Interpretation of Constitution too broad

I love my country. I served in the Army, Air Force and reserves for 32 years. I love the freedoms we inherited by the foresight of our founding fathers, but today these rights are being totally abused.

Our Constitution was written at a time when our founding fathers had no concept of the advance technology in communications such as television and the Internet. Today we have a liberal media that doesn’t report the news but slants it to fit their political views.

Our country right now grants Constitutional rights to non-Americans. Can you imagine non-Americans having the same civil rights as someone who was born here? That is plain silly. By being born here and paying taxes for the upkeep of our government, we are entitled to all the benefits of our Constitution.

We have too broad of an interpretation to our First Amendment — just listen and watch any radio or television program and one can hear and see unbelievable language and sleazy, provocative shows.

Enough is enough. We have to act now before our children become completely desensitized.

I’m sure our founding fathers never meant it to be this way. They probably thought future generations would use common sense.

So it behooves us to demand a stop to the trash being sent to our homes and movie theaters. I’m sure our Constitution was written with the most ethical and moral values in mind. It’s now time to stop this perverse interpretation of this great and wonderful document. Let’s not rush into judgment; let us review what is now written and give it more clarity and bring it up to date.

Let the world know America is a resourceful nation. We are not a pagan people; we believe in God, who first gave us all these rights.

Ruben A. Pro

Clovis

Clovis has too many unanswered questions

The question of why has been a lifelong question.

That’s how we learn of things that we don’t know or have questions about.

As adults, when the question of why comes up, people look the other way and don’t want to answer those why questions.

The question will always be there. I can go on for days asking why.

Like why will a gas station owned by the same company in the same town have two different prices? Why after the water company asks people to conserve will a big company disregard the warnings?

Lately, some articles in the paper have been asking the same question: why.

Why do some of our city employees have to have second jobs? Why are some on food stamps and welfare? Why do we pay a city manager so much when we get no answers? Why doesn’t a city of this size have a full-time mayor? Why do we need a convention center when we can’t even pay our police and firefighters a decent salary?

In this city I hear a lot of whys, but we as taxpayers don’t hear the answers. I guess the more money you make and the more power you gain the less you have to answer why.

I think someone in the city should get paid big bucks to answer those why questions. Why not?

Steve Gershon

Clovis

All city workers are important, underpaid

Having family in the city’s public works department, I feel the comments made by Charlie Bernal (last Sunday’s letters) and others are outrageous and uninformed.

We are talking apples and oranges here.

No one from public works ever said the police department didn’t deserve a raise. In response to Mr. Bernal, they have a right to choose where they work and also to receive a decent living wage.

His comment, “Regardless of how many years he has been with the city, he sits in a truck and pulls a lever and takes the trash to the dump” was just reeking with condescension.

Also, not everyone that works for PW drives a trash truck. Some folks who work in streets go out in the middle of the night to set up barricades and to sand the streets. Men that work in wastewater go out in the middle of the night and help citizens with ugly problems. The fire department goes out countless times. All of these departments are important and needed.

Yes, Mr. Bernal, the PD is important. Yes, they were underpaid. Pay attention, this is where we seem to lose you — the city needs every department. All city employees are important and, according to the survey, underpaid.

Now that the PD has received raises, that department needs to join with the other city employees and help them get raises, too.

Let’s remember Mayor David Lansford’s statement: “We are family.”

Well, families need to stick together, try to help one another and not have a favorite child.

Luanne Landess

Clovis