Message for Baker Mayfield
Mr. Baker Mayfield,
I’m a 100-year-old veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for nine years — World War II and the Korean War.
I understand you intend on kneeling during the playing of our national anthem. You have a right to do so, but before you disrespect our anthem and flag, I would like you to take a trip to Washington, D.C., and visit a number of our war memorials.
Take a minute or two to recall a little history. World War II veterans, who died saving the world from a very evil man named Hitler, would only kneel in prayer for their fellow fallen soldiers and prayer of thanks being spared the ultimate price fighting to restore ours and the world’s freedom.
Then visit the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington. How can you show disrespect for those men and our flag by putting a knee down for political reasons?
Visit the Korean War Memorial. Think for a moment about all those veterans who were killed defending our country and the freedom we enjoy as a nation. Our flag was flying there as it flies every day in our country. I am certain no knees went down to show disrespect for our flag abd what is has always represented.
Visit the Vietnam Memorial. Think a bit about the fighting in jungles, the Agent Orange victims and how our veterans were betrayed. It was not pretty, but I am sure no knees went down for political reasons and our flag was still flying.
Finish your visit at Arlington National Cemetery. Kneel and tell those dead veterans why you choose to disrespect our flag for cheap political reasons.
Mr. Mayfield, instead of following the herd, why can’t you be a leader and create a meaningful way to protest racism without desecrating our veterans who fought and died for the freedoms we all enjoy?
Tony Roman
Chester Township
Disrespect of Constitutional Rights
Commissioner Spidalieri’s recent comments during the June 16 and June 23 commissioners meetings demonstrate a poor grasp of our nation’s most foundational documents.
His desire to acquire chemical munitions to use on those exercising their constitutional rights should be offensive to all that value our First Amendment freedoms to assemble and protest and Fifth Amendment guarantee of due process.
His attacks on the press for reporting these comments show his lack of respect for a free press, another pillar of the First Amendment.
The commissioner’s belief that vandalism is a “shootable offense” implies that property is more valuable than human life, which certainly goes against the natural rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” promised to all in our Declaration of Independence.
Perhaps this 4th of July weekend would be a good time for Commissioner Spidalieri to reflect on these documents so he can better represent the people of Geauga County.
Luke Kruse
Huntsburg Township
Cancel the Fair
Our family has been farming in Geauga County since 1950, and I am proud to continue in that occupation today. I was an avid 4-H club member as a kid and that was the beginning of my appreciation for the wonderful agricultural community we have here in Geauga.
So, my initial reaction to the news that the Geauga County Fair would be held in 2020 despite the threat of coronavirus was delight. The fair is a beloved event and we all enjoy coming together as a community annually and celebrating our agricultural past and present.
Watching closely the state of the virus in Ohio and in the nation, seeing how healthcare systems become overloaded and first responders are put at incredible risk as cases rise, my reaction is now very different. Much as I love the fair, the idea of having over 200,000 visitors, many of whom will likely not wear masks, with no good ways to enforce social distancing in enclosed barns and buildings, is frightening. If there ever was a “super-spreader” event, our fair is sure to be one.
Geauga County to date has done a good job of containing the spread of the virus; as of this writing, we have a total of 369 cases and 40 deaths. Our healthcare systems have been able to cope with the increase in hospitalizations as we have responded as a community to “flatten the curve.” Imagine the weeks after the fair: statistics suggest that an infection rate of 3-5% is likely in the population — so those 200,000 attendees will have 6,000 to 10,000 people walking around who are infectious.
Infection rates suggest that on average, each infected person will infect about one other person. So, from one four-day event, we are likely to generate 6,000 to 10,000 more cases of coronavirus – 20 to 30 times what we have had in the past three months! This seems like a terrible and unnecessary risk to be taking with our lives and the health of our community.
So, I hope the fair board and the county commissioners, and the health department will re-assess the decision to hold the fair in 2020 and do the right thing and cancel.
I know this is not going to be a popular letter. But I’d rather be alive and well — and have all my family and friends with me — at the fair in 2021, than create a health crisis in Geauga County that we have certainly never seen in our lifetimes.
Caroline A. Kovac
Chardon Township
Spoiled, Entitled Brats
I was prompted to write this after reading the unfair coverage of Geauga County Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri by our local media. The media is like a vulture sitting on a branch just waiting to parse something someone said.
This destruction of our monuments, our flag and neighborhoods by a bunch of spoiled, entitled brats who never heard the word ‘NO’ from their parents has to stop and their actions must be met with force from our law enforcement community.
These self-centered criminals that are doing the damage had no respect for their parents, so how could they respect a police officer, teacher or even their boss. They have been coddled all their life by their parents. They should be stopped by whatever means needed and there should be mandatory prison sentences that cannot be waived by some liberal judge.
I agree with Ralph on more spending to outfit our law enforcement with the best equipment, from vests, riot gear and other deterrents needed.
It should be pointed out that none of the deaths would have occurred if the perpetrator had complied with the officers’ orders. My personal opinion is that all these actions are not about a few bad cops, but about an election that the liberals can’t win without causing an uproar about something.
Some will say I am vilifying all the protestors, but isn’t that just what the left is doing to all our law enforcement officers?
Philip Melaragno
Huntsburg Township
Protest vs. Vandalism: There is a Difference
In response to people who think our “elected” people, i.e., commissioners, sheriff, etc., don’t know what they are doing and were criticized for doing their best to curb “wrong doing,” I applaud Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri and Sheriff Hildenbrand in an attempt to protect statues, memorials and other symbols of our American heritage.
I enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1943, spent 20 years in the voluntary fire department and 20 years as an elected member of the board of education, so I have a “little idea” what it takes to do the best you can in keeping our country and county great.
Richard Dean
Burton
Do Not Militarize Geauga
I am deeply concerned that our county officials feel they have to militarize Geauga County.
In my mind this will only serve to escalate actions we don’t want to have happen here.
I want our elected officials to be servants to all who live here and all who travel here to
enjoy this country.
Sharon Belt
City of Chardon
