Letters: Thank you, Rep. Marino; What did David Hogg protestors really want?
Protestors should serve their country
I was glad to see that one of the student protesters featured on page one on Saturday said, referring to his family: “I want to make sure that they’re safe. I want to make sure that they never have to endure what people do in dictatorships.”
I hope that when you and your fellow protesters graduate you’ll join the Marines and keep us safe from dictators. When I was in the Navy (1963-67), I served with many good Marines. It was an honor. Try it.
Hogg protestors want ‘conservative fanatics’ at Penn State
Saturday’s front page coverage of the “Come and Take it, Hogg” protest quotes their leaders lamenting that Penn State will not bring in “conservative speakers.” But based on further comments, which elaborate their position, it seems that what they actually mean by this is “Penn State will not bring in conservative fanatics who encourage people to be ready to take up arms against their government.” Happily, the university’s dismissiveness was amply compensated by the attention these 15 students got from the CDT: They were on the front page, while Mr. Hogg’s event received no coverage whatsoever.
Thank you, Rep. Marino
Wednesday marks Tom Marino’s last day as our Congressman. It was early 2010 when I first met Tom. We decided to run for Congress to challenge the incumbent in the former 10th Congressional District. We spent many hours together during the primary campaign as political opponents, visiting communities throughout the district.
Tom is someone I respected as a fellow candidate and someone I still admire today. Unlike many election cycles we witness, Tom ran a clean campaign, we remained friends. The two of us would later joke we heard each other’s stump speech so frequently we could have easily exchanged roles.
Tom’s story is the personification of the American dream. He worked as a baker at a local factory and advanced in the company. He realized he was overlooked for a promotion by lacking a college degree. At 30 he enrolled in community college, later transferred to Lycoming College, and completed his J.D. at Dickinson School of Law. He shared the story of several challenging years as he worked hard to study and pay bills. He had to sell nearly everything in the house to pay tuition.
Tom’s is a success story filled with chapters of hard work, education, sacrifice and determination. His distinguished career included service as Lycoming County District Attorney, U.S. Attorney under President George W. Bush, and member of Congress. Tom Marino is a testament to the American dream.
Thank you for over two decades of dedicated public service.
This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 8:31 AM with the headline "Letters: Thank you, Rep. Marino; What did David Hogg protestors really want?."