Letters

Letters to the editor

TBO.com
Published: February 4, 2012

Poor Mitt?

I enjoy letters to the editor, how they write in and have no idea of the truth. For example, Tuesday's letter praising Mitt Romney. He has a lot of money only because he has earned it. He did not inherit it.

The letter states that his dad was born in Mexico and he personally understands immigration. The writer makes it sound like he helped his dad pick tomatoes when he was a little boy. I knew of George Romney when Mitt was a little boy. I voted for him — he was a good governor in the state of Michigan. Mitt grew up living in the governor's mansion in Michigan. I agree they can understand immigration. I'm sure they had cooks, maids, butlers, chauffeurs, caretakers, etc., all paid for through the taxpayers. Maybe Mitt even learned to speak Spanish.

Now how did Mitt get to go to Harvard and get an MBA and a law degree when he never worked? Is Harvard that cheap of a little school that Mitt could pay for it from his paper route?

Joseph J. Oros

Sebring

Minority rules

On Jan. 16, a vote was held to implement a no smoking policy at VFW Post 4300 in Sebring. The result was 99 to 50, overwhelmingly in favor of no smoking. Then we were told a two-thirds majority was necessary. This requirement was not mentioned in the vote notification card sent out by Commander Fran Collum prior to the vote.

Supposedly, a two-thirds vote was necessary because the current smoking policy was in the bylaws. Many of us were shocked and disappointed to hear we were one vote short.

Obviously, certain members did not want the smoking policy to ever change. The EPA states that second-hand smoke is classified as a cancer-causing agent. The World Health Organization has stated that exposure to second-hand smoke kills 600,000 nonsmokers a year worldwide. Yet a minority of our VFW veterans still believes it is their right to smoke inside in a room shared by nonsmokers.

I know, we nonsmokers can go somewhere else or maybe make use of the beautiful outdoor tiki bar that I understand was constructed mainly for our smokers.

Would any of our smoking members light up inside the home of a nonsmoking veteran without first asking permission? Hopefully your answer would be a resounding no.

You see, the VFW is also the home of our nonsmoking veterans who, together with sympathetic smoking veterans, have voted (as a huge majority) to ask everyone not to smoke inside our home. One of our smoking members told me he would quit the VFW if no smoking went into effect. Smoking is obviously a priority for him and others.

Maybe it is time that the Post 4300 re-examines its priorities. Many members rarely go to the VFW anymore because we have alternatives like the American Legions in Avon Park and Lake Placid that have done the right thing by voting — with a simple majority — to ban smoking in our posts.

How much more could be done to support our great VFW programs if more of our membership felt welcome in our VFW home?

David Nuske

Sebring