Published: October 11, 2008 08:18 pm      

Public Forum

Palin didn’t ban books

Mr. Southern’s letter (Pharos-Tribune, Sept. 28) regarding then-Mayor Palin’s firing of a librarian gave no source of his information nor was it complete. However, from a source I found that others have described as reliable and also from a statement by the Republican Party, I learned that the firing was over a matter of principle and the librarian was rehired the next day due to public pressure. No book was requested to be removed by the mayor.

The book ban scam has been on the Internet for several years targeting others. It’s always best to check a story out several ways before making a decision or commenting publicly. Now, hopefully, Mr. Southern will tell us just how a librarian does decide whether to put a book on the shelf. I don’t think there are any published rules or laws. Maybe it’s just a matter of personal discretion. With so much of what I call trash being printed today, it must be hard to keep a library decent.



Dave Grisez

Logansport

Biden came out ahead in debate

Biden won the debate. He seems to be ready and knows more than Palin. She needs to stay home and take care of her own children and grandchild. After watching the debate, she made me sick! The USA needs a change, so go Democrats!



Gabrielle Dillon

Logansport

Logansport wins the flower battle

Should write this before we have a frost/freeze. I have really enjoyed the hanging baskets and planters downtown. Good job.

I was in Carmel a few weeks ago and thought their baskets were a bit sad.  Usually they are awesome, must have had a problem.

Anyway, Logansport carried the day and I am proud. Thank you. 



Jane Dailey

Logansport

Moderator should enforce the rules

The main difference between a campaign rally and a moderated bebate is that in a debate both sides must agree to play by a set of agreed upon rules. A moderator is agreed upon who will control both the audiance, whom she warns against cheering or making excessive noise, and the debaters, who must follow the rules. The debaters are warned ahead of time not to play to the audience and to answer the questions of the moderator.

The agreed upon rules that Ms. Ifill aparently lacked the moral courage to enforce said the debators would have 90 seconds to “answer the question the moderator asked” followed by a two-minute discussion period on each topic. Ms. Ifill warned Mrs. Palin several times that she wasn’t answering the questions being put to her. Mrs. Palin then did two things that should have stopped the debate. One, she refused to answer the questions asked, and two, she began playing to the audiance with postures, “Joe SixPack” talk and even an eye wink.

I want the next vice president or president of the United States to be a thinking person who can follow rules that they agree to play by. I have no idea why Ms. Ifill didn’t do her job as a moderator — possibly the huge audience watching it on TV, possibly she didn’t want to be labeled as being too hard on Mrs. Palin or possibly she was afraid of being seen as being Democrat leaning because she is black. But if Tim Russert is watching, I am sure he was disgusted. 

Ms. Ifill should have stopped the debate and informed Mrs. Palin that she must either play by the rules her party agreed upon or leave the stage. Mrs. Palin was saying that she was no longer going to play by the rules and instead of a debate she was going to have a campaign rally. Everyone can see where politicans who won't obey the rules they agreed to play by has gotten this country. I was very disappointed in Ms. Ifill, Mrs. Palin and the Republican Party if this is the most brilliant mind they can run for national office.

Larry Koker

Logansport

Paul provides real alternative

With the election less than a month away, many people feel as though their only choice for president is between the “lesser of two evils,” so I am writing to suggest we vote for a real alternative — U.S. Congressman Ron Paul.

No, you won’t see his name on the official ballot, but I have been assured that we do still have the right to write in the candidate of our choice.

Ron Paul is one of the few leaders in this country today who truly seems to understand the reasons for the economic crisis we are facing and the short-sightedness of letting the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank control the creation and distribution of a fiat (paper) currency and thus dictate/manipulate U.S. political and economic policies. Dr. Paul is an advocate of using “sound” money backed by gold — go to www.RonPaul2008.com to read his article on “Paper Money and Tyranny” and learn what Alan Greenspan had to say about this “before” he became Federal Reserve Board Chairman.

As a true libertarian and adamant supporter of the U.S. Constitution, Ron Paul represents an ever-expanding segment of voters who love this country but not necessarily the government as we know it today. He speaks the truth even when we may not want to hear it, and he speaks for the American people. He has long spoken out on these very issues but has been virtually ignored by the mass media — I wonder why? To quote Dr. Paul, “Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” Visit www.campaignforliberty.com or www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com to learn more.

Yes, some people may see this as “throwing a vote away,” but to those who understand the Law of Attraction, the most effective use of your energy/vote is to vote for what you want instead of against what you don’t want. I’m for the U.S. Constitution and I’m for Ron Paul!

Choose the real alternative.



Janet Carroll Meeks

Logansport