Letters to the Editor/<br>  Free Press Forum

To the Editor:

I am a college student and have begun to make decisions that will affect the rest of my life as well as my children's lives. When I think about the state of our world I can't help but feel the weight of my personal responsibility to push for change, not only for my sake but for the sake of my future family. Scientists agree that at the very least we need to cut our global warming pollution 80 % by 2050 in order to avoid the most devastating effects of global warming. Right now, the elections are nearing, and I know that we need the candidates to make this their goal. I know that Steve Stivers and Mary Jo Kilroy, who are running for Congress, have talked about global warming quite a bit, but neither has committed to cutting our global warming pollution 80 % by 2050. Why would I vote for someone who isn't going to fight for a safer world and for our country's future?

Stephanie Smith
Columbus, Ohio

With the upcoming election, there are many issues on the average person’s mind that will affect their votes. One issue that has been on my mind over the past few months is global warming.

Those who have accepted the reality of global warming are making an attempt to do the everyday things to reduce their impact. In a country where many issues are directly impacted by our politicians, why should this important issue be any different. The impact our politicians have on our world is very significant. Considering this in your votes in the upcoming election really could make a difference.

If anything, just remember that this earth was given to us. We did not create it or give it to ourselves. It is our responsibility to take care of what was given to us. I hope congressional candidates Mary Jo Kilroy and Steve Stivers can both consider what their influence will be on our future and adopt strong plans to deal with global warming.

Nicole O’Connor
Columbus, Ohio

Wow! The Obama campaign is doing a terrific job so far don't you think?

I really feel that obama has a really good chance that he will become president. He really took charge when the bail out crisis was going on! Presidents have to juggle many things all at once, and i think he showed that he has what i takes to handle a crisis like that and handle the big debate! Big thumbs up on that one.

To the Editor:

Here are my terms for the bail-out 1. Prohibit gold, silver, or bronze parachutes to any employee whose company bellies up to the bail-out bar. Limit total compensation to any/each employee to the sum of the salary of the US President and the cost of health insurance for US Congresspersons. 2. Require government equity positions in return for bail-out monies. 3. Apply a retroactive surtax to investors who profited during any year since 2001 from companies that get bailed-out.

Robert A. Letcher, PhD Columbus, Ohio 43212

As a news reporter for many years in the racially diverse and sensitive states of  New Jersey and Ohio, one's racial composition was sometimes a practical matter in story composition.   Race would turn up in topics such as entertainment, crime, school/government policy, and politics and always required accuracy and careful consideration.

"Negro" and "colored" were no longer acceptable usages for African-American references in this '80s-'90s timeframe, nor was "mulatto" acceptable usage to describe people - like 1980 Miss America winner Vanessa Williams - who were half-black and half-white.   

Williams and others of "mixed" racial background were referred to as such, followed by a descriptive phrase of the recipe.  "Bi-racial" came into wider usage during this time, mostly to describe people who were equal parts white and black, and usually because the subject had parents who were clearly one of each.

If one's racial heritage was something other than black and white, the more likely referance was "mixed." 

Dear Dr. Barnard,

In the early 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration reviewed a very flawed study funded by Monsanto, the sole manufacturer of the genetically engineered bovine growth-hormone rBGH.  If you want to know just how flawed that study actually was, read the detailed reports from the University of Vermont.  It is clear from their report they feel pretty bad about being duped into complicity with Monsanto and how such a flawed study could be used to support a product causing such clear problems in animals -- over 15 different problems in fact -- from increased rates of painful mastitis (and subsequent overuse of antibiotics to control it, thereby contributing to the ever increasing problem of human antibiotic resistance), to higher rates of teratogenic defects in offspring of injected cows.  Better still, read any of the reports from the scientists of the European Union who unanimously rejected the use of rBGH due to concerns over exactly these animal health concerns, as well as a growing body of human health concerns.  

Millionaires, millionaires, day after day we watch and read about millionaires, actor's millionaires, singer's millionaires, heiress millionaires and others. Every day number of millionaires in the world is rising with incredible speed. This "millionaire" phenomenon became very important in global society, in fact, sometimes millionaires and billionaires are front news before domestic or global issues. In relation, large number of companies, news papers and TV stations are conducting detailed researches on their treasured assets.

But, are they all really millionaires?

A Millionaire, according to encyclopaedia is an individual who resides in a household whose net worth or wealth exceeds one million units of any currency. However, it can also be a person who owns one million units of any currency in cash, bank account or savings account.

The Obama and Clinton campaign has had a enormous effect on teenagers.  The teenagers that can vote and even the ones who can't. I have been affected by the Obama campaign, I believe in his campaign one hundred percent! I have made and impact on many teenagers like myself to follow his campaign and get active. I have sent postcards to Pennsylvania and I have went to his rallies and I have helped out with his campaign. Some of my friends do not understand how I was brought up. I have been brought up on the first amendment and I have my right to speak.

The commercial airlines may not be trying to kill me, but I need convincing. You see, I'm a 68-year-old grandpa with high blood pressure and zero patience. One more flight delay could kill me. As impractical as it seems, I would just like to get where I'm going on time. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and left with no bitterness; I wait 15 minutes at a security gate and I crack a molar.

Where intelligent travelers caught in long airport queues retreat into their Bose headphones, I-Pods, and Wall Street Journals, I still try to count to ten to keep from blowing up. If I don't quit flying some bystander is going to post a clip of my head exploding on U-Tube.

I don't care if TSA staff takes liberties with their body searches, or if my pilot is flying loaded on Viagra and pain pills while packing a pistol, I just want to get where I'm going before I die of old age.

The story claiming requiring voter ID's is a Republican plot to steal elections is a real joke. The history of stolen elections is a long proud tradition of Democrats going back to 1960 where legions of the dead voting for Kennedy in Cook county gave him Illinois and the presidency and is beyond dispute. The 2000 and 2004 election had Democrats voting in New York and Florida, and Democrat leaders urging illegals to register so please be balanced when you push these fairy tales of yours. The Democrats are masters of voter fraud and stolen elections.

Frank Fawcett
Cameron Park Ca.