Letters: Ukraine aid is a smart investment; Go green now
Ukraine aid is a smart investment
Ukraine is in the same role for us today as Britain was in 1940. They are carrying the brunt of defending democracy and stopping a dictator on the march. A victory for Ukraine now will prevent a wider, more disastrous war sooner or later. Decisive aid for Ukraine now is a smart investment for the United States that may well prevent catastrophic loss of American life in the future. History shows us what our failure to support Britain decisively and early on cost us. Let’s not repeat that mistake. Congress must come through and not become a Putin 5th column.
Gary V. Hoover, Bellefonte
Go green now
Here is a new old saw ... “Money is pumped from the ground.” Just ask any oil and gas executive.
Edwin Drake discovered oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859. People soon recognized crude oil and gas as money ... so drill baby drill.
Ask old Jed from the Beverly Hillbillies. Did you see the Beverly Hillbillies TV show? Strangely they had oil money bubbling from the ground but did not view this money as their real family treasure. The Clampet family saw nature, family and friends as treasure worth more than oil.
Profiteers and shareholders are a bit reluctant to end fossil fuel expansion despite, um, what is it called? ... global runaway fossil fuel burning CO2 gas release causing solar greenhouse gas heating effect from burning fossilized carbon deposits sequestered by natural processes over millions and millions of years ... or um, human caused climate change?
Well why not? Why end fossil fuel profits? There are more billionaires every year. So what if billions of life forms, wildlife, plants, fishes, birds, amphibians, mammals, and yes ... humans and modern civilization perish?
Oil barons and fossil fuel shareholders claim to be “smarter than us.” After all who does not want a $200 million yacht and 10 exclusive mansions?
We have a tough choice — compassion, loving-kindness, and care for one another or destructive self grasping at material existence.
The sun and the earth formed plant carbon deposits millions of years ago. We have burnt this buried carbon in just 100 years.
Enough already ... go green now.
David Thomas Roberts, Bellefonte
Continuing support for our military
As we enjoy the holiday with all of its trimmings, let us pause for a moment to remember those serving in faraway lands and oceans. While we get to wine and dine with family, our military are on duty 24/7 guarding against anyone who might try to infringe on our freedoms.
I’m thinking especially of those sailors in the Red Sea who have been tasked with shooting down missiles and drones sent with malicious intent by rebels in Yemen. No doubt those sailors have been spending much of their time on general quarters status, a wartime condition.
Farther north, in the Mediterranean Sea, the United States Navy has added more firepower to the carrier task force assigned to be near Israel since Oct. 7. The men and women in that task force are not on a cruise; they’re on the job.
We owe them our eternal gratitude and support, both while they are on duty and when they stand down and become civilians.
R Thomas Berner, Benner Township
