Incarceration
Re “Marijuana market legislation should earn Gov. Youngkin’s signature” (Our Views, March 14): There are lots of percent symbols and dollar signs in the editorial. It seems that the merchants and politicians are excited over the thought of how much profits, tax revenues, etc., can potentially be generated by the legal sale of marijuana in Virginia.
What about the people whose lives have been ruined by being incarcerated for low-level activities related to marijuana? Shouldn’t any legislation regarding the legalization of marijuana start with how best to restore these lives?
It seems wrong that the system has profited from their incarceration from marijuana charges and is now poised to profit from the legal sales of marijuana. Some of those profits need be directed toward assisting these former prisoners make positive changes in their lives.
Floyd Blackman III, Chesapeake
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Shamrock run
For those unaware, there is a church on 40th Street, and there are still some people who do believe in God and attend church on Sunday. It may come as a shock to many, but religion has been around for thousands of years, longer than the Shamrock Marathon. The start of the race is near the church.
Attending the early morning service on Sunday, inside the sanctuary, one could hear the countdown to the different starting times. In the future, perhaps the powers that be could be a little more considerate and move the start of the race on Sunday to any number of streets that don’t have a church nearby.
Michael Via, Virginia Beach
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Schumer’s speech
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s speech summoning Israelis to vacate their prime minister was a political ruse to convince pro-Palestinian Democrats, many of whom voted “uncommitted” during recent presidential primaries, that President Joe Biden is solidly on their side.
Biden said it was “a good speech,” supplying his endorsement of Schumer’s rant. The speech included the ominous warning Israel risks becoming an international pariah, e.g., an outcast among nations, if its duly elected government is not quickly replaced.
Presumably, Schumer signaled Biden would endorse new Israeli leadership provided it is far left and, through appeasement, would seek peace with Hamas — a doomed replication of Biden’s ongoing use of appeasement to convince Iran to abandon its sponsorship of Middle East terrorism.
Schumer’s speech occurred just days after Biden’s hot-mic moment following the State of the Union show, during which Biden said he told the Israeli prime minister they needed to have a “come to Jesus meeting.”
Schumer’s timing was not a coincidence, but a well-timed Machiavellian event previewing White House expectations for Israel. The Israeli prime minister knows Biden is behind in the polls. He knows Biden is desperate for a second term. And he knows if undermining Israel’s right of self defense and sovereignty would help win a second term, Biden would robotically undertake the machinations.
The prime minister need not prepare for what Biden called a Jesus-like meeting. The meeting would be emperor-like because the prime minister also knows, as in the scenario of the fairy tale emperor, Biden has no clothes.
Herb Kline, Virginia Beach
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Support America
Re “The moral and strategic case for arming Ukraine” (Other Views, March 18): To add to Zack Beauchamp’s well-thought opinion column, how about if we consider the all-American Republican position of, “What’s in it for me?” It’s been estimated that the majority of the Ukraine money stays here.
Consider that the proposed aid to Ukraine is not being shipped in cash to the country but is actually being used to rebuild our stockpiles after we’ve sent much of our munitions for Ukraine to hold off the Russians.
Multiple states are currently manufacturing materiel to rebuild our own munitions as well as send them to Ukraine. These range from Abrams tanks to 155 mm shells to HIMAR rockets and drones. States including Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Florida, California and Arizona are manufacturing supplies. These are all good-paying steady jobs for the constituents of those who vote against helping a fledgling democracy and a bulwark to Russian aggression.
Jeff Allen, Hampton
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Princess Catherine
The overreporting of Kate, the Princess of Wales, manipulating a photo of she and her children is a tempest in a teacup and a big waste of airtime and print space by the media. What mother, and beautiful woman, does not want to present herself and her family at their best when the photo will be published and seen by millions? Was she selling the photo or just providing it for her fans and followers? Was anyone hurt? As an amateur photographer, she was only doing what millions of other people do when posting for public consumption.
When we post photos on social media, my wife and I pick the best photos that were taken on whatever event we are posting about. We often also adjust the lighting, contrast and may even spot fix a few blemishes. In the online world people want to show the best version of themselves, not the worst. We have to look at that version every day in the mirror.
Michael Harp, Virginia Beach