes were found to be missing, Nixon made the claim that “what was lost; could not be recovered.” (Nixon assumed then that record-keeping was so shoddy back then that there was nothing anyone could do to recover those critical moments which would later implicate “Tricky Dick”.)

Naturally, Bush and company are trying to pull a Nixon. By switching from Microsoft Office to Lotus–they assume the same dangerous presumption that what was lost can never be recovered.

Um…

Has anyone told them that this is the Internet Age?

That anything can be recovered?

Including lost e-mails?

Guess not.

Someone should send them an e-mail to let them know this, huh?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CONGRESS ISN'T THE ONE WHO IS HOLDING US TROOPS HOSTAGE

2007-04-08T01:18:00.001-07:00

Ever since Congress inserted language into the new spending bill--which required the President to withdraw our troops by next year--there have been a number of opinions, letters, and so on; blistering the legislative body for overstepping its boundaries--when it should've given Bush all he wanted without question.

But wouldn't that make Bush undisputed king rather than President of the United States?

Is this what we want as a nation?

I find it baffling that so many people haven't read the US Constitution lately--while desperately trying to grant Bush more unrestrained power, than to try and reign him in before it's too late.

Under Article 1 Section 8 of that hallowed document, it spells out that Congress has the purse strings to raise and support armies, but can limit the funding of such wars if deemed necessary. (Vietnam was one such example.)

And while some people supporting this war want Congress to give the President another blank check, they are also forgetting--that by doing so--they are giving the President the authority to hold our forces hostage by fighting a war without end.

Something Congress doesn't want.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WHAT PRICE IS LOYALTY THESE DAYS?

2007-04-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

Let me see if I get this right:

I've heard some people say how much they admire McCain and Obama, but when it came down to voting for either one, McCain would top the list in the 2008 election. (Excluding Hillary.)

Only because he's been in Vietnam and understands the situation in Iraq far better than Obama does--and that's good enough for the average (and undereducated) American voter.

But does he really understand what is going on in Iraq? To put it bluntly, McCain is just an old soldier of the Republican guard. The only thing he understands is Cold War threats and blind patriotism to a man whose own world is very much in line to his own.

In a recent trip to Baghdad, Senator McCain was telling the press of how much "progress" was going on with the troop surge in Iraq--but complained that the media wasn't showing it. (A favorite Bush supporter line.)

But why didn't he mention the chaos and destruction going on because of the troop surge? Or the fact that suicide bombings were increasing and not decreasing in Baghdad and parts abroad as the military claimed?

If this is the candidate that people want for President, I really don't pity our country for the mess its gotten itself into. Blind loyalty to one man has cost our nation much more than anyone can possibly imagine.

But what price will America continue to pay just to repeat the same pattern all over again--with a man who doesn't see reality for what it is?

Can we really afford another 4 to 8 years of government ignorance and incompetence at the hands of another Republican President?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

IGNORANCE MUST BE BLISS WITH WAR SUPPORTERS

2007-03-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

In the last week, I noted with mutual disgust that so many war supporters are coming out of the woodworks to hit the Democrats and their supporters of charges of:

Undermining our troops

Tying the hands of our military commanders

And emboldening the enemy by "surrendering"--through their one-sided view of current events.

It's sad that while we have the rights and freedoms to speak our own minds, not many war supporters have the intellectual capacity to fully grasp what is driving this current Congress to challenge our reigning (and out of control) President on what many see as an illegal occupation.

I remember all too well that our nation spoke as one voice at the mid-terms. The people demanded an end to this failed war--not a continuation. Not an extension. Not a Hail Mary to end all Hail Mary's.

After 4 years of incompetent war policies and a civil war in full swing, the people are demanding (not asking) that Congress end this debacle!

So why do so many blissfully ignorant war supporters still see this as undermining our military and emboldening the enemy?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

MISSING: ONE HONEST GOVERNMENT

2007-03-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Never before in American government (save Nixon), has our own government gone to great lengths to keep things a definitive secret from the American public.

This administration was never about what it pledged to bring back in the 2000 election: Honesty, integrity, and most of all, accountability.

At this point in time, the House has issued subpoenas for some of the White House's top aides--including Karl Rove.

Oddly enough, the White House is declaring the move unconstitutional.

The question is why?

There is nothing unconstitutional about it. The US Constitution grants Congress certain inherent powers. And Bush knows this.

Sadly--though--he is trying to hide behind the overly abused executive privilege excuse as to try and roadblock this matter. Only because he doesn't want the public to know the truth.

So where's the accountability in this administration? Has anyone seen it lately? Has everyone grown tired yet of the abuse of power through all levels of government yet?

Or are we just going to try and have these matters swept under the rug like they were when the Republicans had full and unadulterated control of everything?

It's time we start bringing back honest government. Bring back what it means to be proud of our country. Let's end all this political fear and terrorism wrought by this administration--by demanding that they stop foot-dragging our constitutional rights through the mud, and ante up!

It's the only way we can look at ourselves in the mirror without shame.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

LATEST SCANDAL JUST REINFORCES SUSPICIONS OF GOVERNMENT PRYING

2007-03-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

First Walter Reed, then the US attorney firings over political pressures, and now this latest one: The FBI illegally misusing its powers granted to it by the equally nefarious Patriot Act to intentionally spy on Americans and pressure businesses to give up sensitive employee information--because they pose a non-existent threat to national security.

Many times in the past, I had been warning people that "absolute power corrupts absolutely", and very few have actually listened.

So now we have a government that delights in snooping and spying on its own citizens--either in open or in secret--and little is being done to clamp down the offending perps who have gone above the law and acted on their own accord. (Just because they think they can.)

And people have the gall to claim they feel "safe" because their government spies on them without warrants or reason to follow the laws set down before them in precedence?

I wonder just how many citizens were taken advantage of during the last 4 years that this activity had been going on?

Here's an example we can all chew on:

2 years ago, there was an article published on the 'net stating just how overwhelmed the FBI was by the millions of e-mails sifted from a supposedly secret data-mining program. A program which was supposed to only go after target suspects, but ended up sweeping in roughly 100 million people's public and private e-mails--some erroneously pegged as having links to terrorists.

As embarrassing as this incident was, it proved that the FBI then wasn't content to just going after 'persons of interests'.

Now it's going after innocent people and businesses--and abusing their power in the process.

Where will the buck stop?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

GOVERNMENT THINKS SO LITTLE ABOUT OUR OWN MILITARY

2007-03-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

Ever since this war started, I have been anti-war, anti-government.

I thought that at least by voicing my opinions with the Herald, my voice would be heard from time to time.

And so--lately--people who have sons and daughters in this war, have been begging the rest of us nay-sayers to support the troops.

"Support our troops because my son is in Iraq!"--one writer recently implored us, and I didn't give it much polite thought--only because of my anti-war stance.

And now, I see and hear that the government has been purposely neglecting not only the troops over in Walter-Reid, but also on the war front: By short-changing them to the tune of $38B dollars in much needed equipment, their leaves, and even shortening further critical training regimens--which is vital to fighting an ongoing war like this.

The latest scandal shouldn't come as a surprise to everyone who has been with this disgraceful and uncharismatic administration to date. And why not?

Everything they have said and done has been a willful slap in the face to the American public.

Blissful ignorance and willful arrogance. Isn't this the proud new face of American politics?

It must be--if the government can get away with treating our serving men and women in this deplorable manner. After all, they've had plenty of practice on middle-class America and the poor--by short-changing much needed services and programs for them.

So why not the military?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

DEMOCRATS TRUE COLORS PROVE THEM TO BE SPINELESS COWARDS

2007-02-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

Disappointed?

You should be. You elected them.

And on that note, so did I.

I guess when we elected the Democrats back to Congress, we were expecting way too much from them.

We expected them to turn this chaos and craziness that the Republicans have been stewing the last 12 years into something positive, binding, and healing.

Instead, we got a bunch of spineless cowards who can't even pass a resolution with teeth. We can't get them to make the tough choices in Congress which will have a notable impact on our own American society--and that of the world.

And now, they won't even encroach on the idea of withholding future war funding on subsequent budget proposals--because once again--they are divided over how to go about this.

I suppose that I was expecting too much from them. But then again, I did this voting gig because I wanted out of the nightmare that the GOP had subjected the nation to for the last decade.

Well--come 2008--I'll have to vote someone else in that has the guts and courage to get us out of the mess that neither party can guide us out of.

And I'm not talking just about Iraq either.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

IF BRITS ARE LEAVING, WHY CAN'T WE?

2007-02-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

I find it a bit perplexing. Tony Blair announced a timetable for troop withdrawal for the 7,000 troops stationed in Basra; explaining to the House of Lords (or Commons), that they had been successful in stabilizing that small part of oil-rich Iraq, but said: "We leave Basra not how we wished it, but the Basra we can live with."

Almost immediately, the Bush adminstration was citing victory at the withdrawal, claiming that it was "progress" in the war, and that their new war plan was being vindicated. (Again, I was scratching my head and thinking, "What plan?")

But all this political grandstanding led me to ask another question: If the British are leaving, why can't we?

What's to prevent us from packing up and leaving too?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

COMBATTING ONE IDEOLOGY WITH ANOTHER IS DOOMED TO FAILURE

2007-02-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

COMBATTING ONE IDEOLOGY WITH ANOTHER IS DOOMED TO FAILURE

Once again, President Bush is trapped in a spin world fraught with the "us against them" theme.

Speaking recently at a news conference, Bush was begging other NATO nations to shore up US troops already in Afghanistan--and then jumped into his own parochial ideology that: "Forces of liberty must prevail against the forces of chaos and destruction"-speech.

It's sad to see that this buffoon of a President is once again invoking 9-11 as a catalyst, while engaged in useless propaganda designed to solidify his case of what General Casey recently deemed as a "slow failure" in Iraq.

A failure which this current administration refuses to see, let alone acknowledge.

The current security sweep taking place in Baghdad is once again proving that to a point: Before the 'surge' of troops came, militias on both sides were having a car bomb heyday. But the second the new influx came through, reports were showing that they met with little or no resistance.

Even though there are still car bombings, both sides evacuated the bulk of their forces, and took their campaign elsewhere--challenging our troops' capacity to respond to other problem areas.

And once they leave for parts unknown, the militias and insurgency will once again set up camp in their old stomping grounds--forcing our own troops to respond with aching slowness.

However, I still hear some people complain that we should've just completely disregarded the rules of war and just unleashed everything we have in one fell swoop. Get it over in just a few days.

But if we did that, we would no longer be the 'forces of liberty' now would we?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX