Letters to the Editor

Missing the point

Editor, the Journal,

I'd like to thank Mr. Anvik for his attempt to answer a previously posted question in the Journal and appreciate his truthful feelings expressed about ex-President Donald Trump’s personality. However, he fell short and missed the point of the question, which was about Mr. Trump’s part in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. That part of the question still goes unanswered and was originally asked by John Vernon.

Ardean could have left it there but used the opportunity to chastise me and another writer, Bill Pfender, about our apparent fixation with Trump, saying he has taken up residence in our brains. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, however since there is an ongoing investigation into the insurrection, it is a matter of current events, not fixation.

Ardean then tells readers when he writes he only focuses on policy but goes on to call Mr. Biden a joke in the next sentence and then goes into his usual bashing all things Democratic the next. He started in on Mr. Biden two weeks into his presidency without even giving him a chance and has been relentlessly writing here since. So I expect he is somewhat an expert on fixation.

Ardean’s usual response, which he has used on several occasions, is that whoever is in disagreement with him is “attacking the messenger not the message.”

Mr. Anvik allows himself that same privilege, but using the excuse that being a curmudgeon it makes it OK.

Patricia Hawley

Shelton

The GOP view

Editor, The Journal

My last letter in 2021 will answer Bill Pfender’s question on Republican principles. Many Republicans believe Democrats have bad ideas whereas Democrats believe Republicans are bad people. I believe these five words define Republican principles: standards, vision, character, judgment and integrity.

A standard is a model or an example to be followed; vision is discernment or foresight of the possible; character is a composite of good moral qualities, firmness, resolution, self-discipline, and high ethics; judgment is knowledge to attain goals; integrity is an uncompromising adherence to a code of moral values.

President Joe Biden has none of the above. In 50 years of politics, Biden was against abortion before he was for abortion; he was for busing before he was against it. He was against the “Trump” vaccine; now wants it. He locks down America causing economic chaos. He fires unvaccinated health care workers just when they’re needed most; people are dying because they can’t receive other treatments, like chemotherapy. He ran away from Afghanistan leaving Americans and $60 billion of equipment behind. He canceled the border wall with $50 billion in wall materials wasting away. We still have to pay for the wall because Biden, not the contractor, defaulted. Meanwhile, illegal immigration continues without vetting or vaccinations. We have to replace $110 billion wasted by Biden and he wants to add $2 trillion more to our deficit to pass his Build Bigger Bankruptcies.

Does Biden sound like a leader of the United States or the Soviet Union? An emigrant from Ukraine and current congresswoman said the socialist tendencies of the Democrat party are almost identical to the Communist Party in the USSR. Socialist Democrats want political, financial and social control, all day, every day. They impose unreasonable taxes, illegal mandates, economic insecurity and personal restrictions. A perfect example of the latter is the latest woke issue; they want to ban Christmas movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Democrats have no standards or vision; they refuse responsibility for defund the police movement. They elect rogue prosecutors who are pro-criminal and anti-victim. They allow criminals a bail-free policy so they can continue their smash-and-grab crimes. They take no responsibility for the crime wave and murders in Democratic-run cities. They ignore the antifa-sponsored riots and murders; instead focusing only on the Jan. 6 Washington, D.C., riot.

In place of standards, vision, character, judgment and integrity, Democrats use stereotypes, rumors, biased theories and innuendo. Don’t believe what Democrats say, believe their behavior and actions; a true indicator of their motives. Merry Christmas and have a mandate-free 2022.

Ardean Anvik

Shelton

Playing defense

Editor, the Journal,

Wow! I won the trifecta. In the letter section of just one issue of the Journal (Dec. 2) I was singled out and scolded by three liberals for comments I had made earlier. I thought I’d play a little defense and give readers a glimpse of some of the people across the aisle.

The perps include Patricia Hawley of Shelton, who needs a really big hug, Theresa Jacobson, an amateur humorist from Agate and last, Bill Pfender, also of Shelton, who I believe comes from another planet.

Enter Patricia Hawley. In October, a Mr. Arden Anvik, a frequent contributor to the letter section, wrote a rather dark letter predicting a dystopian future for an America run by authoritarians. Democrats are attempting to achieve this today.

In his portrait of creeping socialism, Anvik cited two large novels by Russian writer-philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-82) “The Fountainhead” (1943) and “Atlas Shrugged” (1957). He then put them on a list of suggested readings and all hell broke loose.

On Nov. 11, Patricia, you suggested to Mr. Anvik that he add the children’s story “Chicken Little” to his reading list because it too was fiction. This was pure snark (the slang version of the term.)

Further, your later protestations of innocence don’t wash. It would be best for you in the future to not wrap yourself in the convenient cloak of “independent voter” and/or flash poorly concealed signs of TDS.

Theresa Jacobson continued to parade her pathologies in the Journal’s letters section. First, she told us that Kyle Rittenhouse was a “vigilante,” a canard she probably gobbled up hook, line and sinker from CNN and/or MSNBC. Next, she chided me for criticizing the Seattle Times (it deserved criticizing) which, she says, is 90 miles from Shelton. “So what?” I ask. Heck, I've roundly criticized the formerly respectable New York Times, a rag published some 3,000 miles away.

In your own words Ms. Jacobson, “Go figure” for yourself, and please take your Rachel Maddow impersonations with you.

Finally, Mr. Bill Pfender is a happy and an aggressive warrior always ready to repeat Democrat talking points. He is often wrong, but always aggressive. A while back, Bill claimed that a “newspaper” is not a “compendium” and seems to want to debate with somebody about it. Silly me, I’ve always believed a “compendium” was, as my dictionary says, “a collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject ...” — like a newspaper or an anthology.

However, I just can’t compete with someone who truly believes a duck is not a duck, so I will yield on this one. You win Bill! Personally, I don’t care if you think a newspaper is a banana, just remember to check your dictionary.

Do us a favor, Mr. Pfender. When you return to your own planet, where “up” means “down,” could you please tell us its name? Feel free to use my complimentary close (below) as a model. Thanks.

Robert E. Graham

Earth (Union)

Trump’s treason

Editor, the Journal,

On Jan. 6, there was an uprising against the duly elected government of our great republic. It was clearly and openly orchestrated by now ex-President Donald Trump, who is unable to accept the well-documented fact that he lost the previous year’s election by a landslide (6,898,049 votes). Reader, make no mistake, this was an attempted coup and Trump’s action, along with the actions of the hundreds of rioters who stormed the Capitol and killed at least one government employee, are examples of treason.

This, by itself, is appalling — a scandal of proportions beyond any in the history of our nation. Even more disturbing is that tens of millions of followers of the Trump cult, not to mention a near majority of the Republicans in Congress, continue to support his treasonous acts and repeat the lies of arguably the most prolific liar ever to hold major political office in the United States.

These acts are bad enough on their face, but what is even more alarming is what appears to be a systematic, organized program by members of one political party to dismantle our democratic system of government. Some examples:

• The so-called “audit” of election results in Maricopa County, Arizona, by a company with no prior auditing experience. The votes have already been audited more than once by state employees. This is clearly a ploy by Trump to feed his base “proof” of the “steal” (theft, in grownup-speak).

• Documented efforts by Republican legislators in many states to disenfranchise minority voters (of color) and limit access to ballot boxes both geographically and number of hours of operation.

• Trump has again openly stated that he urges other states to conduct “audits.”

The fact is that there is no evidence that significant fraud took place. The fact is that the results of the election were certified by all 50 secretaries of state, many of whom are Republicans. Trump just makes stuff up to feed raw meat to his base. The last thing he and his minions want is elections that are honest or fair — they just want power and don’t care how they get it. This campaign matches the strategies of tyrants and dictators throughout history. The real objective is to undermine public support for our centuries-old democratic republic and replace it with a Trump monarchy.

Toby Kevin

Shelton

The Fountainhead paradox

Editor, the Journal,

I have been entertained by all the discussion of Ayn Rand’s writings. But this presents something of a paradox. It seems that Ms. Rand’s most ardent supporters are in the thrall of her Objectivist philosophy while simultaneously advocating for a Judeo-Christian society. And this is something that continues to puzzle me.

I am familiar with Ms. Rand’s works and have read some of her writings. I am generally versed with the libertarian ideology, which is based in Objectivism. And I cannot make the leap from her philosophy to Christianity. The first problem is that Rand was a vocal atheist. She was very clear that she held the social tenants in contempt and regarded them as weakness. Her philosophy is on its own terms “godless.”

When one reads Ms. Rand, two words jump out at you: “I” and “ego.” In fact, her short story “Anthem” ends with the latter in large caps. Yet glorification of the ego is totally foreign to classic Christian theology. In fact, the noted Orthodox theologian Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon has called Libertarianism a “lie from the pit of Hell” for the exact reason that it glorifies the ego. Yet, the people who hold themselves out as conservative seem to embrace both philosophies at the same time. I personally think that any teaching that combines Libertarianism and Christianity is by definition a heresy. And I don’t know how one can come to any other conclusion. Additionally, trying to hold to both philosophies in politics is simply an unstable governing philosophy. This is no doubt why the GOP has abandoned any pretense of developing a campaign platform. Whatever they come up with cannot help but be internally inconsistent.

Yet, these same advocates will insist that they are the defenders of the Judeo-Christian tradition, Western civilization and the true vision of American. This cannot be. Objectivism is just as much a radical philosophy as Bolshevism. One is radical individualism. The other is radical collectivism. Both betray the Judeo-Christian tradition. And frankly, it makes me question their claims to be the only true patriots with the only valid interpretation of the Constitution.

Andrew Makar

Hoodsport

Enough of this

Editor, the Journal

I am white. According to President Joe Biden and his communist clowns, that makes me a racist. Shut up. I’ve got news for you. Some of the best people I have ever known are Black, Hispanic and Native American. So don’t call me racist because I am white. Look inside yourselves and you will see a racist. I don’t care if you are Black, white, green, purple or pink. Either you are a good person or you aren’t. Enough of this.

Scott Stidd

Shelton