Thank you for Dandridge’s articles
I wanted to thank you for the articles written by [Larry] Dandridge regarding supporting our nations sons and daughters who are active duty or veterans.
Many of us read the articles weekly. I personally share them with my 33,000 members on my LinkedIn. These are all active duty or veterans and first responders, many of whom have served in the military prior to law enforcement.
I wanted to say that we appreciate Mr. Dandridge and his articles and The Island News covering his topics to benefit and educate us all.
— Ricky Jones
Tomorrow it could be you
Trump has escalated U.S. military operations targeting Venezuela in recent weeks, according to Axios, an online news organization, and other sources. He is also considering land-based action. Land-based action??
Trump is planning a WAR with Venezuela! Does anybody know about this? Does anybody care? MAGA Faithful, where are you? What happened to “America First?” Now, military strikes on boats near Venezuela regularly occur. So far, 30 people have been killed who were allegedly engaged in “narco trafficking.” No evidence has been presented to back up this claim, so the people were actually murdered.
This is another example of the total lawlessness of the Trump administration. Here, there are attacks on immigrants, people of color, the president’s enemies, anyone who criticizes the government, etc., etc.
Pay attention. Tomorrow it could be you.
— Terry Gibson, Beaufort
We can ‘just eat cake’
Nothing says, “LET THEM EAT CAKE!” like the President’s new White House ballroom. While tens of millions of Americans face the loss of vital services and cataclysmic increases in their health insurance premiums, the President’s tacky vanity project proceeds unabated. As his Press Secretary told reporters, it is his “number one priority.”
The ballroom will be used by the President to entertain his ultra-wealthy donors, who in turn will receive favored status (government contracts, merger approvals, etc.) in exchange for their generous donations.
Meanwhile, our local food pantries are sending out an urgent plea for donations because programs that benefit average Americans — ACA, SNAP, VA funding, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, etc. — are being cut to partially offset the cost of the Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill.” Back in July they rammed this bill through Congress without any Democratic input and without any Democratic votes.
Now the Republicans are trying to blame the Democrats for the government shutdown. In fact, the Democrats are using the only leverage they have to try to preserve and protect these vital programs that help keep average Americans afloat.
It is very clear where the President and the Republicans’ priorities are. If you’re not one of their ultra-wealthy donors, you can “just eat cake!”
— Peter Birschbach, Port Royal
Collect luggage for foster kids
While visiting Beaufort, I noticed an article in one of your older papers on the importance of organ donations.
I found my saved note with my intention to sharing another important project that needs to be [undertaken] there by an individual or group.
While being a single foster dad to 65 foster girls and boys — including teens, I took children into my home and most often [their belongings] arrived in garbage bags.
Now for 20 years plus — knowing of this need, I have collected and distributed tens of thousands of pieces of luggage, duffle bags, backpacks and carry bags across Kentucky.
[They have been distributed] to 118 of 120 counties — some many times over. The luggage has gone to public and private agencies serving foster kids.
Some loads have gone to tornado and flood victims, foster kids aging out, or a camp for kid victims of drug abuse, as well as women’s shelters and schools.
People willingly give their used luggage, backpacks, etc., that they have in storage due to less travel, changing airline standards or many other reasons.
It is a win-win project with no cost to anyone except time, energy and gasoline money. I hope someone takes up this idea.
— Don Pratt, Lexington, Ky.
Calling him a name does not make him what he is called
The October 23-29 issue of The Island News contains not one but two opinion pieces about an Oct. 14, 2025, Politico expose of chats among Young Republicans that can only be described as repulsive.
Andy Brack’s headline, “Trumpism is taking a terrible toll on country,” and article led me to believe that a new vast extreme right-wing conspiracy is at work. I accessed the Politico article on Oct. 28, and read the many quotations with growing dismay.
While the content of these chats is, indeed, horrific, my angst was lessened by the statement several paragraphs into the Politico article that “… 2,900 pages of chats shared among a dozen (emphasis mine) millennial and Gen Z Republicans chronicle their campaign to seize control of the National Young Republicans.”
What these 12 (my emphasis) young Republicans wrote indicates that they possess neither the intelligence nor the empathy to run a lemonade stand. They are despicable human beings, and it appears some of them have lost their jobs as a result of their demented writing.
However, the headline on Mr. Brack’s opinion piece might lead one to believe a huge number of brownshirts are lurking in wait for a putsch.
Like the Politico article, Mr. Brack’s piece draws parallels to the “coarse” behavior of the current President. Granted, Mr. Trump seems to appreciate Blazing Saddles-type humor which is often raw and certainly disrespectful. But, Mr. Trump does not exhibit a racist or fascist bent; he may be portrayed as such, but calling him a name does not make him what he is called.
— Louise Mathews, Beaufort
