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The Columbian
Published: August 20, 2010, 12:00am

Take aim at the dangers of life

It’s so nice to know that open carry advocate Joe Winton wants to strap his SP101 revolver to his hip and venture into what he describes as “one of the most unsafe areas,” that being Esther Short Park. (Aug. 17 Columbian story “Open-carry advocate aims for code change.”) Apparently he feels he must pack some heat to protect his new wife, fending off the dangerous vendors at the open air market and making the children playing in the water feature think twice before messing with this pistol-packing hombre.

Seriously Joe, get a grip (not your pistols) and see if common sense alone can see you through as you navigate the dangers that must lurk around every corner in this dangerous spot, or better yet, go somewhere else with your pistol.

Mike Lappier, Battle Ground

Proud to share Obama’s ideals

I am one American who was proud when President Obama stood up for the ideals upon which this great nation was founded and said Muslims, like everyone else, should be free to practice their religion. Freedom and equality are inherent principles and guaranteed in our Constitution. How quickly we forget that Muslims also died when the towers were attacked, and that Muslims were among the first responders. How quickly we forget that millions of Muslims around the world wept with us when they heard the news and sent their condolences and offers of support.

With many churches and synagogues in this same area, why would anyone oppose Muslims building a mosque on property they own in the same vicinity? It reminds me of a time when American blacks were welcome to buy homes, but “just not in my neighborhood.” We are not truly a democratic nation unless all citizens are guaranteed equal treatment under the law. I am shocked that so many Republicans make this a campaign issue and it scares me to think that they may win. This really is a test of whether we truly believe in our Constitution. I am one American who does.

Terry Hashemi, Battle Ground

A win-win solution proposed

Here is how ow to solve our immigration problem:

  1. Establish tight control of U.S. borders.

  2. Accept applications from prospective workers at U.S. consulates in Mexico and Central America.

  3. Accept requests for workers from U.S. businesses at state labor boards, and improve communication between these boards and the immigration service.

  4. Employer will provide transportation and one month basic housing to new employees.

  5. Employers who are found using undocumented workers will pay for those workers’ return home, plus six months’ wages, plus a fine to be used by immigration department officials to support the department’s work.

With this plan we would know who is in our country, employers would have a ready pool of workers (although with an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent, I am not sure why that is a problem in the first place), and immigrants will be protected from being victimized by unscrupulous employers. Everybody accept the drug cartels and sweatshop businessmen wins.

Glenn Durden, Vancouver

Exclusion is not part of Constitution

“A moral wrong can’t be a civil right.” Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I saw that on a sign being held by someone outside a courtroom in San Francisco. Of course, it never occurred to the righteous devil carrying that clever sign that morality is a matter of culture and opinion while a civil right is a matter of law.

It also never occurred to him that substituting Christian morality for constitutional guarantees is a genuine moral wrong insofar as American culture and law are concerned.

How wrong? First, the Constitution guarantees to all citizens the right to pursue happiness and the equal protection of the laws. You may argue that waltzing into marriage is not necessarily synonymous with pursuing happiness, but you can’t claim that the Preamble and 14th Amendment to the Constitution do not guarantee equality before the law to all citizens. Nowhere in the Constitution is any class of citizens excluded from either guarantee.

And nowhere in the Constitution is there an article or amendment allowing biblical opinion to trump constitutional law.

Finally, to the guy showcased by Jon Stewart complaining that the court stole his vote for Proposition 8: You don’t get to vote on the rights of minorities — the Constitution guarantees those rights.

Joel Littauer, Vancouver

Obama contradicts himself

President Obama’s recent statement that “people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government” is false and contradictory. Not long ago Obama demanded that Georgetown University cover up the “IHS” monogram representing Jesus’ name above the president’s head during his speech at the Jesuit university. He is also on record as saying that Christian America is no longer a Christian nation. Clearly the president has an anti-Christian bias that will eventually end up destroying America if the people continue to support him and his radical anti-life social policies that include the advancement of abortion, homosexuality and embryonic stem cell research. Despite appearances to the contrary President Obama does not believe in religious tolerance. His support for a mosque at Ground Zero in New York under the banners of “pluralism” and “equality” is merely a ruse to draw Americans away from their Christian roots so he can further his militant desire to remake America into a socialist nation, where all religion is ultimately suppressed.

Chris Taylor, Vancouver

Throw out Olympia’s ruling class

Democrat lawmakers in Olympia are sitting back, secure and smug in their power to block legislation that would stop noncitizens from being given driver’s licenses. They know illegals are more likely to vote Democrat, so they actually want to encourage lawbreakers in our state. We have become one of three magnet states for illegals looking for licenses.

Do loyal Democrat voters understand what is happening to their state and their nation? Do they honestly believe handing over voting rights to noncitizens is worth temporary political gains for those they keep in power? It should be clear that voting for Democrats enables elitists to draw a noose around law-abiding citizens’ constitutional rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Voters should understand that, if they do not want this supposed summer of recovery to harden into a prolonged era of failure and disaster for our state, the time has come to change voting habits and throw out the destructive, ruling class in Olympia.

Robert R. Larimer Jr., Vancouver

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