Pride and impudence
In regards to last week’s letter by Susan Weeks, it is not a case of people having no sense of humor! The fact is that we have a very strong sense of pride in knowing our ancestors were here building Saugerties. Mine were the Myer, Snyder, and Terwilliger families. There are many more of the old original families still living in Saugerties. The pride we all share in our ancestors, preceded any thoughts that this could be just a very foolishly published April Fool Joke! Perhaps if Ms. Weeks had her ancestors here, she would not have laughed so hard either.
Barbara Terwilliger Ambrosano
Saugerties
A fine line
Having Will Dendis and Bill Schirmer organize a 12-Step Program for the Humor Impaired is an excellent idea! Susan Weeks should consider enrolling as a charter member. Suggested step #1 — I shall always remember that one person’s idea of “humor” might be a sarcastic insult to someone else! Happy organizing!
Rev. Blanche Duffy
Saugerties
Kiwanis clarification
The Town of Saugerties has scheduled the New East Coast Arms Collectors Associates (NEACA) arms fair and sportsman’s expo at the Kiwanis Ice Arena on June 13–15, 2014.
The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties has no affiliation with NEACA or part in the scheduling of the event. Please direct any concerns to the town of Saugerties.
Debbi Lawrence
Kiwanis Club of Saugerties secretary
Defining moment
I am writing in response to Mr. Rothberg letter published in the April 24–May 1 edition. First of all I would like to thank Mr. Rothberg for reading my column on the Second Amendment. I have had many people respond positively to my column. I also received many compliments from “well said” to “very refreshing” and I welcome the negative comments as well. Such back-and-forth dialog and freedom of speech is what helped make this country great.
To clarify what I stated, yes, the Second Amendment is definitely relevant today. Yes, right to bear arms is key part of our government’s system of checks and balances and used only as a last resort if all other means of communication fail. As for Mr. Rothberg’s comment of me being paranoid (a derivative of paranoia: mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of others, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense or as a mission),I feel that it is Mr. Rothberg’s prerogative to think I am paranoid and I welcome his beliefs. But I feel I am just awake.
As for Mr. Rothberg being a liberal, I welcome the fact he shares many of the same liberal views as Gov. Cou-No and Pres. Obama, which brings me to another point. Many so called liberals promote tolerance and free speech. (The definition of tolerance is the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.) So with comments like Mr. Rothberg’s “such columns should not be published at all,” Pres. Obama’s recent attack on the First Amendment and attempt to put sensors and monitors in news-rooms across the country in the name of national security and his comment “I have a pen and I’ll use it,” also Gov. Cou-No’s comment that “New York is a liberal state” — none of this seem to be “tolerant” at all. (All of this can be fact-checked.)
When did the definition of liberal change to “my way or no way” and “that he or she can say what she wants as long as it’s the same view as mine”? I have seen first-hand what happens when a government becomes corrupt — which is why my family legally immigrated to the U.S. when I was younger and why I spent a good portion of my life as a member of the U.S. military and was a volunteer during the Sept. 11 attacks on the WTC. I cherish the fact that there still is a system in place for free speech and citizens still have the right of choice. I think many citizens feel as I do, that the federal and state governments have gotten too big and that they have strayed in the belief of a “Government of the people, for the people and by the people.”
Santos Lopez
Saugerties