Letters to Editor

July 4, 2013

Freedom Under Attack

In 1812, Jefferson described the threat from Britain upon our new nations freedom as tyranny bearing on us in every point of either honor or interest.

Watching offshore as the entire British Navy incessantly bombarded the flag flying over Fort McHenry as it was held upright by the piled bodies of men while their defenseless families hovered in fear within the Fort, Francis Scott Key was moved to write our National Anthem, The Star spangled Banner.

Today, 200 years later, as our freedom is again under attack from the tyranny of arbitrary and unrestrained exercise of power, awakening Americans can begin to feel the fears of those bloodied Patriots and our sainted Martyrs before them. As they did, we must find it within ourselves to muster up courage to resist and realize that courage is not the absence of fear but rather the knowledge that something else is more important than fear.

Now that the frightening reality of the promised plan to fundamentally change America is upon us, it would be easy to despair and be overwhelmed by the erosion of our cherished, God-given, constitutional rights and ask ourselves, What difference can I make? I am just one person.

The answer to that question can be found in another quote from the man from whom this reflection began, Thomas Jefferson:?One man with courage is a majority.

And finally, another sage quote from perhaps a lesser known observer of life, Dr. Seuss Lorax, can also offer us as individuals the encouragement to become involved. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not.

Denver Sallee

Newbury Township

Too Hot?

On May 23, 2013, I witnessed Commissioner Tracy Jemison lose his cool when a Geauga resident attempted to ask a question of a county employee at a public meeting. Was Tracy having a bad day?

On June 27, a month later, Tracy, experienced another such tirade when the same Geauga resident attempted to ask about the value of a proposed cashless fare system for 17 buses in the Geauga County Transit System. The cost of this improvement is more than $163,000, roughly $9400 per bus.

Although the rationale was the elimination of paper passes, it seems to me that a lot of paper passes could be wasted for $163,000. The measure passed unanimously in the absence of Commissioner Spidalieri.

Regardless of my own opinion, I am becoming tired of Jemisons defensiveness when asked a question by a voter who cares enough to attend commissioners meetings regularly. Why must Jemison butt in every time he believes that a member of the community is editorializing? It would have been proper for Mr. Jemison to let the county transit employee answer the question rather than rush right in and lose his cool. And it’s not even the hottest part of the summer.

Lest Tracy Jemison forget, he is a commissioner only because the voters of Geauga County selected him. No one has handed him a crown. President Harry Truman remarked that if one thought the kitchen was too hot, it was time to leave.

Is it too hot in Geauga County for Tracy Jemison?

Diane J. Jones

Auburn Township