Schools across the North Country passing bans on cell phones
During the holidays more than 250,000 wreaths are laid in front of the headstones and monuments at Arlington National Cemetery.
That’s humbling.
It speaks to how Arlington is more than just a graveyard, it is hallowed ground, sacred real estate where those who have given their lives to the service of their country can rest eternally.
Presidents, generals, admirals, astronauts and regular privates are all allowed entry.
It is a place every American should visit at least once as a reminder freedom’s cost.
When I visited Washington, D.C. for business, I often strolled over to the White House in the evening and stood in awe of what it represented.
And I was in my 40s.
There is something about the city that transfixes me, that makes me proud to be an American.
While covering the National Governor’s Conference my senior year in college, I remember taking a past-midnight tour of the monuments with my student-newspaper colleagues. From the White House to the Jefferson Memorial and on to Lincoln Memorial, lingering under the statue of Lincoln and not wanting the night to end.
Our entire lives were ahead of us and I was optimistic as a young journalist hoping to change the world.
Over the years I returned to Washington many times, but it was Arlington that drew me back over and over again.
The first time was as a 13-year-old on my eighth-grade class trip with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy still fresh in my memory.
The last time was five years ago when my son and I made a D.C. pilgrimage to see the Newseum – the greatest newspaper museum ever – one more time before it closed. But I no longer was awed by the White House, or the Supreme Court or many of the other monuments.
But it was Arlington that delivered again on a strikingly balmy day at the end of December as we walked amidst a quarter-million wreaths. We stopped at the Kennedy gravesites, found the final resting place of the Apollo I astronauts Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee and were humbled by the sight of all those wreaths.
It was a special day.
It was a reminder of what a special country we used to have.
So it especially troublesome for me last week when former President Donald Trump used Arlington National Cemetery as a backdrop for a political ad in violation of the law.
Federal law says “The Executive Director shall ensure the sanctity of public and private memorial and ceremonial events” and Part C of the statute reads “Memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities.”
Trump was there to lay a wreath on a solider killed in Afghanistan, but he was also there to shoot a commercial. That is not only inappropriate, it is illegal.
So when a cemetery worker tried to stop the filming, Trump campaign aides pushed her aside.
It was unseemly.
And un-American.
New York Times columnist David Brooks said on PBS Newshour Friday evening “It was the worst thing Donald Trump has ever done – in the past 48 hours.”
The next thing is always worse than the previous thing when it comes to Trump.
Even after the incident blew up into a controversy, the Trump campaign still posted the video on social media as a criticism of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and the Afghanistan withdrawal that Trump negotiated.
The video is solemn and appropriate, until the voice over begins the political message.
The U.S, Army took the unprecedented step of defending the cemetery employee with the Associated Press reporting, “This employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption,” the Army spokesman’s statement said. “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
For me the presidential election stopped being about the issues a long time ago.
It is about morality.
It is about having a country we can be proud of again. If you support Trump, you are showing a failure of your own morals, your own inability to do the right thing.
Each December, volunteers lay out those 250,000 wreaths on each and every gravestone for those who defended our country in all our wars.
That should never be a campaign ad for anything.
More cell phone bans
Following up on my column about the growing number of school districts considering cell phone bans – Cambridge has already banned cell phones – North Country Public Radio reported this past week that Lake Placid is banning cell phones for this school year as well.
It joins Malone, Saranac Lake, Morristown, Lisbon and Sackets Harbor in the North Country.
NCPR reported that a Pew Research Poll found that 70 percent of high school teachers say smart phones are a major distractions in the classroom. It also found teachers against banning cell phones.
Check out its story. It is worth the read.
Cemetery tour
The Chapman Museum will hold its annual Cemetery Tour on Saturday, September 28 with a variety of tours beginning at 10 a.m., including two golf-cart tours.
The tour will include local actors telling the stories of prominent citizens from Glens Falls’ past at Pine View Cemetery off Quaker Rd. in Queensbury.
Tickets are $20 ($15 for Chapman Museum members) and you can reserve your tickets by calling (518) 793-2826.
Balloon time of year
Mark Donahue, organizer of the Adirondack Balloon Festival, and Amy Lapoint, author of Pilot Memoirs, will be speaking on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at The Chapman Museum for a discussion about the balloon festival as it begins its second half-century this year.
They will focus on the rich history of the balloon festival and take us on a behind-the -scenes look at what it takes to put on the event every year.
To register for the free program, call (518) 793-2826.
Another plus
Those of us that have lived here for decades regularly cite it as the best place to live in the country – winters be damned.
Warren County shared in its newsletter this week that U.S. News and World Reports rated the county among the top 10 percent of the “healthiest” counties in the United States. It was rated 304th out of 3,143 counties and had moved up 53 spots from the last review two years ago.
The magazine looked at not only health metrics, but also public safety, educations, economy and access to housing.
Revolutionary talk
Marie Williams, author of Loyalists in the Adirondacks: The Fight for Britain in the Revolutionary War will be speaking on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Crandall Public Library at 7 p.m.
The program is presented by Crandall Public Library and the Warren County Historical Society.
The program is described as: “From the outbreak of the Revolutionary War to the summer of 1777, Loyalists and Patriot forces wove their way through the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks, vying for land and control of the key waterways of the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River and the New York Harbor. The majority of New Yorkers, particularly those who occupied the Adirondack Mountain Region and other wilderness frontier regions, were either Loyalist or neutral throughout the war. Their stories, motivations and actions are often overlooked out of a false impression that most colonists were unified in favor of American independence. Williams recounts the harrowing efforts, battlefield endeavors and conflicted hearts and minds of the forgotten British and Loyalists during the revolutionary era in the Adirondacks.”
Williams is an independent historian living in upstate New York. She also hosts the podcast The Half-Pint Historian.
The event is free and open to the public.
Special thank you to journalists, Ken Tingley and Will Doolittle, for allowing The Adirondack Almanack to share content from their online newsletter with our readers.
About them: Two retired North Country journalists continue to lend their voices to the issues and debates of our time. Ken Tingley, editor of The Post-Star in Glens Falls for 21 years, and Will Doolittle, who spent time at the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Malone Telegram before landing at The Post-Star for 30 years, have joined forces to produce a newsletter on Substack covering local news four times week. Substack is an online newsletter that is delivered by email to each subscriber.
Tingley and Doolittle, both award-winning columnists during their careers, continue to weigh in and add contest to North Country issues, including the actions of Rep. Elise Stefanik. Tingley produces columns every Monday, Wednesday and Friday while Doolittle writes a Sunday column. While the newsletter is free to all subscribers, readers may support the work by buying a paid subscription.
To subscribe, you just need to insert an email address and you will automatically receive the content. To subscribe for free or make a paid contribution, click here. To review some of the past columns, click here.
What does Donald Trump have to do with the Adirondacks. Keep your political views to yourselves!!!
Jim,
Ever take a drive in the Park? See a lot of Trump signs? That’s what makes it local. People campaigning for the guy in the Park non-stop since 2016 makes it an Adirondack issue. Should we ignore it?
Politics are an important part of the Park and Nixon-era federal environmental regulatory agencies are under attack. It is important that an area with a strong conservation history knows how to vote in federal elections as well as local.
The man is not in office. He cannot to do anything to the Adirondacks. When and if he is elected and says something to do with Adirondack, fine write something then. This paper originally was about the great outdoors now it’s turning into a liberal paper. Don’t see any bad articles about this administration!!!
“A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson stated something to this effect on many occasions. The Press has always been a crucial way to help voters decide who they vote for. It is important to educate voters PRIOR to election day – not just to complain about the results and who gets voted into office. The Almanac does allow for opinion pieces – including politics.
You are free to write an article! AA and AE print Guest Contributions all of the time – you don’t need to be a staff writer or reporter. If there seems to be a liberal bias, consider that content is going to depend on what is submitted.
And chosen to be printed.
Trump was invited by the Gold Star families that Biden and Harris refuse to acknowledge after their bungled Afghanistan exit. Those facts are more important than anything else you wrote.
Nothing wrong with that at all, right up until the point he then made a political commercial attacking his opponent in violation of the law. He politicized the dead. That’s where our morality comes in. That is not what a moral person does.
Joe Biden and his generals rushed the exit from Afghanistan creating 13 Gold Star families in the process. Billions of dollars of military equipment was left for the Taliban and hundreds of our allies were left behind after being promised safe passage. To this day, Joe Biden has not taken any responsibility for this, nor has any of his military subordinates been held accountable. That is not what a moral person does.
If you’re going to spread this propaganda, at least get your facts right. Biden executed the withdrawal Trump negotiated. The billions of military equipment left was not ours. It was sold. The equipment that was ours was scuttled.
More Americans died in Afghanistan under Trump than under Biden…..more than 4 times more. What about them?
It was a political stunt exploiting our young men and women in uniform. If you are still a Trump cultist, he is exploiting you, too
Facts! Trump supporters don’t need facts: their opinion is good enough and, lest we forget, their leader doesn’t rely on facts so why should they?
You have refuted no facts but simply hurl insults. You have no idea whom I support but feel free to weigh in with nonsense. If you want to understand how Trump garnered support and was elected President, look in the mirror. Trump critics typically do not understand cause and effect, in fact, they usually have it exactly backwards.
Trump’s Doha Agreement was terrible. But Biden is not bound by that agreement any more than all of the other EO’s he reversed on day one. As CIC, he was responsible for the execution of the withdrawal and it was a complete failure. There was no need to rush the exit, there was no need to leave Bagram overnight, there was no need to drone strike innocent civilians in “retaliation”. It sounds like you approve of Biden’s actions. If so, you are more of a cultist than the stranger you are insulting.
In a published letter, many retired generals said this today
“ The group of retired generals placed blame on former President Donald Trump for “putting service members in harm’s way” while he was in office, and argued he didn’t leave the Biden administration in a position to execute a withdrawal efficiently.
“Without involving the Afghan government, he (Trump) and his Administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban that freed 5,000 Taliban fighters and allowed them to return to the battlefield,” the letter claimed.
“Then, he left President Biden and Vice President Harris with no plans to execute a withdrawal, and with little time to do so. This chaotic approach severely hindered the Biden-Harris Administration’s ability to execute the most orderly withdrawal possible and put our service members and our allies at risk.”
If this is “illegal” – and maybe it is. They must have been breaking a federal law. Why is the federal government (under President Biden and VP Harris now) not charging them with something? To me it looks like it is just a media story?
Why are we not reading and indictment here? There is a video right?
According to the U.S. Army:
“Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds,” the statement said. “An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed.”
Wouldn’t the employee be needed to press some sort of assault charges on them? The incident is on video the the federal government doesn’t need the employee to press charges for the law that had been broken. They can press charges.
My question was why are they not?
“The incident is on video the the federal government doesn’t need the employee to press charges for the law that had been broken.”
Do you have a valid source for this claim?
Also, per NYT:
“A woman who works at the cemetery filed an incident report with the military authorities over the altercation. But the official, who has not been identified, later declined to press charges. Military officials said she feared Mr. Trump’s supporters pursuing retaliation.”
What are you asking for? There is obvious evidence of this crime. The Army says it in their statement. Why no charges?
They have the proof (on video) here is the law, there is a reference to it in the story.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/32/553.1
You would have to ask them why they have chosen not to charge them. That is my same question.
I am asking about why no federal charges not about the woman. They don’t need her permission to charge them with a crime they appear to have committed.
“They don’t need her permission to charge them with a crime they appear to have committed.”
If the alleged victim of an assault does not press charges, that has a significant bearing on whether charges can be filed. Do you have a valid source for your claim that the U.S. Army, or the local law enforcement the Army referenced in its statement, can file charges or should file charges absent the alleged victim’s cooperation?
Does your claim have a valid basis, or is it your opinion? I ask because I’ve seen numerous examples over the years of law enforcement not proceeding with a charge for an assault when the alleged victim does not want to press charges. The only example I’m aware of where law enforcement can easily proceed without the alleged victim’s cooperation is in domestic violence situations.
Of course, the real issue here isn’t whether charges are filed — that’s just a deflection from the behavior of Trump and his campaign. It’s also a deflection from the legitimate concern on the part of the cemetery employee about retaliation from Trump supporters.
In the end, whether a crime is charged or not is irrelevant to me. What’s relevant is the behavior shown by Trump and his campaign staff.
Being told by Arlington staff that photos and videos were not permitted, and still Trump’s people bullied their way in and proceeded anyway is the issue. Any ethical campaign would have stopped, apologized, and removed the cameras.
This, sadly, is just indicative of many people accepting, or even valuing, Trump’s abnormal behavior and aberrant statements. This includes Trump’s threats of violence and even violence itself.
Indeed, why not charge him with this? They’ve charged 45 with everything else they could make up out of whole cloth. Really, why not charge him with comfortiing 13 grieving Gold Star families whose loved ones died a violent, unnecessary death as a result of his sucessors (46) failure to execute a simple military withdrawal. Wait!! Better yet, charge the grieving Gold Star Families themselves. They should know better than to have an anniversary ceremony for their loved ones. Let’s make them pay for this heinous crime. Actually Paul, you said it in your last post. ‘To me it looks like it is just a media story’?
Sorry, JohnL, but I just don’t find rants to be particularly persuasive. But needless to say, you’re welcome to your opinion.
Thanks Bob. And you, yours!!
Maybe ask yourself why he feels he’s above the law. He does this stunt at Arlington, the cemetery tells him its against the law, so he does it anyway. His lawyers tell him paying Stormy $130,000 is going to get you in trouble, so he does it anyway. He rapes and then defames a women, gets a $5,000,000 judgment and continues to defame her. He takes classified documents to Florida, refuses to return when asked, forcing an FBI search warrant. FBI lawyers and his own tell him its against the law to keep and he does it anyway. And you’ all call it a witch hunt. I mean, really, he repeatably breaks the law and you are OK with it.
I agree.
Also, the ultimate issue for our country is that almost half the voters endorse a corrupt, incompetent traitor for president, someone who promotes threats of violence and violence itself to achieve political ends.
I don’t know if our country can ever come back from that.
Sorry, Bob, but I just don’t find rants to be particularly persuasive. But needless to say, you’re welcome to your opinion.
Oh, my. How clever lf you.
Addendum: Not trying to persuade anyone. Just adding my voice to the views expressed here. I am glad, though, to see that you’re reading my comments, whether or not you agree with them.
I would argue that my column is not political at all. It is about simple morality and respecting veterans who gave their lives to our country in defending our country. Anyone who disrespects that should be called out, but especially someone who is running for president. This is not politics it is about what is right and wrong.
Kenneth,
I agree. If someone is running for an office that will ultimately effect me and my well-being, character is an important part of my decision on who I vote for. Politicians are poiticians and some have more character than others. Opposing views and civil discourse are perhaps the most important parts of a republic/democracy. It should be encouraged, not stifled – but should also be factual.
Hmm…. But you conveniently left out Joe checking his watch.
At what point is Joe checking his watch on equal terms with somebody like Trump, who has had 3 wives, cheating on all 3, plus the payment to the porn start as hush money so as to not influence an election. I’m OK with Joe being curious as to where he was on the daily schedule.
“If you support Trump, you are showing a failure of your own morals, your own inability to do the right thing.”
Wow…I think you just called all Trump supporters “immoral”. Your words are not only unkind but are unjust and without a shred of proof. These pages are sacred places too, and should not be exploited for personal political statements. You certainly have a right to express your views, but maybe you really shouldn’t. You had a bad day at Arlington, sorry for your anxiety. My parents are buried there and I think of them every day.
I agree with a previous comment that said that we like the Adirondack Express because we are interested in Adirondack issues and nature. I can get my political news elsewhere and hope I still have a right to vote for whoever I want to without being called names. Thanks!
Arlington Cemetery still has nothing to do with the Adirondacks. It’s all about the guy running for office and what he did. That my friend is political any way you look at it.
While Trump saluted and paid respects to fallen soldiers that Joe was responsible for, Joe was busy checking his watch! Doesn’t get any lower than that.
The AA is a tentacle of the Times Union. You have expect alt left media bias in the articles.
Your bias is showing, shame on you. Trump was invited by the families of those 13 and they wanted photos taken with him.
Like many, you’ve missed the point. I can invite friends and family to trespass or rob a bank. It doesn’t make it legal. I can invite you to take a selfie with me in a restricted area of area of a National Park. Me wanting you there doesn’t make it legal or right. It’s illegal and disrespectful of the law. They were told what the rules were and Trump’s goons harassed a federal employee simply trying to do her job. She is afraid to speak publicly for fear of retribution from the “I am your retribution” candidate. The family was within their rights to invite him. They were not within their rights to bring cameras into Area 60 of this cemetery and they knew it. They broke the rules and so did a former president and his flying monkeys who should have known better and acted like grown-ups, but as usual, thought the rules didn’t apply to them. Thumbs up and a big smile! Who are the disrespectful ones here? What a total disgrace. Shame on THEM.
Oh for goodness sake. Typical false equivalency. President Biden glanced at his watch for a split second. What a monster. I’ve seen lots of people look at their watch during a funeral. It doesn’t get any lower than looking at your watch? Seriously? He isn’t a serial cheating, serial lying, misogynistic, philandering, self-dealing CRIMINAL who tried to overthrow the government and have his vice president hanged. Mr. Trump doesn’t care about you or ANY person who has served. He’s never lifted a finger for anyone but himself, yet some think he’s the Second Coming. Mr. Trump has shown no bottom to his vile behavior. “But Biden looked at his watch!” Be serious.
None of them are serious, they’re just repeating the daily outrage from Fox News Channel, either from the source or from the infinite repeats on social media or other propaganda websites.
If you haven’t seen the documentary “The Brainwashing of my Dad”, you should. it’s on YouTube, and it’s free. You can find it by searching on that title.
Please enlighten us with the unimpeachable and unbiased sources of information you consume to get your news, Davis. It must be amazing not to be outraged or fed propaganda every day. Please help us.
A lot of you in these forums find it very easy to dismiss everything you disagree with as FNC, Trump cultism, ignorance, bigotry, etc. rather than refute with facts or arguments.
Just reminding you V, that on Jan 6th, 2021, President Trump was Commander in Chief of the greatest military in the world. If he wanted to overthrow the gummint, or even call a timeout until the numerous ‘irregularities’ of the 2020 election could be straightened out, he could have done it using them. What could an unarmed mob of semi-geriatrics do that he couldn’t have done MUCH BETTER with the military? Doensn’t make lot of sense, does it?
Now re: President Trump in Arlington. By defiinition, everything a politician does is political. So, also by defiinition, when any President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, it’s a political act, yet this ceremony is shown on National TV every Memorial Day. Has been for decades. Is this then to be considered a ‘political act’ promoting the President and therefore illegal? If so, Joe Biden, and every other president, has violated that law (just DuckDuckGo ‘Biden at the Tomb of the Unknowns’). Plus, and this is a big plus. I think you would have been silent if Job or Kamala HAD accepted the grieving families’ invitation to the ceremony. I think you would have been cricket strength silent. That they didn’t accept it is the disgraceful part of THAT story.
P.S. Mike Pence is fine. The scars from his attempted ‘lynching’ are hardly visible, unlike the scars on President Trump, where someone tried to assassinate him. Yeah, he’s in it for himself. He didn’t have enough money ($2 billion or so) or a cushy enough lifestyle in 2016 so he had to interview for a $400,000 annual salary job. Yeah, he’s in it for himself.
John, please review the rules and customs for ANC. There are places where public activities take place and cameras are allowed – ceremonies like when the President of the United States lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. This is not a political act. Every head of state of every party in every part of the world does this in their country as a gesture of respect for their war dead. Other areas of ANC have more restrictions and rules for reasons any decent human being understands. I won’t debate January 6th. Everyone knows what happened, how and why.
You won’t debate Jan 6th, because you can’t. I just told you everything you need to know about trying to blame President Trump for the stupid people that demonstrated that day.
Per your own statement, President Trump, in his role of former President, paid a ‘gesture of respect’ to fallen heroes. All at the Gold Star familys invitation, by the way. This is particularly significant because they all died as a result of the incompetence of our present President. If people found out about it, in my opinion, that’s not a bad thing. You’re free to disagree.
You’re still misunderstanding. It doesn’t matter who invites you to a place. If it’s illegal to bring cameras to that location out of RESPECT FOR OTHER PRIVATE FAMILIES WITH DEAD RELATIVES BURIED THERE, include someone else’s dead husband’s grave in the picture without their consent, and use it as a thumbs-up disgrace of a photo op, then uses it as a campaign ad, that is not the same as a gesture of respect made by most heads of state at national military cemeteries. As I said before, I can be a Gold Star mother and invite you to come with me to trespass or steal some jewelry or enter a restricted area of a National Park and vandalize the monuments, but THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT LEGAL and there will be legal consequences. What part of this don’t you get? But please, continue to honor this illiterate, disordered cult leader if it suits you. He does not give a rat’s @$$ about you. I wouldn’t want my daughter or sister near this creep. BTW it was Trump who began the deal and set a deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan. Biden isn’t the first one to see his soldiers killed in military maneuvers like this and presidents take no pleasure in it. How many American soldiers were maimed and killed in a failed war in Iraq based on a lie? Don’t go there. Meanwhile maybe we can make a national holiday in honor of the “J6 Hostages.” USA! USA!
What “numerous irregularities?”
Ken,Another anti Trump nonsense story. Go kiss Kamy’s feet.
I believe Arlington National Cemetery is sacred ground and should not be politicized. If you believe differently, I guess we have a different set of values.
You have politicked it
It’s seems true. Where are the federal charges?
According to the U.S. Army:
“Participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds,” the statement said. “An ANC employee who attempted to ensure adherence to these rules was abruptly pushed aside. Consistent with the decorum expected at ANC, this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption. The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed.”
Thanks. See my reply above.
Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!
Enough of the “Front Page”, let’s stick to news and events in the Adirondack mountains. The media is saturated with Trump and his antics, does it need to be reported here to?
At the Economic Club of New York on Thursday, Trump was asked what, if anything, he would do about the cost of child care, if elected. This was his answer:
“And we’re sitting down — you know, I was somebody — we had Senator Marco Rubio and my daughter Ivanka was so impactful on that issue. It’s a very important issue. But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about that — because the child care is, child care, it’s, couldn’t, you know, there’s something, you have to have it. In this country, you have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about, by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to, but they’ll get used to it very quickly — and it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us, but they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s going to take care.”
An incoherent, inarticulate, and indefensible mess of a rambling response by the Republican candidate for president. I had a difficult time searching a for complete paragraph, a complete sentence, or even a complete thought in this word salad.
Just like the Democrats did, Republicans need to have a “family talk” about the cognitive abilities of their candidate.
No problem. I guess you’ll just have to vote for ‘Word Salad Kamala’. You know, the candidate that waxes poetic about ‘yellow school buses’, Vinn diagrams and being ‘unburdened by what has been’. If we’re lucky, she’ll highlight her talk with a good hearty cackling laugh. Oh yeah, and she’s to the ‘left’ of Bernie Sanders. Good choice.
I get voting Republican, I respect a political choice that is other than Democrat. I get voting Republican and for somebody who has morals and ethics and is a fundamentally good person. Eisenhower comes to mind as well as the first Bush. Essentially honest people. But supporting Trump as a political choice means you don’t care about morality, legality or the truth.
Like I said Bob, vote for whoever you want. It’s fairly obvious to this observer that neither you, nor I, nor anyone else in this thread, will ever change the others mind. So, have a great day! Enjoy the beautiful New York fall weather.
Listen closely to Trump’s words. Hear the singular thread in his speech. It’s in the fabric of his falsehoods. It’s in the lies fashioned out of whole cloth.
As you listen, Trump’s worn-out garments begins to unravel. His stained clothing falls away and he’s naked for all to see. The aspiring emperor has no clothes.
Trump’s only art is convincing the gullible he’s a well-dressed oratorical genius.
Like I said B. ‘No problem. I guess you’ll just have to vote for ‘Word Salad Kamala’.
Trump: “But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about that — because the child care is, child care, it’s, couldn’t, you know, there’s something, you have to have it. In this country, you have to have it.”
Harris: “We will provide $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child’s life. Now think what that means. Think what that means. That is a vital, vital year of critical development of a child. And the costs can really add up, especially for young parents who need to buy diapers and clothes and a car seat and so much else. And we will do this while reducing the deficit.” (Kamala Harris, August 16 Economic Speech in North Carolina)
You’re right. The only sensible vote is for Harris.
Isn’t that you saying above that you are not trying to “persuade” anyone? This looks like it came from someone working on the Harris campaign?? Clearly you are here.
I’m just voicing my opinion, like everyone else here. If you feel that’s attempting to persuade, that’s your view.
I do like reading views that differ from my own — especially when they’re based on facts and common sense, rather than false information and innuendo.
From my point of view, the punditry of Tingley and Doolittle fills an important niche that has been sadly lacking among the otherwise valuable content of Explorer/Almanack.
It is a big plus toward making a true Adirondack COMMUNITY media source where everyone, no matter what their opinion, can feel welcome as long as they behave. I hope Melissa will make useful editorial content a permanent fixture here that will grow reader support and revenue for this venue.
In this election year, I feel that political subject matter should be especially welcome. It can help us all find our way to the truth, and to elect the best candidates that will put regular people first, ahead of their own egotism and greed.
Without a healthy working democracy, with two parties that will work together for the people who need their help, the Adirondacks that we all love is on shaky ground.
I will put Kamala Harris’ integrity against the No Clothes Emperor Fool any day of the week. And President Biden did something a malignant narcissist would never do – step aside to save democracy. His legacy will speak for itself and so will trump’s. I never thought I’d see the day when I might actually pine for George W. Bush. Hated his politics but at least he was a halfway decent human being. Honorable Republicans (including another that I have no nice feelings for – Dick Cheney) know right from wrong and are trying to save the country by voting for Harris even though it’s extremely difficult for them. I would do the same in their shoes. Enough of this toxic cesspool created by this pathological parasite who feeds on anger and grievances and tells the vulnerable he is their “retribution” and does nothing but sow doubt about our entire constitutional system so that not only do his believers distrust their opponents, they actually don’t trust anything or anyone. It breeds violence and chaos. I know an Austrian artist who used this same sick strategy on poor desperate Germans starting in the late 1930’s….
Republicans should use the next four years as a time out to take out the GQP trash and regroup.
We will. Thanks.
Republicans should use the next 4 years as a time out so they can take out the GQP trash and regroup.
We will. Thanks.
I’m hoping everyone here can take a second. I’ve been writing commentary for decades and I try to make valid points and hopefully a conversation emerges and we all learn something.
What I’m seeing here is not going to benefit any of us. Take a second, read each person’s words and react with compassion and civility. The country is more divided than ever. I do not want to contribute to that. I hope that we all can at least talk to each other.
So I urge us all to turn down the temperature and be civili.
Maybe I don’t know the hierarchy of the AA, but wouldn’t it be Melissa Hart’s purview as editor to tell us readers to cool it? Just wondering why you brought it up.
And respectfully, if you don’t want spirited conversation, limit the Almanac to articles about the fall colors or loon rescues, instead of provocative subjects. Not everyone agrees with your take on things.
Wondering if this comment will see the light of day.
You can choose to read what you want. Your choice to read this piece was yours alone.
I chose to read it Todd, and I chose to comment. That’s how this website operates. Obviously there a problem with that on our contributors end and possibly with you. Melissa has the power to ‘mute’ me any time she thinks I’m out of line.
Nice Job Ken
Have any more inspiring articles about the “ADIRONDACKS”.
Jim, did you notice that this commentary discussed cell phone bans in North Country school districts, referenced a talk on the Adirondack Balloon Festival, and a talk on the Adirondack loyalists’ role in the Revolutionary War? Or were you too busy complaining about the commentary on Trump and the Arlington National Cemetery?
Bob
Articles referring to the Adirondacks is great. Arlington Cemetery is not in the Adirondack and has nothing to do with them. I don’t care which politician was there!!
Not that anybody cares, but I think that the sharing of opinions we see here are a vital part of democracy. They can reinforce the truth and raise important questions that the voters need to be thinking about – especially during the run up to election. This forum can be like a town hall meeting for anyone who cares about the Adirondack region and where we are headed.
We all have different backgrounds and life experiences that shape our beliefs (our prejudices too), and I think that is a strength rather than a weakness for us.
For example, when I was a kid during the 1950s, it was so exciting when the traveling carnivals came to town and set up on some empty lot. Amid all the hurly burly, the lights and music, the carnival barkers would pitch their cheesy rides, their rigged games and their titillating shows, and the locals would be drawn in like moths to a flame to spend their money. Mostly it was just harmless fun, but after a while most of us learned to be wary of all the outlandish pitches of the showmen.
I think back to those times often, nowadays, as our election time draws near…
Excellent comment!
Louis,
I can see both sides of the argument. Some people come here for a respite from politics and world news. The editors do a pretty good job of keeping it that way 90% of the time as do the respondants. But I also believe national elections should not be ignored. Keeping it balanced and maintaining a bearing on true north is key.
Reporting “news” stories should be balanced but It is difficult to write a focused editorial and keep it balanced. Ideally, conservative, liberal, and opposing editorials should be printed to provide balance – but those articles FIRST need to be written and submitted. I believe what we are dealing with here is simply an imbalance of articles. Perhaps AA could track down a conservative editorialist for regular input or rebuttals. Of course, they do accept “guest” pieces but they can’t be anonomous.
Well, said Boreas! Any recommendations for potential contributors is most welcomed!
Here is a bit of Biden “morality”, Biden to Ukrainian government officials, in not exact words, but paraphrased. “My plane leaves in 6 hours. If that prosecutor who is investigating my son’s employer, Burisma, is not fired, then you will not be getting the billion dollars in aid. And son of a *****, he was fired!” Why was he never accused of a quid pro quo? Rhetorical question. We all know why.
According to PolitiFact, there’s no evidence of a “quid pro quo:”
“In reality, there was widespread agreement in the West that the existing prosecutor had to go, and it’s not clear that the company would have benefited from his ouster anyway, given evidence that its cases had long been dormant.”
But I think there was a failure in applying conflict of interest rules, so I think there’s some valid criticism here. But a claim of a quid pro quo is not supported by evidence.
I’m sure you’re be as concerned about conflict of interest issues with Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Jared. Kushner as you are about the Bidens. Right?
Here is the fact check from USA Today. I realize there is a lot of misinformation on social media, but real newspapers fact check this stuff and it is easy to find. Biden Leveraged the $1 billion because the prosecutor was corrupt, not to help his son.
USA TODAY FACT CHECK.
Joe Biden leveraged aid to remove top prosecutor as part anti-corruption efforts
It’s true that Joe Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid to persuade Ukraine to oust its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, in March 2016. But it wasn’t because Shokin was investigating Burisma. It was because Shokin wasn’t pursuing corruption among the country’s politicians
So much for “objective ” “journalism”
This piece is a column. As such, it’s a form of commentary and opinion. The reader does not have to agree with it. (So much for some folks here understanding the difference between commentary and news reporting.)
Thanks for the feedback Boreas. In a calmer world, I think I would rather be writing comments about my memories from growing up in the Adirondacks and my nearly 40 years as a ranger. Sadly these are not normal times.
The Adirondack media desert has left me fishing for some common ground where all people who care about this special place might have a conversation as one Adirondacker to Another. After trying and failing to get NCPR to be such a place, I decided that Ex/Al, the brainchild of my old friend Dick Beamish might be the best hope. So I’ve been trying to put a dent in our media desert here ever since.
I have always been treated fairly by Melissa. (I do miss having coffee with her now and then, but I know she’s busy.) We commenters can all be her focus group, and write what we care about.
For me. I feel the need these days to comment on my three Ps:
1. Preserve democracy for everyone. 2. Preserve the Adirondacks for those folks who still need wild places. 3. Preserve a livable planet for our young people and for all life on Earth. Maybe a story now and then to keep things light would be good too. too, but