Dear Editor:
Thank you for this opportunity to express my opinion.
Over the few short years of reading your newspaper, I have thought of responding to some of the articles.
I have heard some say transplants do not have the right to express their views. I say I know of no one who chose their birthplace.
I also say, as a hardworking, taxpaying, proud American with both of my two precious offspring being active duty, I should have rights.
While visiting here for the first time and camping at the beautiful Watoga State Park, I had this awesome opportunity to have two fighter jets fly over at a low altitude. Days later, I purchased land on Droop Mountain and, to my amazement, I discovered it is a regular occurrence.
While reading the article on the noisy, bothersome aircraft, my blood started to boil, but to keep running all kinds of thoughts through my head was not productive.
I called my son who is presently in flight school for the USMC and after informing him of the article, he said, “Dad, that is the Sound of Freedom.”
After speaking with him, I changed my approach which now is, where in this world can one complain about the very people who are preserving our right to complain?
America, the Great.
Make no mistake, with no draft, our sons and daughters are offering their lives for our freedom. I feel we owe our heros a lot more respect and recognition than they receive.
In closing, I say, while some of your readers cower or run away, I will continue to stop what I am doing and run to watch and maybe salute that which makes our nation the greatest in the world.
During my life, I have had but one newspaper subscription and, again, I thank you for this privilege, not right, to respond.
Chris Cantrell
Hillsboro
Dear Editor:
“For the good of all, a few must suffer.”
That is a quote I heard from a National Park Superintendent when they wanted to acquire more property to establish a National Park.
Eminent domain was established so that the government could acquire land for national defense. If the government needed land for a fort, gun emplacements, or even roads to move troops, they could acquire property for the “good of all.”
Now eminent domain is being used to acquire property from private owners for such things as parkways, electric power line rights-of-way and pipeline rights-of-way.
If a property owner must give up some of his property rights for the good of the majority, then why not compensate by two or even three times the appraised value.
I worked on acquiring pipeline rights-of-way for Union Carbide in South Charleston and we did not have the right of eminent domain.
We negotiated with property owners so that they felt they were adequately compensated.
If the proposed natural gas pipeline is routed over private property, then those property owners should not feel they have donated their property rights for the good of the majority.
Doug Cooper
Valley Head