Eviction moratorium
Dear editor:
My dear neighbors:
The end of July will fast approach, and with it the end to the national eviction moratorium. The city has given no indication that it will extend the eviction ban locally, so we must prepare. Prepare for children, families, and neighbors forced out of their homes starting Aug. 1.
We can claim homelessness is the consequence of unwise decisions. Ultimately though, there is a shortage of housing choices. The problem will confront each of us in one way or another in the ensuing weeks and months.
I firmly believe in the openheartedness and generosity of our community. The pandemic year has challenged and isolated many of us. With fear and for safety we have, understandably, adopted postures of distrust and defensiveness.
I simply invite you now to expand your circle of care by just one. Ask the people around you, people you feel familiar with, if they are doing OK. Is there anything they might need to simply feel supported and less alone? We may each think our resources are pretty limited right now, and you'll be surprised how some little thing you have to share can mean everything to another in the midst of their own struggle. Even a smile.
If someone asks you, answer honestly. A simple act of kindness and acknowledgment can go a long way in providing a sense of safety in uncertain times. We need to reach out and offer a hand. Connection. Heart to heart and hand to hand we can create a community net to support and uplift our friends and neighbors.
We have some stellar agencies and organizations in town dedicated to the service of preventing and ending homelessness -- these agencies need community support to distribute the load and assume responsibility for the health and safety in our neighborhoods.
Keeping a roof over our heads is the very first step in ensuring stability and safety for all.
Safe shelter for all!
Kimberly Lew
Hot Springs
Voter fraud
Dear editor:
Much has been made over the possibility that there was dishonesty at the polls during the last presidential election. Although it will never be known with accuracy what the extent might have been, there are now little windows that show schemes and abnormalities that might have taken place. The American people want the ability to vote with ease and without hindrance, but, the American people also want to eliminate the possibility of cheating on every level.
The state of Arizona appears to be a perfect example regarding how it is possible that a little scheme might change the outcome of an election:
The final count in Arizona was that Joe Biden received 1,672,143 votes which were 10,457 more votes than the 1,661,686 that Donald Trump received.
During the recount, it was discovered that there were 11,326 votes cast (and counted) from people who were not on the voter registration rolls the day before the election -- but those names showed up a day or so later.
Also, there were 74,243 mail-in ballots that were counted although there was no proof that they had actually been mailed and processed by the United States Post Office.
In the state of Georgia, Mr. Biden also won by a very small margin of only 11,779 votes.
It has been stated that there were five or so states in which Mr. Biden only won by a grand total of 70,000 votes -- which resulted in enough electoral votes being cast for Mr. Biden to become president of the United States.
Had the 11 electoral votes from Arizona and the 16 electoral votes from Georgia been removed from Mr. Biden and added to Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden would have still won the electoral vote count by a very narrow margin of only 10 votes: 279 to 259.
I wonder if another state or two might have suffered voting irregularities sufficient to have changed that 10 electoral vote margin?
I am not stating that widespread cheating resulted in the election of the president. I am, however, stating that our presidential elections are sufficiently important that every possibility of election fraud should be eliminated to remove even the appearance of wrongdoing.
John Grillo
Hot Springs
Dumbing down of GOP
Dear editor:
Recent research shows that the Republicans believing in science has dropped significantly from 72 percent in 1975, to 45 percent today. Instead of the leaders of our nation becoming more intelligent with a higher belief in what is proven, they are dumbing down.
This is a reflection of the voters that elect them not on their ability but because of their support of hot button issues. They are willing to ignore scientific facts and support any kind of conspiracy theory that can be made up. They appear to be missing integrity and moral values. This also leads to the appointment of biased judges, gerrymandering, voter suppression and other immoral and illegal acts.
Jerry Davis
Hot Springs