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Letters to the Editor

Citizens’ right to vote is not a partisan issue

Congress is now debating the For the People Act, which passed in the House (H.R.1) and is now underway in the Senate (S.1). The bill aims at protecting the right to vote and making elections more secure, transparent, accessible, democratic and free from foreign interference. Here are some of the reasons why H.R.1/S.1 is so important: Partisan gerrymandering of U.S. Congressional seats is destroying majority rule. H.R.1/S.1 would put independent commissions in charge of redrawing US Congressional districts. Such commissions already operate in Arizona and California. Mega-donor ...

Reader: Vaccination papers may be required

One of my early childhood memories involves my father, hunched over his dinner, sawing away at some substance and complaining about more senseless and mind-numbing rules. He spit out each syllable as if it were a piece of insect that had flown into his mouth. Then he sighed, said the government was nothing more than pencil-pushing slave drivers, and carried on eating. Clearly, from Dad’s mournful body language and indigestion, anyone could infer that rules were bad. I reflected on this. Eventually, I decided that all these new rules had to mean toiling on some kind of contraption ...

Veteran received help from congressman

As a retired Senior Master Sergeant and First Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, I must publicly give my appreciation to Congressman Mooney and his office for assisting me in a matter I could not get resolved on my own. I was having an issue with the U.S. Postal Service and getting a money order refund with no end in sight. Upon contacting Congressman Mooney’s office, I not only received a quick response but also a favorable outcome to my problem. Had I not thought to reach out to my representative, I would still be without my refund. I am thankful that the Congressman and his staff ...

Will W.Va. legalize recreational marijuana?

Looking at the Saturday, March 27 Letters to the Editor, I see three people who are upset with the government, state and federal, and for good reason. Thanks to K.J. Woody, Jessica Scott and Clark Martin; very good, thought-provoking letters that cover a lot of ground. Due to space limitations I’m only going to write about Ms. Scott’s letter since she so pointedly pointed out how Charleston wastes so much time on idiocy. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to analyze someone’s brain with a machine like those the mad scientists used in the late night movies of yore, only much ...

Mooney defends life in the womb

We must protect human life in the womb. That’s why I’m glad Congressman Alex Mooney recently introduced the Life at Conception Act, which would, as the title suggests, define human life as beginning at conception. To use the Congressman’s own words, this bill would also “require protection for the preborn under the 14th Amendment, which grants all citizens equal protection under the law and prevents them from being deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” If passed, this would extend legal personhood to the unborn and would guarantee them the same ...

Nonprofit organization thanks volunteers

Our Town, Inc. would like to thank the numerous individuals, groups and businesses that made our Sprout into Spring a successful project. Special appreciation goes to: The employees of Elkins Builders Supply, who support each of our projects with materials and manpower hours; WV Wood Technology Center, whose employees and volunteers continue to give time and wood cutting skills providing us with our basic product; Pat Nestor, Lena Umbright and Sandy George who spent much time cutting streamers and assist us in so many other ways; Tammy Dolly, Doug Starcher and the Delmonte ...