Not the Gestapo

    Editor, Smithfield Times

    I am the individual Mr. Mortimer referenced who expressed the need for us all to “work together” to save the incomparably historic Pierceville property. Mr. Mortimer deemed Preserve Smithfield an arrogant, amateur group acting out of ego (ST, June 15, 2016). Not one of us can recall Mr. Mortimer’s attendance at any Board or Council meetings Preserve Smithfield respectfully attended. However he obtained his information, it is erroneous.

    Preserve Smithfield has never stormed in or out of meetings. We speak in a law-abiding manner. We are considerate and strive to educate ourselves on important and neglected ordinances our town government hasn’t followed in anywhere near timely fashion. Pierceville and several other Historic District homes are in an advanced state of disrepair. Our boards and Town Council need to tighten timelines per firm ordinances, and not allow decades of neglect.

 

    Preserve Smithfield includes professionals and preservation experts. Three colonels who have life-long served their country lead our group. Knowledgeable, measured men who stand up and demand sound rules be followed, they are NOT to be compared to the Gestapo! Name-calling is beneath us all. Our mayor, meetings back, derided “Come Heres” meddling with our adopted hometown. Insulted, we, not the police, quietly removed ourselves. We have been respectful, even as one of us was referred to as “hated” by a Town Council member in a public meeting!

    Pierceville dates to the 1600’s. Rezoning the Historic District, and building modern homes there, would be “irresponsible and reprehensible,” not beseeching elected officials to protect our town’s beauty.

    Tourism is the future of Smithfield. We cannot rely on a company now foreign-owned to keep our town the jewel it is. Townspeople and taxpayers all, let’s fight to keep Historic, Genuine Smithfield historic and genuine! Mr Mortimer, please come to Preserve Smithfield and council meetings. Be part of a solution. The whole town, please join us! We are all working together for the timeless, treasured town we love.

    Carolyn Torre
    Smithfield

 

Welcome back patrol

    Editor, Smithfield Times

    Welcome back, Carrollton, to having a dedicated patrol presence from a deputy!

    It’s actually quite sad, that it took five long years for the current sheriff to realize that it was a good idea to have a deputy assigned just to the Carrollton area. I remember how things were improving prior to the 2011 election season, because if there’s one thing Sheriff Phelps was always adamant about, is the protection of the Carrollton area by a dedicated officer in that area.

    In 2007, a deputy single-handedly stopped a team of thugs in the act of looting a house in Eagle Harbor, at 4 a.m. He took all four suspects at gunpoint all by himself. I enjoyed working the Carrollton area, deploying community policing techniques and getting to know the business owners and community groups.

    Why is it for the last five years, residents had to deal with increasing crime rates and theft, damage and destruction before a deputy was permanently assigned back to Carrollton? Anybody with a college degree and FBI training should be able to figure out that a highly populated area like Carrollton will have high crime risks, right?

    Folks were lucky under the previous sheriff, in that he didn’t take five years to recognize a problem and react to it. I suppose that could be because he wasn’t spending all his time begging the poor county government for more money all the time.

    Dave Lyons
    Chesapeake

 

Gun ban history

    Editor, Smithfield Times

    In 1934, FDR passed a ban on full automatic guns to the public, though you could own one if you had a class III federal firearms license. The guns were known as machine guns.

    In 1944, Hitler renamed the Sturmgewehr STG 44, better known as an “assault rifle,” the first to be called by this name. The civilian AR-15 rifle, and the AK-47 are military look-a-likes. They are semi-automatic as opposed to the military guns like the M-16, which are capable of full-automatic fire. Most guns sold today are semi-automatic, where one trigger pull equals one shot.

    In the 80’s, liberals started using the “assault” nomenclature to describe semi-automatic guns (that resemble full automatic guns). This brought about the 1994 assault weapons ban. It was based on a numbering system on how a gun looked, not how it operated. The original list had 117 or 119 different models/variants. Any model gun on the ban list that was made before the ban date was legal, if it was made after the ban date it was illegal. The pre-ban AK-47’s, priced at $450, jumped to $1,200, and there was no shortage because the manufactures increased production prior to the ban. In 1989, California banned the AK-47. The manufacturer, in 1990, removed the pistol grip, and replaced it with a thumbhole stock and called it the MAC-90 and 91. Same as the 47 except for the stock, and it could be bought in California. This entire effort was just the proverbial “nose of the camel under the tent,” an “infringement” on the 2nd Amendment.

     If I were an “evil doer”, laws would mean nothing to me. If I wanted to commit an atrocity, and I needed a weapon, I would find someone who had a weapon, and do whatever it took, to take it away from him. The only solution is someone else with a weapon. The U.S. Constitution protects you, now it’s time for you to protect it.

    Earle Southard
    Smithfield

 

No Aircraft for Iran

    Editor, Smithfield Times

    Boeing Co. recently cut a deal with Iran Air to sell it 100 Boeing 737s and 777s worth about $25 billion, which is a nice contract for Boeing and its employees.

    Unfortunately, Iran Air has used passenger and cargo planes to transport military equipment to Syria and other Middle East countries, and there is nothing to prevent them from continuing this practice. Some of the military shipments included materials for advanced weapons, and rockets and missiles. Furthermore, it is possible these planes could be used to move troops and could possibly be converted to bombers.

    The U.S. could revoke the license to sell the aircraft if Iran violates the agreement, but Iran would have control of the previously delivered aircraft at that time.

    Congress should not approve this contract. If it is approved, delivery of the aircraft should be stretched out over an extended number of years. Additionally, we should install back door disabling software in each aircraft, which we can energize at our discretion.

Donald Moskowitz
    Londonderry, NH