DEAR EDITOR:
”
Born: brought into life or existence
”
– Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1957
DEAR EDITOR:
“Born: brought into life or existence” – Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1957
Ms. Karen Hockemeyer, I am totally stunned by your response. I didn’t think that any liberal would recognize the existence or meaning of the enumerated powers in the Constitution. I’d love to discuss that subject further, if you have the guts.
For the sake of your students, I hope that you are better at civics than you are at history. I suspect that you are confused by the distinction between the creation of a nation and a change in regime. Please note that I said “born” (see above). Peaceful regime changes happen frequently; we do it every 50 years or so. Creation is an act of blood and pain. Taking your list of nations that you claim were born peacefully:
India, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand came into existence as shards of the breakup of the British Empire. All of them, including India, were released voluntarily by Britain when WW II made it painfully apparent that decades of free trade had weakened the British economy to the point where it was no longer capable of fielding a worldwide military presence. Gandhi just happened to be standing around at the time. All of them were originally conquered in the traditional manner, by violent military domination.
Russia was united by conquest by Ivan IV the Terrible around 1580. Poland was united by conquest by Wladyslaw I around 1331. Romania was created by treaty between Russia, Austria, and Great Britain in 1851 to settle the Crimean War. Bulgaria was conquered by Russian armies in 1877 and ceded to Bulgarian volunteers. Albania was created by treaty at the end of WW I, gaining independence by revolution in 1920. The German Empire was created as a voluntary defensive federation in 1871 (same motivation as the U.S., see Federalist Papers 1-24). Nepal was unified by Gurkha conquest in 1793. Japan was last unified by conquest by Oda Nobunaga about 1580. Japan’s current government was imposed on them by force at the end of WW II.
Changing subjects. Yes, we have a mortgage, and yes, it is bad financial management. Because of that loan, we are paying more than $250,000 for a house worth $140,000 when we bought it. If we had a 30-year loan, we would be paying 2.5 to 3 times the actual value of the house. Pretty stupid. I was young and foolish. Now I am old and foolish. Please do not ask my wife about The Thing In The Garage.
Please note that the money that I am squandering is at least half mine. The money that GUSD and Gavilan are squandering does not belong to them; it is entrusted to them.
And now for something completely different. To Marion Vogt, good shot.
Stuart Allen, Gilroy
Submitted Tuesday, May 20 to
ed****@ga****.com
