Letters to the Editor

Recently there was a national poll that indicated the millennial generation seems to favor socialism over capitalism. Yet, this generation has never experienced socialism and what it does to the population. They only know what academia and the liberal mainstream media have told them.

What’s even scarier is that many support Bernie Sanders in his bid for the presidency. Sanders’ economic policies are based on communist socialism. In all practicality, socialism is the economic arm of communism. And when Sanders supporter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls our current economic and political system fascist, just wait until radical Democrats get into control; that is, if they get into control.

It is important to realize that under their desired form of government, if one were to express an opinion either in conversation or on the internet that is counter to the state’s position, there would be a good possibility of being arrested and thrown into a gulag, reeducation camp or eliminated from the human gene pool. Our children would be taught to spy and report on their parents. Even today, this happens in communist countries like China, North Korea, Cuba and Russia.

We only need to study history and see what took place in these nations and others like East Germany, Yugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungry, Romania and the Baltic states during the Cold War from the late 1940s to about 1989. And we see the same thing beginning to get a foothold on U.S. college and university campuses where diversity of speech and thought is shouted down, political correctness runs rampant and where students are provided safe rooms to escape hearing differing (conservative) opinions.

For people living under communist socialism, those at the top (government leaders and bureaucrats; the new upper class) would be the only ones living a life of luxury like the wealthy 1 percent Americans they rail about today, while the rest of us would fare much worse.

We would be relegated to a life where we are told how much we can earn, where to live, what jobs we can have, where we can travel, who we can associate with, what we read, what we eat and drink (does Michael Bloomberg sound familiar on this one?), what we see on the TV and the internet and who we can see as our doctors.

We would be stripped of our private property, since our homes, cars, IRAs, 401Ks and other things would belong to the state. Since property rights would no longer exist, the state could remove us from our homes or take away our cars.

Reading the Bible or even possessing one may be a criminal offense (remember Obama’s statement about people clinging to their Bibles). George Orwell’s books “Animal Farm” and “1984” would become reality.

If one thinks life will be better under other Democrat presidential candidates, think again. There is no such thing as free college tuition, free health care, free this, free that. Their proposed programs, which they won’t show us how to pay for, will only increase our taxes substantially.

According to some who study these programs’ impacts, 70-90 cents of every dollar earned would go to paying for these programs via taxes.These progressive programs have astronomical costs that will lead this nation to economic ruin. But what’s a few hundred trillion dollars here and there? After all, it’s only money. The only remaining question is what happens when they run out of other people’s money? Study the recent history of Venezuela to see.

My advice for this generation is to be careful for what is wished for, since they may very well get it and be much worse off. The millennial generation needs to study the past. But our schools have not taught this stuff for quite some time and this generation is ignorant about the past. That’s part of progressive plan, too; to dumb down/misinform the population. We only need to read Sal Alinsky’s book “Rules for Radicals” to realize this plan is in full swing right now.

J. Armstrong

Tyler

Let’s put nation back on right path

I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I am an American and citizen of the United States. I am very unhappy with our current leader. He makes fun of people, calls others rude names, and thinks he is above the law.

Whatever happened to the golden rule and the things we learned in kindergarten? For example, being nice to one another, sharing, no fighting, following the rules, and no name calling.

My hope for the new year is that our leaders find humility, vote with their heart and not political party, and be kind to one another. I know there will be some disagreement with what I have said. Are we not lucky to live in a country where we can express our opinion?

J. Collen

Tyler

Sainthood for Archbishop Fulton Sheen

I am in Longview, but I have attended Mass at the Catholic cathedral in Tyler on numerous occasions. The community of Tyler even has the Bishop Thomas K. Gorman high school; highly regarded for its namesake and its current student body’s excellence.

I have read various news articles about the stalled beatification (the first of two steps required for sainthood) for the famous 1950s and 1960s televangelist Archbishop Fulton Sheen, a native of Illinois, but who was a bishop three years in Rochester, New York.

Archbishop Sheen’s program was more popular than Milton Berle’s show (the Jerry Seinfeld of his day). Sheen used the Holy Bible and appealed to Protestants and Catholics alike. Contrary to myths, we Catholics pray to Almighty God and only ask “intercession” of others to join in prayer for particular prayer requests/needs.

I tell my Protestant family and friends, it’s comparable to a Protestant “prayer warrior.”

Recently a little boy was not breathing for 61 minutes and almost declared dead. However, the family prayed to God but also invoked Archbishop Sheen (who has been deceased 40 years, since 1979). The little boy began breathing. Pope Francis duly declared a “first miracle” (the first step) which enabled beatification. It requires another “miracle” for full-fledged sainthood.

I’d never shield a corrupt priest or bishop; yet Archbishop Sheen “walked the walk.” Nobody can dispute that Archbishop Sheen educated and spiritually enriched millions of people around the globe. He is probably more deserving of sainthood than most. Let Sheen become a saint, soon.

James A Marples

Longview