Letters on buying local, deplorables, little thanks for veterans

Boost the economy by buying local

Do you want our local, state and national economy to improve (more jobs)? You and I can make a difference.

When we shop at stores and use the services within the communities we live, we help to keep local businesses open and keep the people who work for those businesses employed. Keeping people in our community employed is important to the health of all businesses and tax-supported agencies in our community. Employees buy things from other businesses, and the taxes that those employees and businesses pay support local police, schools, roads, etc.

So, if it is available locally, “shop local” and keep as many local people employed as we can.

If we shop online, we may save some money. But if a local business closes and people get laid off and people move away, was the money saved worth the damage done?

Along the same line, let’s look for and buy products that are “made in the USA.” When we buy these products, we are helping to keep people in the U.S. employed. Buying things that are made in other countries sends our money and jobs to foreign countries.

Rest of speech

I wonder if we would have had less controversy if more media had shared the whole Hillary Clinton speech about the “basket full of deplorable”?

Clinton wasn’t referring to all Donald Trump supporters as “deplorable.” She talked about two baskets. One contained those who do fit in that category: the radicals, the haters, the white supremacists, those who call for violence, those who think it’s OK for men to grab women’s bodies in an unwanted way. These are truly deplorable people and belong in that basket.

Here’s the other part of the speech: “But that other basket of people are people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures. And they’re just desperate for change. It doesn’t really even matter where it comes from. They don’t buy everything he says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different. They won’t wake and see their jobs disappear, lose a kid to heroin, feel like they’re in a dead end. Those are the people we have to understand and empathize with as well.”

Clinton understood where the majority of Trump supporters were coming from. They weren’t deplorable in her eyes.

Little thanks

For 30 years I have worn a shirt or coat and cap covered with World War II data. Only one time in any 30 days does anyone stop me to thank me. This past Veterans Day was no different.

Some stores have a military discount but it is a deep dark secret and has to be asked for. One big store needed proof and refused to accept my military discharge that had dates and history.

People have no idea what Veterans Day is other than another day off work. It should be eliminated.

This story was originally published November 26, 2016 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on buying local, deplorables, little thanks for veterans."