Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, Sept. 15, 2014

Not voting based on coercion

A recent contributor to Letters to the Editor used the ad hominem "name caller" to describe people with different opinions, and instead of giving examples of said "name calling," gave a list of groups that supposedly all urge prohibition. An organization has no vote, but the individual members that make it up do. Rarely, if ever in any organization, do individual members of it have the exact same positions on any issue. I myself am part of some groups, some by choice (e.g. — I'm a veteran), and some by categorization (e.g — I'm a male), but regardless of the groups I am a subset of, my vote is based on my opinion, and the facts as I see them, rather than coercion by an organization.

— William Griffin

Anchorage

Stirring predator control pot

Why the recent Craig Medred articles and National Park Service commentary on proposed federal regulations to restrict hunting methods and means in national preserves?

The NPS has been opposing the state of Alaska's predator-prey policies since the get-go, for 37 years (not counting Mt. McKinley National Park, 1917). I see nothing especially startling or newsworthy here. Seems like someone is deliberately trying to stir the "ol' predator control" pot — maybe this will sell a few extra newspapers … but not a whole lot.

Except a few PETA types, most Alaskans understand the value of controlling predator-prey ratios and the dangers of leaving northern ecosystems unmanaged.

The only thing to get excited about here is just one more reminder of federal overreach and restriction of use by Alaskans of what are Alaska public lands.

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— Jim Lieb

Palmer

A list for Begich campaign of ‘Alaskans’ in public office

According to the Begich campaign, among Dan Sullivan's greatest sins is that he isn't from Alaska. Since when do you have to be born in Alaska to hold a public office? How long did Hillary Clinton live in New York before her election to the U.S. Senate for that state? Hmmm? But I digress.

I did some Googling and here is what I learned;

1. Only the 2 current U.S. senators in Alaska were born in Alaska; Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich. They happen to be children of former lawmakers, both of whom were not born in Alaska.

Frank Murkowski was born in Seattle, and Nick Begich was born in Montana. (Really!)

2. Other former senators;

Mike Gravel, born in Springfield, Mass.,

Ted Stevens, born in Indianapolis.

Other former public servants:

3. Don Young, born in California

4. Bob Bartlett, born in Cleveland

5. Ernest Gruening, born in NYC

How about Governors?

Bill Egan is the only Alaska governor I found who was "from" Alaska. As for the others …

Walter Hickel, born in Kansas

Tony Knowles, born in Tulsa

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Bill Sheffield, born in Spokane

Sean Parnell, born in Hanford, Calif.

Sarah Palin, born in Sand Point, Idaho

Jay Hammond, born in Troy New York ( Surprised me.)

And below are some more Alaska public servants and their birthplaces;

Johnny Ellis, born in Missouri

Bill Wielechowski, born in New Jersey

Hollis French, born in Massachusetts

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Berta Garner, born in Utah

Paul Seaton, born in California

Les Gara, born in New York City

Chris Tuck, born in California

Max Gruenberg, born in California

David Guttenberg, born in New York City

Scott Kawasaki, born in Tokyo (Wow!)

I did not look up every single Alaska public servant past and present. But I am confident in saying that most of them were not born in Alaska, and therefore not "from" Alaska in the sense that Mark Begich is "from" Alaska.

So don't you think Mark Begich and his people should give it a rest? How trivial can you get?

— Barbara Landi

Palmer

Burger King, eh?

Recently, Burger King announced its intention to move its corporate headquarters to Canada. Their purpose is to abandon their U.S. roots and take advantage of reduced Canadian tax rates. So they have decided to give up the American dollar for the Canadian loonie and toonie. That pretty well sums up my thoughts on the matter.

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— Bob Kniefel

Anchorage

Vote common sense on pot

This November, Alaskans can take a stand against the federal government and capture a huge opportunity by regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol. Alaska could be the third state to pass the only common sense approach to cannabis. Other states strapped for cash will seize this opportunity and Alaska needs to be ahead of the game.

There are numerous economic benefits of legalized cannabis. One of those benefits is the revenue it can generate to local and state governments through tax revenue. Marijuana is here in the state and currently is only funding the black market which isn't regulated for safety and quality.

Currently the federal government recognizes marijuana as a drug that is highly addictive and possesses no medical benefit. That's right, your government says that it knows what is best for you when it comes to marijuana. Does that make any sense in regards to the current landscape when it comes to marijuana? Does marijuana deserve to be in the same category as heroin, LSD, and Ecstasy?

Marijuana is nontoxic and you can't overdose on it. Alcohol, if consumed irresponsibly, can kill you. Thousands of people each year kill themselves either through overdose or chronic use by drinking alcohol, beer included.

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Please vote yes on 2 this November.

— Sam Williams

Anchorage

Celebrate diversity in Alaska

I have the best job in the world. Each day, my classroom is open during lunch, and today the room was filled with students from Micronesia, Samoa, the Philippines, Indonesia, Peru, Somalia, Taiwan, Kenya, Mexico, and Albania. They are hardworking, quick-learning, delightful young Alaskans, who were playing the piano, working on an Anchorage puzzle, spending extra time on online courses, and checking their grades. They were interacting socially, helping each other with homework, laughing, and practicing their English.

These young people, grades 10-12, are extremely grateful to be here, and the majority choose to stay in Alaska, becoming productive citizens of our wonderful city. I am honored to know and to work with them all, and Alaska should thank its lucky golden stars to have them here. Go Lynx!

— Denise Roselle

ELL Social Studies Teacher

Dimond High School

Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter for consideration, email letters@adn.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.

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