Dear Editor,
I understand that the Solid Waste Authority wants to remove the structure at Caesar Mountain which people use to recycle household items from toys to pots and pans. Their assumption is that this encourages dumping off large items which should otherwise be taken to the landfill. They also feel that it is inappropriate to encourage the green box area as a marketplace to exchange free useful items.
To me that discourages useful recycling and stops a mechanism of modest charitable giving instead of throwing away.
If the new fencing will, in fact, be stout enough to keep people out except when the area is supervised, then no large non-household items could be surreptitiously off loaded and the recycling and exchange of items could continue. So, before they take out the item exchange platform, I suggest they see if the fencing works first.
Martin Saffer
Hillsboro
Dear Editor,
Freedom of speech is under attack all over the world, we would expect this to be the norm in countries under communist or dictatorship regimes, but we see calls for it even in democracies.
In our country, many call for censorship of the internet and social media claiming it is the only way to protect us from dangerous information. While I agree a lot of false and bad information can be found on the internet, a lot of the information is subject to one’s personal outlook. Child porn, selling drugs and calls for violence are already illegal. Further censorship is a slippery slope and one which the first amendment is designed to protect us from. I may not like information you put out on the internet, but I will defend your right to do so if you are not breaking the law. The best response to speech and information you do not agree with is more speech to point out what you believe to be the truth and not a decent into Fascist-like censorship that many are calling for.
I would counter those who say that social media companies are private companies and can do whatever they like by stating they have become the public square and should be treated as such.
Joe Kaffl
Hillsboro
