THANK YOU!
Fraser River Valley Lions Club would like to thank Winter Park Optical owner Scott Lynn and his team, Dr. Jennifer Pelaez, Loreta Silverio, Julie Hay, and Daisy Waggoner for their efforts to support the Lions Vision Assistance program. Helping people solve their vision problems has been a core mission of Lions Clubs worldwide since its inception 104 years ago. With the help of Winter Park Optical the Fraser Valley Lions Club invested $11,000 last year to help 46 Grand County residence to receive vision exams and glasses at no cost. Lions Foundation president Kent Wehmeyer explains, “We receive client referrals from Mountain Family Center and school nurses from both East and West Grand schools. These clients need glasses but don’t have the financial means to just go get an exam and new glasses. So Winter Park Optical provides the services and Lions covers the cost. Without Winter Park Optical we just could not provide this service here in the valley”. So Fraser River Valley Lions sends a great big thank you to Scott and his staff at Winter Park Optical.
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TO THE EDITOR:
This is my delayed response to comments made by Steve Gregory (Feb. 7) about the Impeachment Trial of Donald J. Trump . He and I may never interpret Trump’s Impeachment the same, but I’m with Bruce Coville (author) that, “Withholding information is the essence of tyranny. Control of the flow of information is the tool of the dictatorship.” Steve … what pertinent evidence was withheld from the House and Senate, and by whom?
But moving on … how about what followed Trump’s acquittal. Was it the regret, remorse, repentance and contriteness predicted by Republicans? Not so much. More like childish vengeance in firing Sondland and Vindman for heroically choosing truth over power; adolescent tantrums, as when his Intelligent Agency reported that Russia is interfering already to get him reelected; un-Constitutional interference in the Justice Department; and continuous, unending, monotonous, relentless self-indulgent rhetoric.
Republican Senators avoided Trump being emboldened after they let him get away with crimes. They wholeheartedly took the Kool-Aid from their cult leader and Dictator-in-Chief. Those kinds of self-serving, spineless actions facilitate autocratic leaders to politicize the rule of law (Roger Stone sentencing) and suppress information (“the Press is the enemy of the people”). Blindly following, like bobble-heads, have brought the likes of Putin, Kim Jong-un, Saddam Hussein, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, et alia to power; and kept them there. Trump followers are following the same play book.
Steve also voiced a boring conspiracy theory about Democrats out-to-get Trump from the beginning; a favorite distraction tactic and “alternative reality” (Kelly Ann Conway) statement. The clear reality is Trump committed crimes. “When there is no distraction, there is clarity” (Lorii Myers, senior manager, controller, business owner, and award-winning author).
And, like any dictator and those who support him, Trump needs distractions. “The key element of social control is the strategy of distraction – that is to divert public attention from important issues … through the technique of flooding continuous distractions and insignificant information.” (Avram Chomsky, American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist).
The remedies to this national migraine are fact-based information and engaged citizens. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) May Thomas Jefferson’s words prevail: “Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of the body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.” It can’t come too soon.
Ronald Fischer
Fraser CO