Trump’s remarks often out of line

Editor, OBSERVER:

While reading the recent Connie Schultz article about the “Kneeling card” I did agree with President Donald Trump that I do not like kneeling while the National Anthem is being played. However, I do not agree with the “sons of bitches” part. Colin Kaepernick’s biological and adoptive mothers are probably respectable ladies, as well as the mothers of the other players that kneel, and should not be referred to as “bitches.”

I have not had any respect for President Trump ever since his comments about Senator John McCain. Senator McCain did not intentionally get captured to spend five years in the Hanoi Hilton Hotel where he suffered unbelievable punishment. I especially took offense to the comment because I was drafted into the Army in 1953 at the age of 20. At the time I was working and still living at home and my father was in very poor health. His family suggested he should try for a deferment for me. My father’s comment was, “Nobody will call my son a slacker” (his term for a draft dodger).

I served my two years. In July 1953, I saw my father for the last time as he died in August 1953 after suffering for several years. Yes, big men do cry. More fortunate than many, I never saw combat while I spent 18 months in Austria but I heard from my family members that my father suffered terribly during the last two weeks of his life. At least I was spared that.

As for college deferments, President Trump wasn’t the only one so that isn’t my issue. I am just much disgusted with his language and his comments about Senator McCain – both are inappropriate and uncalled for.

WILLIAM MOSS,

South Dayton

Shedding light on traffic law

Editor, OBSERVER:

The OBSERVER edition (April 30) was a Monday issue. Mondays were the days the paper printed, with photos, violators wanted in Chautauqua County. I’m ambivalent about this but that’s an opinion not a judgment. One of these individuals was, “wanted by Chautauqua County Sheriff for failure to dim lights.” C’mon now, I mused. Failure to dim lights? You’ve got to be kidding. Right!

Then I recalled upon an item from a magazine I subscribe to: The Week. There was a brief mention of bright light violators being punished by a method reminiscent of the ancient Hammurabi’s eye for an eye code of meting out retribution (I don’t say justice because its an abstract noun that’s been beaten into vapidness through overuse.) I went to the internet — and lo and behold — from an article in the New York Daily News by Lee Moran on Aug. 7, 2014. He wrote about motorists in China, specifically in Guangdong province, that flagrant use of high beams have been the cause of many accidents. Photos show offenders “… blinking into beaming car bulbs …” Critics of this punishment say it’s torture and they’ve had to stare into these lights for five minutes.

The Chinese constabulary however, say its only for a few seconds. I guess that depends upon whose side you’re on in the question of time. If you’ve ever had some screw ball temporarily blind you with his headlights, or worse yet with his side adjustable spot light in retaliation for your blinking at him, you know what side you’ll be on. Maybe that sheriff’s charge about failure to dim lights wasn’t so ridiculous at all.

Another interest of mine is to get people reading again. Right now I’m half way through a book called Felon Attorney. It has a strong Buffalo presence highlighting drug dealing, street gangs, the cities institutions, schools, neighborhoods, the inner city hip-hop talk with the bro back ups and ways of the hood.

The author is a Buffalo attorney. So set aside your gamer ways, your tex-tering and web-stering, and pick up that book, its available through many Chautauqua-Cattaraugus libraries and get back to reading, either that book, or any book.

RALPH BURKE,

Dunkirk