In response …

Dear Record Editor:

A Letter recently published in the ”Letters to the Editor” column of The Record catalogued a series of thoughts, feelings, opinions, suppositions, and criticisms of various institutions in the United States from a clear political perspective with a call to partisan action, using quotes from one presidential candidate’s campaign literature and broadcasts. The areas covered in this letter included: the Media, “Voter Manipulation”, Unemployment, Immigration, and the Military.

While I strongly support the right of every citizen to express his or her observations and opinions on virtually any subject, differentiating opinions and feelings from actual fact in public discourse and fact-checking un-truths and half-truths is also a very important civic function. Also, opinions and hyperbolic levels of possible threats can be modulated and clarified by describing the real conditions, procedures, laws and statistics underlying the issues being described. With regard to the parts of American institutions mentioned in the letter referenced above, some of the facts that bear consideration are:

Media: Fact Check/Politifact.com states, regarding percentage of false reporting by major networks: Fox =60%; CNN=22%; MSNBC/NBC=60%. Pew Research matches news outlets politically as: Conservatives=Fox; Moderates=NBC, CBS, ABC, Yahoo, Google. Liberal= The New Yorker, Slate, Washington Post, New York Times, MSNBC. There are news outlets that express the views of the American population across the spectrum from Conservative to Liberal.

“Voter Manipulation”: In 2016, 17 states will have new voting restrictions in place for the first time in a presidential election. These restrictions range from requiring specific kinds of identification, shortening of absentee voting, reduction of polling locations, and shortening or ending of mail-in voting. These 17 states are: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Most of these are “Red” or Republican states. For example, Alabama recently closed dozens of government offices that issued driver’s licenses and also issued voter registration, severely decreasing access.

It has been shown that these voter restrictions disproportionately affect demographics such as minorities, the poor, immigrants, and the elderly. Conversely, some states have enacted laws, making it easier for every citizen to get registered and vote. California recently passed an “automatic” voter registration law as well as Illinois and Delaware which have enacted such laws. In fact, most “Blue” states have pushed to expand voting rights.

Why are “Red” states erecting barriers to voting while “Blue” states are making it easier to register and vote? The barriers noted above, as noted here, largely disenfranchise demographics who have traditionally voted Democratic. This is more powerful “voter manipulation”, having real-life effects on voting in America than opinions expressed in the media. The excuse of preventing “voter fraud” has been proven to be a red herring. (Just at the time of this writing, The Supreme Court and an Appeals court have struck down the restrictive voter ID laws in both Texas and Wisconsin, before the upcoming presidential election.)

Unemployment: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following statistics are public record and available to any citizen:
Private Sector Job Creation: G.W. Bush (Jan, 01-Jan 09)=-462,000; Obama (Jan, 09-11-15)=+12,817,000.
Unemployment: G.W. Bush Begins (Jan. 01)=4.2%; Bush Leaves (Jan. 09)=7.8%; Obama (Jan, 09-Present)=4.8%
Corporate Profits: G.W. Bush Begins=$460.2 Billion; Bush/Obama Changeover (Jan, 09)=$671.4 Billion; Obama (Dec, 31)=$1,785.9 Billion.
The Dow: Jan, 09=7,949; Today=18,102; S&P 500: Jan, 09=805; Today=2,102
GDP Growth: Jan, 09=-8.9%; Today=+2.6%;
Consumer Confidence: Jan, 09=37.7;Today=95.9
Debt Increases: Regan=189%; G.H.W. Bush=55%; Clinton=37%; G.W. Bush=86%; Obama=35%.

Immigration:

The first flood of refugees in the Middle East were Iraqis, resulting from the US-led invasion in March, 2003. The occupation and ousting of the Sunni minority government allowed the Shiite majority to regain control. Disenfranchised Sunnis fled in massive numbers. By April 2007, there were over 4 million Iraqi refugees around the world, including 1.9 internally-displaced in Iraq and 1.2 million in Syria.

Those Sunnis in Syria then joined forces with an al-Queda affiliate and with extremist Islamic fundamentalists. These Sunnis consolidated into “ISIS”, constituting a terroristic crusade via wars in both Syria and Iraq which people are fleeing.

What many citizens don’t know is that the US State Department’s refugee acceptance procedures are more rigorous than ever. 1.) They must be referred by the UN after interviews, reference checks, and biological screening. 2.) A small percentage of those who pass are referred for immigration. 3.) After being referred to the US, our government conducts its own intensive screening via nine different agencies who meet weekly to discuss the case. 4.) a DHS officer conducts in-person interviews with every applicant and performs fingerprint/criminal checks.

This process takes two years. Statistically, half of the admitted refugees have been children. 25% are adults over 60, and only 2% males of military age. Even then, they are not citizens so cannot vote for either party. No “hordes” of illegal immigrants are “pouring over the borders” as some overwrought, fear-bating speakers have alleged. The State Department notes that since 9/11, 750,000 have been admitted. None have been arrested on domestic terrorism charges. Furthermore, the US has demonstrated that we have enough home-grown “terrorists”, having perpetrated 90%+ of all mass shootings here. Also, statistics show that immigrants are arrested for crimes at the same rate as the general population, no more.

The myth that immigrants “use up” more resources and social services is belied by the following government statistics regarding Food Stamp Rolls: Whites=47.6%; Black=25.5%; Hispanic=10.9%; Native American=1.0%; Asian=2.4%; Unknown=12.6%.

Military: On March 15, 2016, The United States Department of Defense stated that the biggest challenge to the military’s readiness is sequestration. (www.defense.gov) The “Sequester” was the result of the large cadre of extreme, right-wing “Tea Party” Republicans who virtually paralyzed and brought the United States House of Representatives to a standstill, citing overspending and a need for more fiscal responsibility or “austerity.” General Daniel B. Allyn told the Senate Armed Services Committee that this uncertain and restrictive budget environment is forcing the Army to make tough choices.

Pentagon spending peaked in 2009 at more than $691 Billion due to the Defense Department’s supplemental requests for two wars it was fighting. Last year, according to the Defense Department, spending amounted to just over $596 Billion as both wars wound down compared to what they had been. Contrary to accusations that the president has “gutted” the military, the Air Force is building between 80 and 100 new B-21 Stealth Bombers at a cost of $550 Million per plane. Obama is supporting a modernization of the Nuclear arsenal, a new ballistic missile submarine, a new cruise missile, and upgrading our ICBM’s at a cost of around $1 Trillion over the next 30 years. General Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, “At no time in my career have I been more confident than this instant in saying we have the most powerful military on the face of the planet.”

Some folks may or may not “like” reading the above information but it is not opinions, attitudes, or “feelings.” The statistics and facts as they are, stand on their own. It is left to each person, regardless of belief, philosophy, or political affiliation to regard and do with them as they wish.

William E. Conti, PhD
Honolulu, HI