To the Editor:
Back in February of 2020, The Hill, a generally unbiased publication, wrote that the Trump Administration was furious that intelligence officials had warned Congress, in in-person briefings, that Russia was actively supporting Trump in the election process in many states. China was minimally involved, as it was thought that of the two, China thought Biden preferable to the chaos of the Trump administration. Iran does not have the capability of being a major threat to our elections at this point.
The Republican Senate, supporting Trump’s wishes, has refused to consider or pass allocations for states to respond to election interference. McConnell insists: no money to assure fair elections. Then came the attack on mail-in ballots in a pandemic, then Louis DeJoy was appointed to gut the USPS just before an election. This week, John Ratcliffe, the current Director of National Intelligence, has said that he will discontinue all in-person briefings to Congress until after the election.
In-person briefings are important to Congressional oversight because they give representatives and senators the opportunity to ask in-depth questions at the time of the briefing, rather than days or weeks or months later, a fact especially important in an election year. And this oversight function is exactly what Trump fears and despises.
He claims that one or two members of Congress “leaked” information last time, so this denial of transparency in the electoral process is needed. In other words, the Congress are children to be “handled,” sent to bed with no supper. Forget congressional duty to oversee, all you need is the federal government looking out for you. Just exactly the federal government interference that Republicans have railed against since forever. Your rights are in peril.
Kelly Scoles
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
In response to an earlier letter about candidate forums, the League of Women Voters of Ventura County will be housing virtual forums for many candidates in the November 3 election. This is in keeping with the League’s mission to encourage active and informed participation in government. Candidate forums, registering voters, and encouraging people to vote are some of our primary activities.
Our goal is to host forums for all city council races in Ventura County along with some congressional, legislative and other races. Details will be available in early September and our intention is to hold the virtual forums between mid-September and the first two weeks of October. As always, our forums will be conducted to treat all candidates fairly and without bias. The League never endorses individual candidates.
We will publicize details on our website lwvventuracounty.org and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/LWVVenturaCo and Twi1er www.twi1er.com/LwvVentura where you can follow us to be kept informed of our plans. For candidates, we will email you at the address you supplied when you filed your papers.
Pat Essick, Ojai
LWV of Ventura County Voter Services

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Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz is in the news again, but his time it's not for winning football games. He's in the news for a statement he made recently about Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for President. Holtz's statement was: “The Biden-Harris ticket is the most radically pro-abortion campaign in history. They and other politicians are Catholics in name only.”
Coach Holtz's statement has drawn a number of responses. I'll list a few.
“Who is he to judge another man's faith?”
“Biden goes to Mass weekly. He's a devout Catholic and a man of actual faith.”
“Biden almost always has rosary beads in his pocket.”
And, from Jesuit priest James Martin, “Holtz cannot look into the soul of Joe Biden. … I think it's a really terrible thing to say about someone. He has no clue what's going on inside of Joe Biden's heart.”
The Catholic Church has always condemned abortion as murder. The Didache, (A.D. 95), used widely in the early Church, states “Thou shalt not abort.” Tertullian, in his famous Apology of the Christian faith, c. 200, states that Christians don't kill the fetus in the womb, for it's simply a “speedier form of mankilling.” The canons of the Council of Ancyra (A.D. 314) state that not only are those who abort their children guilty of murder, but also those who make the medicines used to induce abortion. In either case, they were excommunicated, able to receive Communion only after ten years of penance. The true, orthodox Christian Church has always condemned abortion. This is historical fact.
Does carrying rosary beads in one's pocket make him a Catholic? Does simply attending Mass regularly make one a devout Catholic? What about the Mafia members who attended Mass regularly? Note what God says in Jeremiah 7:1-11.
It's true that Lou Holtz can't read Joe Biden's heart, but he can judge Joe Biden's works – as will God, who knows the heart and it's fruit. (Psalm 139:1-4; Jeremiah 17:10) Murderers will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will inherit the other kingdom – namely, hell, with the devil and his demons. (1 John 3:15; Revelation 21:6-8) Those who abort their babies are guilty of murder. Those who perform abortions are guilty of murder. And politicians like Joe Biden, who support and sanction abortion and use their political office to ensure the right to murder unborn children are guilty of murder. The Lord also has something to say to pastors/priests who knowingly give Communion to murderers, letting them partake of Christ's body and blood - “Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord,' … And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Lou Holtz is right. Joe Biden and others like him are Catholic in name only. Thankfully, there is mercy with God. Those who repent of their sins, whatever they may be, turn to Jesus, and support what is true and decent and right in God's sight, have forgiveness from God and will enter into eternal life. (Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 103:11-12; Mark 1:15; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:8-9; John 3:14-18, 6:40.)
Leslie R. Lanier, Pastor
Wayfarer's Chapel Lutheran Church
Fillmore