Tell governor concerns on threat from coal ash

I’ve lived in North Carolina since I was five years old; I’ve had plenty of time to fall in love with the beautiful open spaces within our state lines. 

But after reading the NC Conservation Network press release on July 1, I’m terrified of the coal ash pollutants that are hurting the rivers and lakes I love.

Duke Energy has 33 coal ash ponds in North Carolina and every single one is leaking into our water ways. The coal ash pollution causes serious health risks due to arsenic and other toxic chemicals, but somehow, Duke is getting by without having to clean this hazardous waste.

I think this is absolutely unacceptable, and it is in Governor (Pat) McCrory’s hands to do something about it! 

We all need to reach out to the governor, by sending him an email or leaving him a voicemail, and tell him to hold Duke Energy accountable for poisoning the beautiful outdoors of North Carolina.

Hillary said to be pilloried by conservative media

It appears to me that Mr. (Herb) Stark (whose letter to the editor appeared in July’s Daily Planet under the headline “Trump, Hillary both called embarrassment to nation”) and many others watch only Fox News or MSNBC, which are not journalism but sheer propaganda.

 In fact, all American media are owned by conservative organizations or rich conservative individuals .

It has been proven that Hillary (Clinton)has been cleared of any wrongdoing with regard to her emails and Bengazi, but you do not hear this in the conservative media.

I suggest if one wants to know the truth about Hillary (look) on the Internet, (as the media) have been telling lies about her for 10 -20 years. 

She has been called the most honest candidate in politics — with proof of that she is the only candidate totally prepared and qualified to take over the presidency from (Barack) Obama. 

Trump called a fascist wolf in capitalist clothing

When Donald Trump deflects criticism of his statement that Sadam Hussein was good at one thing and it was killing terrorists, not bothering with trials, just “bang,” and then (Trump) clarifying (that) it’s OK for him to say this because he also says that Sadam was “a bad man, very bad,” are we supposed to be reassured because he clarified his admiration for summary executions by saying he thinks Sadam was “bad?”  

What bothers me is that Trump didn’t clarify anything about his admiration for killing people without trials, for Sadam Hussein not only killed so-called terrorists, he killed thousands of legitimate political opponents and even civilians — all without trial or with sham trials. 

Now, I certainly hope that Trump will not be able to make summary executions an institution in this country, not in these United States, our democracy.  I would guess, however, we could expect a rather dramatic expansion of covert assassinations, a policy that many believe is counterproductive, fanning rather than dousing the fires of anti-American sentiment in the Islamic world and around the globe.  Many believe these actions make us less safe rather than more.  So there’s that problem.  And what about our democratic system keeping Trump’s more outrageous ambitions in check?  This is not a man who likes to be limited or thwarted in what he wants to do.

When in addition to his statement praising summary executions, we have Trump’s stated admiration for Vladmir Putin, and when he says, without any clarification, that all his campaign promises, no matter how much they are questioned or opposed, will be accomplished — “easy, believe me, it will be easy,” he scares the willies out of me.  Just how in a democracy do controversial political agendas get enacted with ease?  I guess you find your way around the “democracy” part.  Just like Sadam and Vladmir.

This man, best known for “You’re Fired!” — this man who plasters his name and picture over everything in his domain, who prefers gold fixtures and furniture, has all the attributes and attitudes of an authoritarian without regard for anyone or anything except his winning, his power, his superiority.  These are not tendencies found in great leaders of democracies, rather, much more like that “bad man,” Sadam.

Trump not only is unfit by reason of temperament and judgment to be president, he is unfit because he is fundamentally undemocratic, without any concept of politics based in reason, fairness and compromise.  This after all was how he has done business, making himself a fortune at the expense of others.  He only cares about winning and ruling; in expanding his gold-leaf empire.  We can expect his understanding of the presidency will be exactly in line with these same outrageous and frightening admirations he voices for dictators and dictatorial actions.

I fully expect that Trump’s promises to the working people of America will be no more fulfilled than his promises to the many contractors and workers he has stiffed over the years.  And watch out, this “Great” America he is promising sounds dangerously similar to the “Great” Reich Adolph Hitler promised the German people, and the fascists in America promised in the 1930’s.  Wake up people.  Trump is not the savior of your jobs, but he may well be the bearer of our democracy’s pink slip.