Letters to the editor: Thanks to cemetery volunteers, defy groupthink, Father's Day

Herald-Times
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Be a 'hero' and demand negotiations

The military package to Ukraine cost $40 billion ($100/American). Will it cause inflation? (Yes). Will it “win” the war? (Unlikely). Will it prolong it and increase casualties? (Probably). Will it cause regime change in Russia? (Unlikely, but if it did, a new regime would probably be more combative). Do our sanctions cause higher prices? (Yes). Will they create more hunger in poor countries? (Yes).

Are we increasing the chance of nuclear war with a country with 7,400 nukes, many of which would survive a first strike? (Yes). Would our “leaders” survive? (Probably). Would you? (No). Did Gorbachev offer us peace? (Yes). What was our response? (Eastward expansion of NATO, with nukes pointed at Russia and the unilateral withdrawal from the ABM and no fly zone treaties).

Did Ukraine have a democratically elected pro-Russian government we helped to topple? (Yes). Did Putin warn that the right of Ukraine to join NATO was a red line? (Yes). Would we negotiate that? (No). A negotiated settlement where ALL sides feel secure is needed, not just a ceasefire. Defy groupthink and war hysteria. Be like the man who stood in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square. Demand negotiations not escalation. Be a hero.

John Linnemeier, Bloomington

A great gift at Father's Day

June is Men’s Health Month and Father’s Day is here. A great gift for your family this Father’s Day is to start living tobacco free. Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death and costs 11,100 Hoosier lives every year. Dads who smoke can celebrate Father’s Day by quitting, and family and friends can help support dads who are trying to quit. There are many reasons why dads may want to quit smoking.

  • Men are more likely to be current cigarette smokers than women

  • The smoking rate for Hoosier men is 23.6%, which is higher than the U.S. adult men average of 17.5%

  • Men who smoke increase their risk of dying from bronchitis by nearly 10 times, from emphysema by nearly 10 times, from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from heart disease triples.

The Indiana Tobacco Quitline is a free phone-based counseling service that helps Hoosiers quit all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco. Services are available 24/7 so call 1-800-QuitNow today or visit QuitNowIndiana.com. Quitting smoking has numerous benefits, but perhaps the greatest of all is more time with family and loved ones on this Father’s Day weekend.

Kristen Terry, Bloomington

Impressed with garden walk

I moved to Bloomington last fall, having grown up in Columbus, Indiana, but residing in Northern California since 1991, so, it was a special treat for me to attend the Summer Garden Walk and revisit some of the flowers, shrubs and trees that I knew as a child and young adult.

The Bloomington Garden Club, and the owners who opened their gardens to the public, deserve high praise for such a well-organized event! Each garden was unique and held unknown-to-me beauties, as well. Many also had areas for seating, which I appreciated, so I could sit and read the full-page description of each garden. At each garden, club members were easily identified by their green aprons, if guests had a question, and members all showed that Hoosier Hospitality I have so loved about my home state.

The Hilltop Garden had both its shade garden and the Shakespeare garden well marked for plant identification, and the Flags & Flowers arrangements were all lovely, many elegant and some showed research by the designers of knowledge of their given nations. Kudos to all involved, including the sponsors, ticket vendors, and The Herald-Times for its publicizing of the event.

Patti Day-Miller, Bloomington

Thank you from Carmichael Cemetery

We the officers wish to express our thanks and appreciation to all who so generously donated toward the upkeep of our beautiful cemetery. If you could not visit the cemetery or missed the greeters, you can send your donation to the treasurer: Debra Martindale, 12346 E. Carter Road, Bloomfield, IN 47424.

We extend a special thanks to the Solsberry American Legion for honoring our deceased veterans. Also to Addilyn Crutcher, Case Davis, Bryan Davis, Tracy Fields, Debra and Danny Martindale and Fred Rainey for placing flags on veteran graves. Thanks to Mick Jackson and Leon Price for a great job mowing. Thanks to the directors Bryan Davis, Danny Martindale and Tracy Fields. These guys look after the cemetery and its needs continually. Also greeters Kathy and Ivan Martindale, Debra and Danny Martindale, Jeanne Hayes, Judy Cullison, Bill and Reba Butler, Mike Mosier, Tracey Fields and Bryan Davis.

To make mowing easier, all flowers that are not attached to gravestones, vases or a shepherd’s pole must be removed by the family by June 17. Thanks again everyone.

Reba Butler, president, Bedford

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Letters to the editor for The Herald-Times