Speak Out

I know Alabamians just voted Sens. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby back into office, but I wonder how many of these voters actually know how they vote on issues.

I am against us being in Iraq because it was an illegal invasion, and I want the troops brought home immediately. According to the latest poll I have seen conducted May 1-4 by International Communications Research, 68 percent of Americans want them brought home in six months. With this in mind, I want people to know our senators just voted to give President Bush another $163 billion on June 19 to continue an illegal war.

Also, on June 20, both voted to allow illegal wiretaps and immunity for Bush and the phone companies. Now, I know we are concerned with our security after 9/11, but I don't believe giving up our rights is the answer because — correct me if I am wrong — is this not what they were trying to accomplish on 9/11? If you agree with me, call Sens. Sessions and Shelby and let them know we want to keep our laws that make America great and get rid of the lawbreakers.

Donald Landers
Jacksonville

Don't work, don't eat

When will our government break its cycle of rewarding the lazy, sorry people among us by taking a portion of the money we work for to support those who have never worked and will never work?

Our government affords every opportunity to this type person while punishing those who will work and try to get ahead.

It's even worse for young people, the elderly or a person trying to make ends meet on one income or a minimum income. They pay an unusually high percentage in taxes, have higher insurance premiums, in relationship to their meager incomes.

It's easy to see why a person struggling to make it would lose hope, give up and end up on the government dole. The government makes it very enticing and it pays more, it's encouraged.

We would all have a better country if those aforementioned people who are working and struggling were the ones rewarded for trying to be productive citizens.

For those too sorry to work, the answer for you is the same one Capt. John Smith gave to the colonists at Jamestown, Va., who caught gold fever and went looking for gold instead of working the fields growing something to eat: "If you don't work, you don't eat."

Maybe government officials are too sorry or stupid to understand this simple concept, let alone enforce it.

Billy E. Price
Ashville