No more finest hours?

June 18, 1940, “This was their finest hour” — Winston Churchill. Will we ever be able to repeat this in the United States, considering our current politics?

Nations and people we hope they serve, seem a wee bit alike, as they either provide progress and move forward or they slow down, stagnate and die.

If we as a free people elect to continue unlimited spending and a trillion-dollar debt, and if we pursue the current trend toward socialism at the expense of free enterprise and capitalism, our days as a credible nation may be numbered.

Loss of freedom and little desire to accept responsibility for actions will tend to seriously limit individual, government and corporate faith. Our continuity as a nation is governed and enforced by too many self-serving partisan lawyers in all branches of government. Some are entitled to their elected and appointed positions; however, abuse of good expectations seems to be the rule.

Our nation’s birth, success and progress were inspired by certain ideals, principles and visions unlimited. These are now encumbered by too much of what now threatens to inhibit the dreams and aspirations of those who would truly lead us. Our greatest leaders were inspired to bring into fruition good virtues for our country’s good that would continue to weather the abuses of too much.

John Wilkinson

Anacortes

Crazy to build jail at this time

I read with amazement the $150 million for the new Mount Vernon jail. It seems crazy to go forward with this at a time when there is little money, and people are losing jobs, hours and homes.

We keep building bigger jails and taxing to death those who are working to pay for them. Why are we putting so many in jail? Unbelievably, we have more people per capita in prisons in the “Land of the Free” than any country, including China and Russia. Doesn’t that cause a need to rethink our system, and start thinking outside the box?

During the era of alcohol prohibition, the government led us to believe that families would be ruined with the amount of alcoholism that would occur without prohibition. Well, it was repealed and nothing happened.

The same thing is going on with drugs. Though you didn’t hear about it in the media, Portugal, in 2001, decriminalized drugs to reduce costs and the numbers in prison.

Guess what happened? Drug use among teens declined. HIV infection was cut by 17 percent. Deaths from hard drugs were cut in half. Drug-related crime and violence dropped, and there was a massive increase of people seeking drug treatment.

Most important is what didn’t happen. There was no increase in overall drug use. Portugal did not become a destination for drug-seeking tourists.

Within this success lies self-evident lessons that should guide drug-policy debates around the world. We need to think for ourselves and not be led by politicians whose focus seems to be getting re-elected and creating ways to tax us.

Two thousand years ago, a Roman senator suggested all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them. “No,” said a wiser senator. “If they see how many of them there are, they may revolt.”

Carole Bossarte

Mount Vernon

Homeowners – take a number

My neighbors and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Norris and all the elected officials responsible for their inaction regarding the dangerous trucks and farm equipment on South Third Street. Their inaction has allowed us to appreciate the noise and traffic, understand our public officials and become even more grateful of the decline of some fantastic homes.

Without any doing on their part, these officials are letting a residential street (zoned as such, I might add) become a business, and isn’t business what it’s all about? Who needs pesky homeowners and taxpayers when businesses are so much more cozy.

Thank you, Mayor Norris and cronies, because without you we would have a quiet residential (oops, did I say that again?) street where our children could safely play and we could enjoy the beauty that was Mount Vernon old town.

We can’t have that! My neighbors and I are so very pleased to live on a street without speed bumps and even a street sign declaring it to be South Third Street!

Mount Vernon absolutely must stop all homeowners from living in peace and safety, because Mount Vernon must become a large, metropolitan city with congestion and traffic and drugs and gangs.

I know my neighbors and I all agree that this is the vision we share for our future. It is the only way the city seems to think as well.

Glad we can come to an understanding. Business first. Homeowners — take a number.

Stephanie Pickering

Mount Vernon