1 week Ago
TapestryRe “Court order” (Your Views, April 23): I don’t claim to be religious, but I do think of myself as a good person, which is the only demand of any truly patriotic American. And I do indeed call myself a proud and patriotic American citizen who holds dear American values, and principles of truth, honor, justice and righteousness.One of the best examples of American values is the inscription on the Statue of Liberty.
Since its inception America has become a tapestry of the people of the globe. Former President Ronald Reagan invoked John Winthrop’s “A City Upon a Hill,” when describing America. Reagan added, “A city open to anyone with the will and heart to get here.
” Reagan went on to say that he envisioned Winthrop “coming here in what we would call today a small wooden boat,” not unlike immigrants today.They are here now, whether they came on a small wooden boat or otherwise. Does coming to America now mean being shipped off to a foreign gulag? It is our duty now to live up to our American values and principles and begin lifting these immigrants out of those small wooden boats and add them to our glorious American tapestry.
Robert L. Ligon, CarrolltonDebt crisisThe U.S.
debt is jumping at an alarming rate. U.S.
Treasury data shows that our cumulative debt in 2000 was $10.31 trillion. Today it is $35.
46 trillion. Let’s compare it to the size of the economy; in 2000 the debt was 56% of our gross domestic product. It is now 123%.
As a retired mortgage banker I can say that the U.S. balance sheet is firmly in sub-prime territory.
We are beginning to see consequences. The bellwether 10-year Treasury yield has become more volatile and the dollar is currently declining. These crucial measuring sticks will be worth keeping an eye on.
What is our solution? So far we have seen Elon Musk waving a chainsaw, and President Donald Trump firing public servants. This accomplishes nothing, and is probably counterproductive long-term. We should shore up the revenue side of the equation by not cutting taxes any further.
In 2018, Trump promised his tax cuts would increase revenue. They did just the opposite; revenue fell and has not recovered. Let’s not repeat that mistake.
We should reduce spending by reforming Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Together they account for 50% of our budget. We can start by removing the income cap for the Social Security tax, and adjusting the age schedule for receiving benefits as people continue to live longer.
We must set our self interest aside and require our representatives to make course corrections before it is too late.Pat Hillard, NorfolkFree pressRe “Virginia Press Association fetes Pilot and Daily Press” (A2, April 14): I congratulate The Virginian-Pilot and the Daily Press for winning 80 awards, of which 30 were first-place awards, in the recent Virginia Press Association competition.Your coverage of the international, national and local news is wonderful and critically important to me.
Thomas Jefferson believed in the necessity of a free press to serve as a watchdog to keep citizens informed and involved in government affairs. It was relevant then and now more than ever.Today, the task of a journalist requires talent, perseverance and bravery given the many unique challenges to the free press.
It is a fact that journalists experience both emotional and physical threats for doing their job. The news sound bites and disinformation age that befalls us can only be muted by the truth as it relates to the accountability and investigation of the full story.Bravo to all of you — so well deserved and thank you for your service.
Patty Bates, Virginia BeachSign up for Viewpoints, an opinion newsletter.
