Optimistic and excited to see what DiLorenzo will do with McIntyre: Letters
Optimistic and excited to see what DiLorenzo will do with McIntyre
Nov. 6 — To the Editor:
The city of Portsmouth, having spent millions in tax dollars in a fruitless effort to acquire the McIntyre property for one dollar via the National Park Service’s Historic Monument Program, (If a deal seems too good to be true it probably isn’t), the building has now instead been sold to local businessman Anthony DiLorenzo for $9 million.
Thank goodness!
I’m very confident Mr DiLorenzo will develop the property in a way that will make our city proud. He has announced that he and his team will vigorously explore the best options for the site before proceeding. If I understand the deal correctly, he is not handcuffed to save the current building as the city would have been on the failed “Historic Monument” acquisition plan. In my humble opinion, the building is a far cry from actually being an historic monument. I’d suggest Mr DiLorenzo seriously consider razing it to make the entire property a blank canvas on which to create something with far more aesthetic value for future generations to enjoy.
I believe the National Park Service insistence that the McIntyre building remain intact was detrimental to the failed plan both visually and economically. It’s hard to get around the fact that the building is an ugly mid-century bureaucratic office space and not much more. Artificially elevating it’s historic value was a mistake we can now hopefully move past. I’m very excited and optimistic to see how Mr DiLorenzo moves forward with this property. Good luck to you sir!
Bob Graham
Portsmouth
Columnist is a very shrewd apologist for Palestinian terrorism
Nov. 6 — To the Editor:
Robert Azzi has demonstrated once again (Nov. 5) that he is a skillful advocate (or should I say propagandist) for the Palestinian cause. He refers to those who defend Israel's right to defend itself as "colonizers and their agents." This phrase suggests that Azzi believes that Israel is a colony inserted into the Muslim world that has no right to exist.
In fact, Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jewish people, the United Nation endorsed its creation in 1947 and 20 percent of its population are Arabs with full civil rights. Azzi also claims that there are efforts to "cripple and crush Americans" who support the Palestinian cause. That claim is ludicrous. Pro-Hamas demonstrations have taken place in several cities and on various campuses with no consequences for the protesters.
Azzi claims "9,000 Palestinians have already been killed" in Gaza? But what is his source for this claim? The "Gaza health ministry" controlled by the butchers of Hamas? And if innocent Gazans have died, isn't it because Hamas has tried to prevent the IDF-supported evacuation of civilians from the combat area in the north of Gaza? Doesn't Hamas want civilians to die so that it can claim Israeli atrocities? I could go on with my criticisms of Azzi, but let me close by observing that he is a very shrewd apologist for Palestinian terrorism who uses personal stories and poetic language to disguise his hatred of Israel.
Richard England
Durham
If I want to see a rock star I'll go to a rock concert
Nov. 2 — To the Editor:
What? Mr. Kerr is comparing Nikki Haley to a rock star?
He writes in his Oct. 22 column that she looks like, dresses like and has charisma like a rock star. He goes on to describe her southern charm, noting she wears jeans and a sweater, has a sense of humor and is an energetic 51-year-old who looks younger. Thank goodness all of his gushing over a presidential candidate's appearance and charm is nothing more than his infatuated opinion. In addition, using the word "shooting" as part of his column's title, seems unnecessary and offensive. He should have simply stuck to the important facts regarding a presidential candidate's qualifications and then perhaps his opinion would have been worth reading.
If I want to see a real rock star, I will go to a real rock concert.
Eileen V. Hertel
Dover
Trump supporters need to check their thought processes
Nov. 3 — To the Editor:
I was impelled to respond to Dave Bickford's letter on Oct. 31 in which he asked what was more important — the state of our country or whether Trump is a good guy. The obvious answer is both. And yes, it goes without saying that President Biden is a decent human being compared to the dangerous moron (not my words but those of anyone who served with him in the previous administration) who purported to care about anyone or anything but himself.
However, I would now recommend that Mr. Bickford simply read Dr. Robert Barth's eloquent note from his hospice bed in the Nov. 3 Foster's. Anyone who would favor allowing Donald Trump and any of his election denying, conspiracy supporting crowd anywhere near the Oval Office again needs to give serious reconsideration to whatever thought process they thought they were using.
Carl Vancelette
Barrington
U.S. needs to lead Israelis and Palestinians toward a road of peace
Nov. 4 — To the Editor:
The 1967-2023 road to peace for Israel and Palestine has failed. Moreover, the United States has been blind to the costs we’ve imposed on others and on ourselves for over half a century in pursuit of this botched strategy. For decades we’ve shelled out billions in foreign aid, endured the economic fallout from oil embargoes and terror attacks, and engaged in skewed foreign relations all in defense of an unworkable “peace” plan. Doubling down with even more military aid and show of force is not the answer. We must lead the aggrieved parties to an equitable solution that works for Israelis, Palestinians and the United States.
The combined area of Israel and the Occupied Territories is slightly larger than the state of Vermont. Fourteen million folks, split evenly between Jews and non-Jews, share this land (Vermont is 600,000). In terms we can appreciate, Gaza City is about the same distance from Tel Aviv as Portsmouth is from Portland, Maine, about 50 miles. The population of Gaza is 2 million and that of Tel Aviv is 4 million. (The Portland Metro area through York County is about 500,000.) It was not the Arab world that set two divergent peoples against each other on this tiny piece of real estate. The fault starts with Great Britain’s rule in the Middle East over 100 years ago. Using its imperial authority and driven by economic and underlying racial motives, in 1917 it allowed European colonization of Palestine, something it did not do anywhere else in the region. The Palestinians are not Jordanians or Egyptians or Syrians and it’s not the responsibility of these states to take care of them. Palestinian hope rests on the establishment of a Palestinian state or achieving equal rights within Israel, the ancestral home of both peoples.
Neither side is going away regardless of how many babies are murdered on both sides. If we don’t change our approach, we’ll have another violent face-off, or worse, in short order with additional payments in blood and treasure by them and us. It’s time for the United States to use its power to lead the parties on a new road for the 21st century for the benefit of all, including the United States.
James T. Lalos
Portsmouth
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: I'm excited to see what DiLorenzo will do with McIntyre: Letters
