Letters: Centre County doesn’t need a casino; Doomsday Clock is ticking
Centre County doesn’t need a casino
Regarding Anne Burgevin’s letter in the Feb. 4 newspaper, I fully endorse her thoughts that a casino does not make sense at the Nittany Mall. Centre County does not need a casino to provide a reason for visiting this area; we have many events and venues to attract visitors to our wonderful community.
Doomsday Clock is ticking
The 1947 Doomsday Clock estimates the threat of atomic war. It’s set annually by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Board. It terrified me as a child; it remains sobering. It’s currently the closest to midnight ever — 100 seconds. There are no sane reasons to stockpile atomic weapons. Why is the NPT a failure, and why do the governments possessing atomic weapons (the U.S., Russia, France, China, the UK, Pakistan, India, Israel and N. Korea) and all NATO countries refuse to ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons? Why is the U.S. military budget ten times greater than the next 10 countries combined? It is hard to listen to news story after news story telling me Russia is a military threat to the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. has 750 bases in 80 countries. Russia has 21 bases around the world. Yet with all our military might siphoning off trillions of tax dollars to the military industrial complex and away form the climate crisis, health care, housing, education ... history proves that post-WWII U.S. military engagement ends in chaos. War, and especially atomic war, will lead to further global mayhem and wreak havoc on the climate. Those who want peace must voice their opinion. Stay informed. Read the Kairos Center’s moral budget vs. war budget: https://kairoscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/PPC-BBB-fact-sheet.pdf. Contact the President (https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/). Call Congress (202-224-3121). Let our leaders know you insist upon complex diplomacy that seeks security for citizens on all sides — not punitive sanctions and troop mobilization.
Thompson must answer for Jan. 6 role
On his website Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson provides us with his 2021 Year-End Report to “provide a snapshot of the work he focused on in Pennsylvania and Washington, DC during the year.”
In his report, we learn that our congressman was busy with meetings, helping constituents, sending correspondence, sitting on committees, and casting votes. He is obviously a busy, busy guy.
But somehow, on his website, he doesn’t bother to mention the most significant vote he cast during 2021. Certainly, the most significant, most historic vote he’ll ever make in Congress. To vote to overthrow the US Government and destroy our democracy is no small matter, especially for a boy from Howard, but Congressman GT somehow failed to mention this among his 2021 accomplishments.
Maybe he just forgot about what happened, or maybe he didn’t really know what he was voting on that day, or maybe he actually enjoyed seeing first-hand the murder-minded Trump-crazed mob attacking the U.S. Capitol last January 6. All of these are possible.
But more likely he doesn’t mention his role in encouraging the insurrection on his website because he wants us to forget how easily he was tooled (duped? fooled? used?) by our lying former President and now doesn’t have the courage to own up to it. Perhaps he’s finally realized that, when it mattered most, he lost his spine.
The least he should do in his 2021 recap is tell us why he was Trump’s willing lapdog.
Speak, GT. Speak!