Thanks for op-ed on Parris Island
I wish to extend my thanks and sincere appreciation to Col. Pugliese, USMC (ret) and Ms. Jennifer Tuckwiller, Chairman of the Board of the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, for the outstanding (op-ed) recently published in The Island News.
The fact-filled column provided a great deal of information that has never before been available so
concisely. So often all we read or hear about the future of MCRD Parris Island and MCAS Beaufort is gloom and doom.
I am now aware of the study, planning, and expenses put forth to ensure these bases remain a vital part of our Country’s national defense posture and a powerful and positive economic force on our community. As retired Marine I am well aware of how important history and tradition are to the Marine Corps. I commend the Colonel and Ms. Tuckwiller for making that point so well for your readers.
– Lawrence V. Francese, MGySgt, USMC (ret), Beaufort
What’s different? We grow and change
Mr. Dickson, you seem stuck in a time warp of your own historical biases, while the world around you necessarily evolves.
As The Island News publisher so clearly stated in his (op-ed) that ran just above yours, it is time, again, to take weapons-of-war assault rifles out of the hands of civilians. And, I would echo the opinion of the majority of Americans, do something about the flood of guns in general.
You are wrong about the NRA; they stopped advocating gun safety long ago to become a political entity unrepresentative of our need for gun safety.
Yes, I too remember those good old days, but to make the Pledge we utter to the flag mean anything, we must act differently within today’s reality.
—Tim Dodds, Lady’s Island
Manning’s column ‘disgusting’
I found Terry Manning’s June 9 political commentary extremely disingenuous and deceptive. On par I suppose for an ideology that calls good as evil and evil as good so long as it suits the political agenda.
His characterization of Herschel Walker as not being enough of “a brother” because he didn’t view the Left’s hyped view of everything racist was a disgusting villainization of someone saying to the race baiters: “You’re wrong.”
Add to this Mr. Manning’s deceptive and blatant misuse of the comment by Rep Louis Gohmert where he conveniently hid all context of the statement from the reader to try and assert that Rep Gohmert was decrying accountability. When in fact, Rep Gohmert’s complete statement was pointing out the blatant double standard within the corrupt politically partisan DOJ that violates basic judicial integrity.
In essence, that when a Democrat lies, cheats, and steals (as evidenced by e-mails, laptops, and their own spoken words) the DOJ turns a blind eye. But, when a Republican misstates their middle initial they are charged with lying to the FBI.
And finally, Mr. Manning’s attempt at apologetics for the Liberal Democrat led destruction of America by calling them “misteps” in a learning curve was hilariously grotesque. Perhaps Mr. Manning isn’t living in the same America as the rest of us, but it is without a doubt that D.C. Democrats have deliberately and with forethought wrecked our Energy Security, stifled our Economy, flooded our Southern border with Foreign Nationals, and undermined our societal moral framework and national cohesion.
Mr. Manning’s opinion piece was a great example of why readers need to observe and think for themselves.
– Tom Johnson
AMIkids Beaufort grateful for local support
Thank you to the Brays Island community and to all the AMIkids Beaufort supporters who made our 2022 Croquet Picnic a rousing success in May.
This was the first time since 2019 that we held the event due to pandemic cancellations. With the help of many friends behind the scenes and with gracious hospitality of Brays Island to host us, we met our annual fundraising goal for the event and, to date, have netted $103,000.
Many thanks, too, to Phil and Amelie Cromer who hosted our Captains’ Party at their beautiful Beaufort home.
At the croquet event, we announced the start of a special capital campaign to raise $600,000 for a waterline to serve our campus with both drinking water and a fire hydrant. Details are on our website at www.amikidsbeaufort.org.
We help young men separate a troubled past from a bright future and have been doing so since the mid-1980s in Beaufort County.
AMIkids Beaufort’s campus in Dale provides not only education but numerous hands-on vocational opportunities, treatment and behavior modification. We have a nationally recognized welding program and recently earned our third YouthBuild federal grant to help our students learn construction skills while at AMIkids Beaufort.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success.
– John C. Williams, Chairman, AMIkids Beaufort Board of Trustees
Mike McCombs needs to do better
Editor, As a long time gun owner, I find it necessary to respond to the recent editorial regarding firearms. I have owned handguns for over 40 years, I even own one of the dreaded AR’s. I originally owned a handgun because I often carried large amounts of cash working in Boston, I bought the AR in 2015 after a friend described the terrors of being in New Orleans after Katrina.
No one has ever been injured by my guns, most people don’t even know I have them. I never let them off the leash, they don’t go roaming on their own. I own them for the same reason I have fire extinguishers, and a chainsaw. They are tools, no more. My chainsaw is far more dangerous than my guns.
To suggest that we have a “sickness” because we legally own guns is absurd, and shows a naive perspective on the current situation in the world and the laws of this country.
I haven’t mentioned the Constitution, because that’s not why I chose to protect my family and property. It is however the foundation document of our Republic and cannot be ignored. Serious people don’t dismiss those who disagree as being ‘sick’. Nobody is in any danger from my guns.
You need to do better as Editor, even for a small town paper.
– John Curley, Dataw Island
Thank you Mike McCombs
Thank you for a very intelligent, articulate, and unfortunately necessary editorial on our nation’s firearms sickness. As you noted, a solid majority of Americans – including a majority of gun owners – favor enactment of a few simple, 2A-compliant regulations to curb gun violence.
However, our NRA-corrupted politicians continue to twist themselves into pretzels blaming everything except the one element that makes us unique, our almost unfettered access to firearms including high-capacity rifles. We need to let them know doing nothing is not acceptable.
If they fail to act we must show them the door.
– Peter Birschbach, Port Royal
