en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/633412 Comments by 38lasalle http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42845172 The Gazette prints a lot of jarring letters that are disrespectful, mis-informed, boorish, partisan, or just plain old whacked out. More rarely, letters are printed which address subjects that are of genuine interest and value to the community. I'm not sure if the Gazette staff attempts to screen incoming letters, but I suspect not, except perhaps for extreme content like death threats. I think that more aggressive editiorial oversight as regards the Letters section would be a good thing. Much of what passes for discourse on these boards is intellectually anemic and reflects poorly on the participants and the Gazette/local area. For that reason, I am parking the laptop and retiring my avatar. Catch y'all on the flip side. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:34:07 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42845172 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/conservatives-offer-the-voice-of-reason#IDComment42835400 Rats. Sinking ship. Enough said. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:56:51 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/conservatives-offer-the-voice-of-reason#IDComment42835400 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42831882 At least a tool has a purpose and is useful. Can't say the same about conserview. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:43:18 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42831882 http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/2009/11/10/duck-stoning-defendant-makes-public-apology#IDComment42823284 Haven't you just described how our criminal justice system operates? Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:12:59 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/2009/11/10/duck-stoning-defendant-makes-public-apology#IDComment42823284 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/corporations-run-u-s-not-%e2%80%98we-the-people%e2%80%99#IDComment42819030 "A nation seldom gets the Government that it needs; but it always gets the Government it deserves." We must have been collectively VERY BAD to have deserved W. Or very stupid. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:22:50 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/corporations-run-u-s-not-%e2%80%98we-the-people%e2%80%99#IDComment42819030 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42782988 Huh? Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:19:30 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42782988 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/conservatives-offer-the-voice-of-reason#IDComment42782848 "The Force is strong in this one..." Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:16:49 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/conservatives-offer-the-voice-of-reason#IDComment42782848 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/conservatives-offer-the-voice-of-reason#IDComment42769901 Most USA liberals aren't Marxist. It is not in their collective economic self interest to be so. Just as most USA conservatives do not advocate unregulated capitalism. In any era, the government is what WE THE PEOPLE make it, acting through the living mechanism of the Constitution. It's imperfect, but its a very good system of government, considering the alternatives. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:16:56 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/09/conservatives-offer-the-voice-of-reason#IDComment42769901 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42727681 Agreement.... I got a bad feeling about this.... Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:57:25 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42727681 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42727326 It's good that you missed the many discussions about Fox News on this board. It would have sent your triviality-shame gauge offscale. Welcome to pop culture. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:55:18 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42727326 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42720900 I agree that it is unacceptable to misappropriate history in an attempt to halo a favorite sports team, but if you think Hawk football is just "a game" to its fans, you clearly don't comprehend the degree to which sports mania can fog an otherwise reasonable person's judgement. But cut the guy some slack- he obviously just wanted to share the very moving experience of actually standing on The Beach, not simply use that as a pretext to boost the Hawks. As all have noted here, we just could have done without his "lighter note" afterthought. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:14:11 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42720900 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42715826 Generally agree; but just try to buy fresh local produce between October and April! Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:11:02 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42715826 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42697901 I can see where a Hawk fan would be moved to liken his team to a notional bunch of noble warriors, but as long as the D-Day events exist in living memory, it's demeaning and bizarre to make any comparison. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:31:14 +0000 http://gazetteonline.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/honor-troops-who-took-a-beating-didnt-quit#IDComment42697901 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42695391 Well, of course- but that won't motivate them to Buy American, when it is even more costly for them to do so. You can't afford altruism when you are scraping to get by. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:17:55 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42695391 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42693736 Why don't you tell us who you think are "the productive", Silace? I'll bet your definition of that term differs quite a bit from that of normals. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:11:19 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42693736 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42689716 Sanctioning war crimes is? How? Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:46:37 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42689716 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42689607 I covered a small Terry Branstad event as a stringer photog for a local paper. Terry entered the room (sanctuary of a country church) with his state trooper driver and strode up to the altar where he presented a community-service award to a den of Cub Scouts. His face was pretty much expressionless, like he was going through the motions in order to move on to his next scheduled showing. After the short ceremony, I took aim at Branstad, who was still at the altar, chatting with someone in a business suit. A few Cub Scouts lingered nearby. Branstad somehow sensed that my camera was trained on him, so he reached out and snatched the nearest Cub Scout, hugged him to his side, and flashed the most engaging smile I've ever seen. After the flash subsided, Terry let the kid go and his face instantly returned to blankness. All politicians are skilled photo-opticians- it's a necessary skill for them. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:45:30 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42689607 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42688207 All none of you. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:30:29 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/08/obama%e2%80%99s-salute-to-fallen-soldiers-truly-patriotic#IDComment42688207 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42687782 Major driveline components (transmissions, axles, engine parts) of John Deere tractors and combines are now being built in India and shipped here for tractor final assembly. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:26:16 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42687782 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42686890 TRANSLATION: "Why would anyone buy American-made products when less-expensive, better-quality foreign-made products are readily available?" If you give people a choice, you can't blame them for making the choice which is economically best for them. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:15:10 +0000 http://oldgo.gazlab.com.php5-15.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2009/11/10/buy-american-made-to-keep-jobs-here#IDComment42686890