Salem Community Patriot January 28, 2011 - 3


The Word Around Town... Letters to our Editor


Expressing Free Speech


Newly reelected U.S. Democratic Reprehensive Gabrielle Giffords was doing what she has always believed in speaking to her constituents in Arizona. She believes in open free speech for everyone and openness of our U.S. government. Gabrielle believes in the right for everyone to possess weapons as they see fit to do so, and is considered a very good shot at her gun club, as reported in the news. This wonderful, intelligent, gentle person has stood for good in all that is right in this country. Unfortunately, as the crowd gathered around to hear her words of wisdom as their reprehensive in Congress a deranged young man named Jared Loughner shot and wounded her and killed six innocent people, including a wonderful 9-year-old girl named Christina Green, born on September 11, 2001, a girl with great potential in life, and wounded 12 others. Jared, as a human being, with many emotional problems and apparently deep mental problems, was a believer in the Communistic manifesto, and a non-believer in God. However, he included devil worship at his alter to Satan in his backyard and with lots of signs in his past background as to severe problems with the local police about drugs, video violence, and other concerns. Even his father reported months ago ”that his son was out of control. Outrageous as this murderous act was in


Tucson, is it should not be framed as an excuse to curb anyone’s free speech—written, Internet, personal vocal, or on talk radio. Some people may use this as an excuse to try to take away your rights, which are clearly given under the Constitution of the U.S. So, everyone, please be alert and aware of your rights as American citizens. If you need or want to, write or call your Representatives as to your concerns.


Ed Brooks - Salem


Clarification for Mr. Ippolito This is in response to Mr. Ippolito’s letter on


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the 2nd Amendment. To answer the question on how anyone can misconstrue the intention of “the right” as stated in the 2nd Amendment, all you have to do is read his letter and the question will be answered. You don’t have to be a constitutional scholar to understand the 2nd Amendment, you just need to understand the English language. The 2nd amendment reads: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. For clarification purposes, this could be reworded like this: Since we agree that a well-regulated militia is necessary to ensure that we remain a free country, the previously acknowledged, God- given right of the people to defend themselves by owning and carrying their weapons, shall not be violated, transgressed, or weakened, because if it is, we will have no militia. If the intent of the 2nd Amendment was to confer a new right to “the people” to keep and bear arms solely for the purpose of being members of a militia, it would have read like this: Since a well-regulated Militia is necessary to the security of a free State, militia members shall now have the right to keep and bear arms, and their right to do so shall not be infringed. However, it is plain by the way the 2nd Amendment is worded, that the people’s right to keep and bear arms for self defense pre-dated the Constitution, and the 2nd Amendment just confirmed and protected this right so that a “well- 1 inch by 2 columns


1.3 inches by 1.5 columns


Some people would say I should just leave this alone, but I cannot. I am sick and fed up with all the hate foaming from people’s mouths anonymously in the Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down column of the Area News Group. Who do these people think they are hiding behind a paper screen? The Area News Group should be to blame for even allowing these comments to be printed. The comment with my name made in the last week’s (1/21/2011) issue of the Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down is cause for defamation of character. Comment made and printed, “Leave Legislation to adults without criminal records.” For your information, I do not have a criminal record. I am being accused by that anonymous person of something they have no idea of what happened and the outcome, only what was printed by Area News Group in August who also did not have the complete story. And it’s not just me they hurt—people like


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Dick O’Shaughnessy, a legend of hard work and dedication to Salem Seniors, and outrageous hurtful comments against our schools and their staff who are dedicated to teaching and mentoring our children. Yes, we all have a right to Freedom of Speech, but think before you send in these comments and who you will be hurting. But maybe you don’t care who you hurt; you are filled with so much hate and anger, there’s no room for kindness or compromise.


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regulated militia” could exist in the first place. You see, the militia of colonial days was formed from the pool of already-armed citizens-at-large, who were primarily farmers/hunters. They brought their own guns with them when the militia was called to action because the government didn’t arm them when they got there. That a citizen on the frontier could have been denied the right to keep and bear arms for self defense because he or she was not in the militia, for whatever reason, would have been unthinkable. The framers understood they couldn’t grant the people the right to keep and bear arms because they knew this right originated from the God-given right of self-defense, and in a just society, this right could only be taken away by God. Mr. Ippolito’s letter also stated that at the time the 2nd Amendment became an integral part of the Constitution, America didn’t have a military. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Continental Army was established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. The Constitution was finally ratified by all 13 states in 1790. So the Continental Army existed for 15 years prior to the ratification of the Constitution/2nd Amendment. In fact, the militia, which pre-existed the formation of the Continental Army, fought alongside the Army during the entire Revolutionary War. The bizarre thing is, people like Mr. Ippolito will swear up and down that the Constitution guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion, yet the word abortion – or even the concept of this word – appears nowhere in the Constitution. But when the right of the people to keep and bear arms is plainly spelled out in black and white in the 2nd Amendment, they get all confused about what it means, and in the end, deny exactly what it does mean. Not only could the framers of the Constitution see tyrants who wanted to disarm the people coming from a hundred miles away, they could also see them coming from 220 years away.


Steve Morris - Salem Thumbs Down to the Anonymous


Our letters to the editors are written to send a message of fact, not false information. We may make derogatory comments only in comparison text as to what is fact and what is false information.


Jane Lang - Salem


Economy Challenges Should Be the Focus


Over the weekend, the National Organization for Marriage, a Washington special interest group, sent a negative mailing to many of you attacking me, as House Majority Leader, because of the legislature’s decision not to make repealing gay marriage a top priority in our Republican majority agenda, instead focusing on the historic budget deficit in Concord. As a practicing Catholic, someone with a strong


moral sense of right and wrong and as someone who voted against gay marriage in the past, I reject the accusation that I have abandoned or betrayed family values. On this issue, one of my favorite Biblical verses comes to mind, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven.” At this time, our legislative focus must be on our faltering budget. We inherited a nearly $1 billion deficit that must be addressed immediately, as we are required by state law to have a balanced budget in place by July. Additionally, our citizens are suffering through the worst recession in recent times and our focus must be on getting them back to work. Given the scope of the economic problem we face and the significance of the challenges to pass a balanced budget without new taxes or fees, we necessarily had to make some very tough choices on our agenda. An agenda that attempts to stand for everything ultimately stands for nothing. To be clear, despite the fact


that gay marriage repeal was not on the agenda, the legislation has been filed and it will be acted upon at the appropriate time. Given the nature of the


current legislature and the fact that every piece of legislation is subject to a floor vote, it is almost certain that gay marriage repeal will be passed out of the House of Representatives in this legislative session. For anyone to say that the issue is not going to be addressed is blatantly inaccurate. Again, there is a time for every purpose, and the same-sex marriage repeal discussion will have its time. Unfortunately, some Washington special interests are totally unconcerned with the economic issues facing New Hampshire. I believe that tackling the challenges facing our budget and economy first is the absolute correct course to follow. As a legislature, we must lead on all issues facing New Hampshire, not just a select few. I did not enter public life for popularity, but rather to provide leadership. I believe that tackling the challenges facing our budget and economy first is the absolute correct course to follow. Ultimately, I am guided by the words of noted conservative philosopher Edmund Burke: “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays you instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”


Representative D.J. Bettencourt - Salem


At the Editor’s request, Representative Bettencourt cited the source Website, www.nationformarriage.org


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