Sunday letters: Democrat to unaffiliated; Alabama's double standards; deprived of COLAs

Abandoning the Democratic Party

As an 85-year-old man with a very long history of being a loyal Democrat it wasn't easy for me to become an unaffiliated voter. I come from a family with a long history of supporting Democrats.

As a child, I once overheard one of my elderly aunts say that she would vote for a dead skunk before she'd vote Republican. It seems that the children of her age worked at a very young age of 13 or 14 for a pay of 10 cents an hour. Soon after that time the Democratic Party began campaigning on representing working men and women everywhere. Who remembers when the Blackstone Valley was the heart and soul of the Rhode Island Democratic Party? Who remembers when the main ballroom on the top floor of the Providence Biltmore Hotel was filled to capacity during its state convention? Top Democrats and elected officials were seen all over the hotel holding meetings and caucuses.

Now it's fortunate if it can gather enough people to hold a meaningful convention at a local Burger King. That's because the party has lost its way. It's been hijacked by a few noisy radical left-wing progressives who have scared the hell out of all of the other elected officials. I can promise you that the progressive Democrats represented by President Joseph Biden are not the same as when I was a Democrat.

There is no doubt that the crisis at our southern border presents a clear and present danger to the safety and security of this country. Who the hell would have ever believed that our two Congressmen, Gabe Amo and Seth Magaziner, would ignore that danger and repeatedly vote against closing it.

Compounding that issue is President Biden's refusal to close it by executive order. That raises a very important question. Why won't he close it? It also poses another very significant question. Why would any morally responsible person be associated with a political party that is so blatantly corrupt, irresponsible and callous that it smacks of treason?

James M. Mageau, Charlestown

Sanctity of life in Alabama

In its ruling that frozen embryos are "children," the Alabama Supreme Court (all Republicans) has sent shock waves throughout the world of reproductive medicine.

Chief Judge Tom Parker, in his concurring opinion, extensively cites scripture and theological writings. Man is made in the image of God and human life is sacred. Each person has a "value that exceeds the ability of human beings to calculate." In this view of Judge Parker, the destruction of human life incurs the wrath of a holy God who views the destruction of His image as an "affront to Himself."

On Jan. 25, less than a month before this decision, the state of Alabama experimented with a novel way to kill a human being. For the first time, nitrogen gas was used in a state execution, with excruciating results according to witnesses. Presently, Alabama has 166 inmates on death row. The "sanctity of human life" apparently only goes so far.

Frank Pannozzi, Providence

Unconscionable to deprive state retirees of COLAs

Dear Governor McKee, Speaker Shekarchi and Senate President Ruggerio,

I write to each of you as you begin formulating your budget for the next fiscal year. There will always be a plethora of groups vying for the pool of money available in the state. No matter how you devise your list of priorities there will always be people/groups who will criticize how you allocate these funds.

I am asking you to think about the advice I received from my parents and grandparents as I ventured out into the world of adulthood. Never overextend yourself! Before you take on another bill, you need to ensure you can pay the bills you currently have.

The General Assembly made a decision that the state was unable to honor its obligation to provide its retirees with a COLA. There has always been a difference of opinion on whether the General Assembly explored all the facts before they changed the pension which had a negative impact on so many lives.

I am not here to rehash that issue. Instead I believe it is wrong for the state to begin exploring investing in new programs that will take money out of the budget pool before committing to reinstating a COLA to teachers and state workers.

I cannot understand how this General Assembly believes it is conscionable to deprive a retiree, especially those earning $20,000 with no Social Security income, from receiving a COLA. I only ask that you think about honoring past obligations before taking on new ones.

Cherylann Leaver, Little River, S.C.

The writer is a retired Rhode Island teacher, counselor and assistant principal.

Proud of the work of 360 High School students

I was disappointed to read about 360 High School’s impending closure ("Confusion, tears over closing of 360 High School," News, Feb. 10).

Only three days prior, I watched their Junior and Senior teams deliberate with high school students at public, private, and charter schools from throughout the state in the annual Rhode Island High School Ethics Bowl hosted by Brown University. I was proud of all of our students who came together to lead ethical discussions with the local educators, community leaders, and college faculty and students who served as judges.

Any Rhode Island school should be honored to welcome the talented, thoughtful, and dedicated students and educators I’ve had the privilege of working with from 360 High School. Our future Ethics Bowls will be poorer for 360’s absence, but I hope some of those same students and educators will have the opportunity to join us again from their new schools.

Derek Bowman, director, Rhode Island High School Ethics Bowl

A loved and respected priest

There was almost universal joy when Pope Francis appointed the Rev. James T. Ruggeri as the next bishop of Portland, Maine ("Providence priest appointed bishop of Portland, Maine," News, Feb. 14).

Father Ruggeri is a holy, humble priest. He is loved and respected by just about anyone who has ever met him, and yet you attempted to denigrate rather than praise him. You rehashed a story that you printed recently which relied heavily on accusations made by a select, progressive few media-savvy individuals about Father Ruggeri’s supposed authoritarian leadership style.

The words authoritarian and Father Ruggeri do not belong in the same sentence. Shame on you.

The Rev. Joseph Creedon, Narragansett

Naming a library

After 14 years of controversy ("New chapter in Narragansett library battle: Naming it," News, Feb. 19), isn’t it just fine to name the library the Narragansett Public Library?

That kind of name seems to have worked for the Providence Public Library, the New York Public Library and more. Isn’t that really who paid and support it?

Brenda Bedrick, East Greenwich

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Sunday letters: Democrat to unaffiliated; Alabama's double standards; deprived of COLAs