To the Editor:
Second Opinion.
Facts and Afghanistan. October 6, 2021.
I understand that you are mystified by liberal arguments, Martin. It is of great benefit to exchange differences of opinion when they are based upon facts. And, as you say, thereby lies the problem. But we need to rely on actual facts, not politically-manufactured CZ facts. For example, whether or not the Republican/Trumpian “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was “stolen” from them, when every court, high and low, has found no cause of action (insufficient facts to support the allegations) in the admittedly erroneous, unsupported, even loony arguments made by Trump’s “counsel,” including Rudy, Lin Wood and Sidney “Kraken” Powell (now there’s a lineup). The AZ audit debacle, another clear example.
There is absolutely no proof that Trump’s need to win at any cost resulted in a stolen election. When even your hand-selected SCOTUS says you’re wrong, that you do not have a cause of action based upon your pleadings, it’s time to accept facts. But The Donald doesn’t accept facts that don’t support his illusions, and his worshipful Repos bring on the Hallelujah Chorus. Hence, the difficulty in having a reasonable discussion. Still, we persist.
On Afghanistan, time and hearings will uncover all the facts. Keep in mind that President Biden only learned of the Agreement once he took office on January 20, 2021, as the Trump Administration did not share that fact pre-inauguration. On April 14, 2021, President Biden revealed that he had "inherited a diplomatic agreement" that promised all U.S. forces would withdraw by May 1, 2021. Biden continued, "It is perhaps not what I would have negotiated myself, but it was an agreement made by the United State government, and that means something." Biden extended the withdrawal date to September 11, but the Taliban retaliated and began their takeover. If Biden had rejected the Agreement entirely, the US would have been forced to increase military support to impose our decision to stay indefinitely. Exactly what the American public had been begging successive presidents not to do.
Of all the arguments criticizing Biden, there is one that illuminates the Trumpian charade of competence, deal-making prowess, and "genius beyond the generals." The one that makes me snicker is that the Agreement only proved to be faulty when the inexplicable trust Trump placed in the terrorist Taliban turned out to be illusory! Completely unforeseeable blow! When the Taliban failed to obey Trump's general order to meet and confer with our ally, the Afghan government, as to the withdrawal and subsequent governance, the Agreement should have been declared in material breach and unenforceable and we should have stayed put.
So, it's Biden's fault that we are not still at war in Afghanistan. Biden should have refused to withdraw and resumed the war, though the Taliban by May 1 were already violently enforcing their contractual rights in the south that we gave them in the Trump Agreement. Translated, Biden is Trump’s Daddy, who was obligated to fix Donald’s mess without implicating him. Like Daddy Fred and twin-under-the-skin Roy Cohn used to do.
The Agreement left our ally to the notoriously un-tender mercies of the Taliban as they were not included in the negotiations, by Trump's choice. He did not want to hear Afghan opposition to his Art-of-the-Deal "brilliant plan" and the objections to it were furious. Deflated, the Afghans abandoned their government over the summer.
The US and the world are not novices to the horrors of war. Getting into it can be exhilarating ("we're gonna kick Saddam's *ss!"), fighting it is always costly in blood and money and heartbreak, and concluding it so often tragic (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Saigon, Kabul). And still, we act surprised.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
I usually do not respond to your letters, Kelly, as I feel your liberal thinking is so bias, it would take more words than I am allowed to respond in our wonderful newspaper. But I feel you made two statements that are incorrect.
First regarding the audit in Arizona, yes, the number showed that Biden had won, but how legitimate were those ballots? 17,000 ballots were found to be duplicates, records were cleared just before the audit started, more ballots than cast voters, machines connected to the internet that aren't part of the election system, mail in ballots without a crease, all in all 40,000 ballots that were very suspicious. It seems that Democrats are willing to cheat at the ballot box to remain in power.
Now regarding Republicans acting like dictators, that's "the pot calling the kettle black". In the past 8 months, according to the Biden administration, if you disagree with their philosophy, you are a white supremacist. The National School Board Association has now sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting that parents who protest at school board meetings regarding the divisive and totally insane new curriculum in our school, be declared domestic terrorists.
The Left feels we should be reprogrammed, and simply shut up, that's dictatorship! In the meantime, Antifa and BLM can burn, loot, steal, and kill without any repercussions, and totally destroy our big cities.
Kelly, you seem to be hung-up on Fox News; maybe you should broaden your horizon and listen to Newsmax and OAN, you will learn a lot!!
Huguette Johnson,
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
I received this message from a good friend and feel it is important to share with your readers. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her: "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling god to get out of our schools, get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone? In light of recent events... terrorist's attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murry O'Hare complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and our Supreme Court said OK. Then someone said you better not read the bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's grandson committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about, and we said OK. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW." Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.) End Quote
Perhaps it's time we heed the work of the prophet in (2Chronicles 7:14) If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Thanks for listening
Dave Johnson,
Fillmore