Appalling to beat 4-year-old
Regarding the case of NFL player Adrian Peterson punishing his son by beating him with a switch (a tree branch) to the point where the child sustained bruises and bleeding on his buttocks, legs and scrotum: I find it interesting that no one has focused on the fact that this kid is only 4 years old. Four years old! Really? What could a 4-year-old possibly do to deserve a beating like that?
Absolutely nothing makes this OK. There is no excuse. I'm appalled.
— Jackie Endsley
Eagle River
Agrees with Metcalfe piece
Kudos to Kimberly Metcalfe for her Sept. 18 commentary, "Gruening's rant on residency can't discredit Begich's record." She responded to Win Gruening's commentary (ADN Sept. 12) that criticized Sen. Mark Begich for implying that his Republican rival for the U.S. Senate, Dan Sullivan, was not Alaskan enough.
Win Gruening's point was that his famous grandfather, Ernest Gruening, was appointed governor of the Territory of Alaska by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served Alaska well, though he was not an Alaska resident when appointed. The latter is true and Gov. Gruening quickly overcame his label as an Outsider because he was the first territorial governor to visit Alaskans by boat, airplane, and train to talk and listen to as many Alaskans as possible.
What bothered me the most about Win Gruening's commentary was that he's supporting a conservative Republican. Also, he failed to mention that Sen. Begich's political values are closer to Ernest Gruening's than Sullivan's are. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to actively promote justice and general welfare for all American citizens; his appointee, Ernest Gruening, also had those values.
Most of you ADN readers are not old enough to actually remember either Gov. (and Sen.) Ernest Gruening or President Franklin D. Roosevelt. I'm enjoying watching the PBS Ken Burns documentary on FDR at 7 p.m. every night (repeats at 9 p.m.). This documentary shows how the Democratic Party became the party that usually works for the common people, not big corporations.
— Amy Bollenbach
Anchorage
Alaskans fooled yet again
by oil companies' PR job
Yet again our neo-colonial corporatist overseers in the UK and Texas are laughing all the way to the bank. Yet again they get their laughs along with their bloated bonuses and fat profits at Alaskan expense. I'm sure they hoot at what a bunch of easily snookered and fleeced country hicks we are, so easily conned by their slick PR snow jobs.
Alaska has been looted and fleeced for most of the 37 years oil has been flowing down the pipeline. ELF was a prime example of this. ACES was arguably the only time in 37 years that Alaska got a decent share of the profits.
It's always amazing to see how many Alaskans are eager to grovel and do the bidding of the outside corporatist powers. For the average Alaskan Joe six-pack to think his interests align with ExxonMobil is beyond ludicrous. The defeat of Ballot Measure 1 shows once again the power of big money corporatist propaganda.
Alaska has always been plagued by dominant outside economic interests. This now continues under the rule of our corporatist masters and their local groveling minions.
I am a capitalist but not a corporatist.
— Steven McNicholas
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.