Letters to the editor

Legal marijuana would ruin Delaware

Since the day I moved to Delaware in 1976, I have loved this state. It has so much to offer with the beaches, the museums, the location close to Philadelphia and NY and so much more. Truly a gem!

Now I'm not just asking, I'm begging our elected officials not to ruin our beautiful state by legalizing recreational marijuana. Let's not expose anyone to something that could be deadly to their future and call it legal.

I'm not opposed to medical marijuana or anything else that relieves suffering in sick people. But let's not poison ourselves and our beautiful state by building up a recreational marijuana business.

The money is not worth it if even one child gets addicted or is exposed to parents who are.

Inform yourself about this and please encourage everyone you can to vote against House Bill 110.

—Carol Harvey, Wilmington

Delawareans pay tolls too

In regard to the writer who has to "drive through Delaware a lot for work and go to the beach": We Delawareans also pay those tolls and also pay our own taxes, just not in the same form you out-of-staters do.

If you feel so strongly about it, find a job in Maryland and go to the Jersey Shore. Then tell us how you feel about taxes and tolls.

—Marina Reineman, Wilmington

Catholic Church can't investigate itself

A recent opinion piece describes a possible solution to the decades of child abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. The author relies on adding Lay Catholic Review Boards to the church investigative process.

This solution seems unduly timid and overly complicated, and it is not independent.

Catholic Church internal investigation of criminal conduct by bishops and priests in any form is not a reliable solution. Abuse of children under 18 by adults is a serious crime by anyone in any jurisdiction.

Institutional self-examination is insufficient. The church is an entity subject to civil law equally with corporations, government agencies and all individuals.

We today often hear that no one is above our criminal laws, not even the president of the United States. Therefore, the comparatively simple answer is that, where there is reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct within the church, including abuse or exploitation of children, an ethical and perhaps legal obligation exists to refer such circumstances to relevant civil authorities, i.e. local police and prosecutors.

This is the comprehensive, independent and professional way to proceed, rather than amateur, perhaps biased investigations by lay review boards and the church itself.

—F.L. Peter Stone, Lewes

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Trump ignores reality

Many years ago the football coach of the Houston Oilers, Bum Phillips, had one of his key players go down early in the game with an injury. Informed at halftime that the star had incurred a broken bone, Phillips inquired if they could just touch up the X-ray and move on.

Recently, President Trump, after being informed he was behind in the polls in 11 key states, had his "touch up the X-ray" moment by saying those polls did not exist and that he was ahead in the polls in those states.

Anything that is reported in the media that he does not agree with is fake news and he just sticks with his "touch up the X-ray " philosophy.

—John P. Martin

Someone's gonna buy the world

In the near future, we could witness a global monetary colonization, as never experienced in world history.

A powerful, wealthy, well-disciplined culture will purchase lands, nations and regions throughout the world. These acquisitions will result from the payoffs of corrupt ruling aristocrats with clear alternatives of neutralization expressed if offers are resisted.

Once in position, the controlling culture will zero/base the remaining peoples with only the assurance of regular, incremental quality-of-life improvements for them and their families, current and future.

Agriculture and natural resources of the colonized regions will be closely controlled by the new culture.

—Donald F. McHugh Sr., Felton