Readers comment on military veterans and voting in the City Commission election
Commemorate veterans
Old veterans pass away. America has long mourned the deaths of World War II veterans who survived war but not old age. Few remain. The same is true of Korean War veterans.
Now Vietnam veterans are marching off to final fates in growing numbers. Among them was my friend Bob Barnas of High Springs by way of Chicago, Illinois, and many stops in between.
Bob Barnas was not Winston Churchill nor a Medal of Honor winner. But he was a Marine and a once-18-year-old combat survivor of vicious shooting battles including the bloody fight at Con Thien. You can look it up in Wikipedia.
Bob was a Marine until the day he died. He attended Marine Corps functions in his dress uniform and honored the flag.
Bob was a genuine GI Joe — a regular guy who stepped up to do what Uncle Sam asked him to do. Look around today’s America. How many GI Joes do you see?
America has ignored the Vietnam veterans who spilled their blood for America in that ill-begotten cause. Now is the day to commemorate them for their service and salute the memory of all veterans who did their duty and have now marched away.
Joe Little, Gainesville
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No excuses
I was recently reappointed by the Gainesville City Commission to serve as the third member of the Canvassing Board for the next City Commission at-large election. I will serve as the citizen at-large member along with Mayor Lauren Poe and City Clerk Omi Gainey.
The Canvassing Board’s job is to work with the supervisor of elections and her staff to make sure the election is fair and the vote count is accurate. We meet on a regular basis before, during and after Election Day.
The most important ingredient this election is the voter. I am writing to encourage all city voters to vote during early voting, or show up at your safe polling place on Election Day. If you vote by mail and have not voted yet, please drop your ballot at the supervisor's office or drop off at the Millhopper Library during early voting hours.
No excuses! This is your civic duty as a responsible citizen of Gainesville. The candidates need and deserve your participation in voting. Review their websites for qualifications and make a decision about who best represents your values and then vote. The Canvassing Board is counting on you to show up and vote.
Harvey Budd, Gainesville
Stability needed
In about a year, we will have three City Commission seats up as well as the seat for the mayor, due to term limits. The term of the vacant City Commission At-large Seat B that we will vote to fill in the upcoming special city election on Nov. 16 will be seated until August 2024.
With such a dramatic turnover on the City Commission it is crucial that we have an experienced elected official to hold us steady during the turnover. Dr. Cynthia Chestnut's public service in a variety of elected positions is well known. We know Cynthia Chestnut and, even more important, she knows Gainesville.
A vote for Dr. Chestnut on the 16th will provide us with the stability we will need in the next few years.
Dotty Faibisy, Gainesville
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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Letters to the editor for Nov. 11, 2021
