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All lives matter

9/16/2015

Let it be understood that, like most people, to witness or hear of the death of someone is anguishing to me, even if the individual is less than lovely. Sometimes, too, I have complained about the heavy-handedness and lack of judgment of some cops. It’s also become entirely irksome to still hear, after a lengthy time, the utter nonsense of “Hands up, don’t shoot” and the offshoot “Black lives matter” slogan. “Hands up, don’t shoot” is a totally false narrative. Michael Brown did about everything humanly possible to induce his own death, and to elevate him to martyrdom is utterly ridiculous. Would I have liked to have seen him get his life together and thrive? Of course. But exactly how many felonies and assaults on a police officer does it take for many people to get it that Brown and others like him are merely defiant thugs? It also completely irks me that his supporters are never satisfied even though the officer involved in Brown’s shooting, Darren Wilson, has had his life virtually ruined. Yet, these people, cruelly and without empathy, continue to castigate and condemn this good man with a clean record who did nothing wrong but follow protocol and do what he had to do to defend his life.

Kirby Smith
-Des Moines

This is how you say it
Booooooo, Fox Sports! In the second quarter of the Iowa/Iowa State game, they decided to comment on how “local” Paul Rhoads is. Not that I’m a big fan of the game, but if I’m going to make such a comment on national TV, I’d look up how to pronounce “NE-vah-da” and “Ann-KENN-ee.” Not that anyone likely to read this needs to be told they’re “Neh-VAY-deh” and “AYN-keh-nee” but wouldn’t you know, the Contact Us link on their page leads to a bunch of FAQs and no way to actually correct their commentators. But then, that’s Fox for you, even if it is sports and not news.

Jeni Nosbisch
-Des Moines

 

CNA - Stop HIV Iowa

Name calling
Reports of an upcoming presidential visit to Iowa have many in eastern Iowa concerned. Normally a presidential visit to any state is welcomed and encouraged. However, after President Obama timed the announcement of his renaming Mount McKinley to its “original name” Denali to coincide with his three-day trip to Alaska, Iowans are anxious. Those on the Dubuque side of the Mississippi River fear he might want to return the town to its original name of “Over There.”

Mike Rowley
-Clive

 

The elephant in the room
Donald Trump’s declaration that his money buys influence during the Republican presidential “Top 10” debate, was the “elephant in the room.” Most of the candidates had already prostituted themselves to billionaire patrons or, as in the case of Governor Kasich, openly asked for Trump’s money. Many of them, like Jeb Bush, had skirted the campaign finance laws, raising millions of dollars from dark money groups before they announced their candidacies. Although a violation of campaign finance laws, a deadlocked Federal Election Commission is unable to enforce the laws. The irony of Trump’s statement is that many of the voters who admired his candor are unwilling to recognize bribery and corruption when they hear it. The one percenters include the billionaires who are blatantly trying to buy the next election. Most of these oligarchs, like Trump, tout their financial success as a measure of how the other 99 percent of Americans will prosper. Really? If you are a product of a failed public education system or restricted to bad housing, drugs and violence, what path can they offer you to prosperity?

Tim Urban
-Des Moines

2 Comments

  1. Michael L Lewis says:

    This is a response to Kirby Smith’s misinformed version of the senseless, and unnecessary murder of Michael Brown. I would like to ask Mr. Smith exactly what is it an UNARMED individual does that forces a Trained Law Enforcement officer to shoot them from 40 feet away? He stated that Mr Brown did everything possible to facilitate his own murder. I guess being BIG and BLACK was a misfortune for Michael…just like all of the unarmed others that seem to be causing their own murder at the hands of those charged with the task of ‘Serving and PROTECTING’, not killing. His is the same social ignorance that has plague this country for the past 70 years. He HAD to of done something, cause the officer wouldn’t just shoot him unless he deserved it..

  2. Dennis Trollope says:

    Works Righteousness!

    It would appear that Works Righteousness does not apply to everyone. Step on the poor. Demonize the sick, old, underprivileged and profit it by their stigmatism and stereotyping. That raises all boats, doesn’t it. Some are feeling better about themselves already. You gotta love ’em for their interpretations of what would make society “better.”

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