Price for peace
TO THE EDITOR: There is a real threat to world peace today more than ever before. The hydra-headed monster is Iran on the one hand and an assortment of Islamic extremists that include al-Qaida, Hamas and the most sadistic organized Palestinian terrorist group, Islamic Jihad. Their enemies? Israel, the US and Western democracies in that order. They kill their enemies in the name of their God, Allah. Ironically, the bulk of their victims are their fellow Muslims. Inter-Muslim and intra-Muslim rivalry is far more deadly than the Arab-Israeli conflict loudly proclaimed daily in mosques across the world. Is a Muslim a Shia, Sunni, Zeidi, Sufi or Ismaili?

The Iran-Iraq war, the longest in the 20th Century, had a human toll exceeding a million souls in a Shia-Sunni conflict. In 2009 alone, more than 10,000 lives were lost in terrorist attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan by al-Qaida and its allies. They know no innocents or bystanders. In Nairobi, Kenya, where I come from, more than 200 lives were lost when they bombed the U.S. embassy. More than 5,000 were maimed. Only a dozen Americans lost their lives. They have killed pilgrims in Iraq, exacerbated Muslim-Christian tensions in Nigeria, destabilized Somalia, and, in Yemen, made new bases for exporting international terrorism with the Detroit attempted bombing, a Christmas gift to the U.S.

While all this is happening, the pro-terrorist press, fueled by middle-eastern petroleum dollars, slings more and more mud than a swamp buggy in flood season to Israel and the US even some times to themselves.

Islamic Jihad earlier this month called both Hamas and the Palestinian authority "infidels," a very derogatory term in Islam. This was after the Palestinian authority collaborated with Israel to arrest six al-Qaida terrorists! With such a scenario, the price to pay for peace is eternal vigilance. It pays, as shown by the example of Israel's El-Al Airlines, the safest in the skies.

PETER HEHO KIRIGA

Ellenburg Depot

Favorable route
TO THE EDITOR: As of March 1 there will be schedule and route changes for the CCPT bus system. First I wish to say how grateful I am for the CCPT system and all who work for it. The bus gives those of us who can't drive freedom and independence, and the drivers are the greatest.

With this new change the North City bus will no longer go directly from Consumer Square to Price Chopper and the Champlain Center Mall, which are the two stops that rural route passengers go to catch their bus home. Instead, if you are at Walmart, for example, and need to get to Price Chopper or the mall, you have to go all the way downtown and back up, a 45-minute trip instead of a five-minute one. Due to the time involved, it eliminates Consumer Square from my shopping route.

If I am but one of a few who this affects, then I can understand. If there are others, however, out there, who wish North City to keep its current route, five to 10 minutes from Consumer Square to the Price Chopper and the mall instead of 45 minutes, you can call the Clinton County Planning office 565-4711. I was told that if there is enough interest in the North City bus keeping its current route, it would be considered.

Thanks again to the CCPT system, its employes and especially its wonderful drivers.

Michaele Gagnier

Chazy Lake

Pajamas appropriate
TO THE EDITOR: I own and run a day care in my own home in West Chazy. I wear pajamas on a daily basis. They are fleece bottoms and T-shirt tops. They are not the same pajamas I wear to bed. I consider them to be professional and appropriate attire for the job. I take my job attire and my job seriously. They are always clean, never ripped or exposing, and are comfortable for me to wear.

The kids here get taken care of and treated very well. We play games, do projects, and have a lot of fun. We play all day long, and clean up messes all day long. I have been peed on, pooped on, puked on, spilled on, spit on, and many more. So let's think about this for a minute, would you want kids to spit spaghetti sauce on your brand new $50 pair of jeans or a $10 dollar pair of pajamas from WalMart? Or how about drop paint on your $40 shirt or a T-shirt that was $10?

Crawling on the floor, entertaining and teaching children for up to 20 hours a day, not an 8- or 10-hour day like most other "professionals," this job takes a lot of work, and it is very demanding. I do not wear cutoff jeans, spaghetti straps, see-thru nightgowns or ripped or torn clothing during day care hours. We are dressed comfortable so we can have fit in with your kids or grandkids. Our dress code, if anything, enhances your children's time with us because everyone is comfortable.

If pajama wearing is so offensive, then you must go to WalMart, Hannafard, the mall, or any other place. You'd be hard pressed to go somewhere without seeing someone in pajamas.

Heather LaPierre

West Chazy

Proud of provider
TO THE EDITOR: I'm proud to say that I work at Planned Parenthood of the North Country New York (PPNCNY). Our former name was Northern Adirondack Planned Parenthood until we merged earlier this year with a sister affiliate to the west.

When you work for a nonprofit, it's important to believe in the mission. PPNCNY's mission is simple: Provide the highest quality health care, education and advocacy to ensure the right and ability of all individuals to manage their own sexual and reproductive health.

I am especially proud that here at PPNCNY this high quality health care is delivered regardless of a patient's insurance status or ability to pay.

Anne White

Plattsburgh

Deficits wrong
TO THE EDITOR: I am appalled by the low-brow comments regarding the Feb. 12 article in the Press-Republican entitled, "Tea Party attacks Bill Owens."

It is not surprising that the tax-and-spend apologists are not open to logical ideas they do not share, like the novel concept of spending less than you make. Your name calling and childish rants gave me a good laugh, and for that, I applaud you. While it would be tempting to respond with an equally childish "neener, neener, neener," instead let us engage in a civil conversation like adults.

UNYTEA's problem concerns the fact that the federal government is either unable or unwilling to operate in a fiscally responsible manner. Logical people balance their checkbook regularly. It is time that we made the government balance theirs.

I would gladly hold the feet of any politician, regardless of their party affiliation, to the proverbial fire for fiscal irresponsibility. Because of his support for reckless government spending, Bill Owens has rightfully opened himself up to such criticism.

That is why UNYTEA has never been more necessary and welcomes all political persuasions. We endeavor, as a group, to keep politicians accountable for their actions and fiscally responsible. Will we, as a society, agree on how the government should spend our money? Probably never. But whether it's tens of billions of dollars for defense or tens of billions for social welfare, leveraging the future of this country with trillion-dollar deficits is wrong.

Jonathan Nelson

Beekmantown

Homicidal sociopaths
TO THE EDITOR: The anti-life position of Democrats and some Republicans transcends ordinary insanity and enters into the dark realm of homicidal sociopaths. Sociopaths are people who have no conscience and can lie, cheat, steal and murder without batting a eyelash.

Gun control, abortion and the elimination of capital punishment are all anti-life because it matters little if you are disarmed in the face of anger, disassembled in the womb or dissected by Hannibal Lecter, dead is dead and our fine "bleeding heart" liberals won't lose a wink of sleep over your demise. Sociopaths only feel joy that they have had their own way.

If a fetus has a different DNA than the mother and this doesn't prove it is a separate individual, how can we continue to convict people of crimes based on DNA evidence? DNA either proves the donor is a unique individual or it doesn't.

Liberals argue that the percentage of repeat offenders among convicted killers is small. Try telling that to their victims. The number of repeat offenders among murderers who have been executed is zero.

The Second Amendment is the only "concealed carry permit" any good American citizen needs. What part of "shall not be infringed" don't you Nazis understand?

Leo J. Seney

Dannemora

Criticisms undeserved
TO THE EDITOR: Lately, I have been reading many comments in this newspaper about correction officers. I am a retired lieutenant who worked for 28 years in maximum security. The fact is no one knows what it is like to be a correction officer until you do the job.

Some of these comments have criticized the money they make. Let me assure you they earn every nickel they get. I'm not looking for anyone's sympathy here because there are more important issues for correction officers to deal with besides comments from uninformed, condescending people who wouldn't walk through the front gate of a correctional facility and do one shift as a correction officer.

So what's the bottom line here? Correction officers are your neighbors, volunteer firemen, coaches, Boy Scout leaders, fathers and mothers who are doing a job the public knows very little about. The next time you see a correction officer, think about the fact that on his or her last shift they may have saved an inmate's life, saved another officer's or civilian's life, been assaulted, thrown on with a mixture of body fluids, threatened by people who would carry out the threat the first chance they get.

Yes, correction officers get paid well for doing this stressful job, but what if every correction officer in the state quit today because they just got fed up with everything. Would you go do their job? What would society do without them? Before anyone accuses correction officers for all the troubles in the world, they should know what they are talking about and take the time to find out what correction officers really do to keep you and your loved ones safe. Maybe then people won't be so quick to criticize.

Gary DeCelle

Retired lieutenant

Clinton Correctional Facility

Plattsburgh

Let voters decide
TO THE EDITOR: I very much concur with the Press-Republican's disagreements with term limits for politicians and especially its view "...let the voters decide. It is they, not arbitrary restrictions, that ought to have the final say."

In the city of Toronto, where I reside, there is generally a very low voter turnout, especially at the municipal level where less than 40 percent of the citizens bothered to show up and vote for candidates for mayor, deputy mayors and city council candidates. In my own opinion, the current mayor has been nothing but a disaster as he has raised our taxes every chance he gets and unfortunately is in bed with the unions, who of course demand more raises. These are the consequences when people don't care enough to vote.

I urge Canadians and Americans to exercise their voting privileges and yes, every vote does count when one considers the following:

In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.

In 1649, one vote caused Charles I of England to be executed.

In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German.

In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the union.

In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Jackson from impeachment.

In 1875, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic.

In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of the United States.

In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party.

In 1941, one vote saved Selective Service just weeks before Pearl Habor was attacked.

John Clubine

Etobicoke, Ont.

Canada

Benefits of green jobs
TO THE EDITOR: Much thanks to the Press-Republican for printing Mr. Sullivan's letter on the windmills.

Mr. Sullivan, good research. The fact that the wind does not blow 24 hours a day shows your use of reason on this subject. This does not apply. We could still make green jobs out of them by installing solar panels at the base of each one, and then a self-starting emergency diesel generator to keep them turning when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing.

Just think of the green jobs and the benefit to the economy.

Gary J. Loffler

Morrisonville

Enriching experience
TO THE EDITOR: On behalf of all the staff members at SUNY Plattsburgh Upward Bound, I would like to thank the following participants in our 13th Annual Job Shadowing Day, held on Feb. 5. The time and energy dedicated to giving our students a truly enriching career experience was greatly appreciated.

They are as follows: Tricia Myatt, Eagle's Nest Veterinary Hospital, Lisa English, CVPH, David Favro, Clinton County Sheriff's Department, Steve Bartlett, Kelly Catana, Press-Republican, Rich Redman, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jesse Ringer, Jefford's Steel & Engineering, Timothy Mulligan, Plattsburgh High School, Kristi Hulbert, Momot Elementary School, Brad McQeen, Ground Round Restaurant, Dr. Mark Cohen, Dr. Kathleen Camelo, Melissa Mose, T.J. Myers, JoEllen Miano, Lisa Vicencio and Sally Urban, SUNY Plattsburgh.

Once again, without your help, this day could not have happened.

Brian Post

Associate director

SUNY Plattsburgh Upward Bound

Prisons over schools
TO THE EDITOR: Your recent editorial calling our teachers to forgo previously negotiated raises is unconscionable. Teachers are no less important than police officers, corrections officers, county highway, hospital nurses, and other civil service employees who work under union-negotiated contract agreements.

Recently the Press-Republican has run several articles and editorials running down school projects in Saranac Lake and Moriah. Voters rejected those projects, even though they would be funded primarily y the state with little or no local property tax impact. At the same time, the paper and the public have rallied behind prisons in or near these school districts, saying the state money spent on them is vital to their communities. Why is it that the North Country electorate, apparently spurred on by the Press-Republican, believes schools are the least valuable public service and teachers are the LEAST valuable public employees? The message seems to be "state money for prisons, good; state money for schools, bad." Where are the rallies to keep schools healthy? Has anyone organized local demonstrations to protest cuts in education aid? Where are the quotes from town supervisors, mayors, county legislators or state representative about how important schools are to the health and vitality of a community?

Budgets are about priorities. What we do with our money says a lot about what we truly value. Judging from recent editorials and stories in the Press-Republican, one might reasonably conclude that many North Country communities and the region's largest newspaper value prisons more than schools and incarceration more than education. Schools should be like cathedrals and outstanding teachers should make six figures. Our state's education system should be so good that we won't need all those prisons. Let's all rally our local, state and elect d officials to figure out a ways make that happen.

Tim Dodd

Plattsburgh