Your columns by Lucas and Manning are not a good look for you and don’t deserve the space they take up. Their content is not factual and never informed or thought provoking. The reaction to the election is comical but hard to watch. The columns are amateurish at best, mean-spirited at worst. More columnists like Graber, Hyde, Lauderdale or Rauch will make the paper grow.
Your opinion pages can do better. Thought you would want to know.
— Jerry Floyd, St. Helena Island
Reconsider your opinion columns
As a close to 4 year resident of Dataw, I have often grabbed The Island News to see what is going on in our area. While it is easy to say as the paper’s editors — Mr. McCombs and assistant editor Ms. Earley –that the opinions expressed are not necessarily that of the paper, it seems that the opinions of Terry Manning and Carol Lucas and Scott Graber are most often what is in print. Possibly there are no conservative contributors to the paper, or possibly they are just not the views that you put in the paper.
I would strongly urge you to take a look at what just happened with our election and understand that conservatives have tended to be less vocal about politics that liberals. Calling those “dummies” (no matter how you interpret the definition of the word) that voted for change are “holding us back” is typical of the left, if you don’t agree with us you are a “dummy.” Very unifying way of thinking.
I don’t think the past four years have moved our country forward in any way; another four years would have been seriously bad for us. Instead of fighting every issue the new administration implements, why not try to see if we can reverse the negativity and give things a chance to show some results.
And when positive results happen, put that in your editorial section!
— Andrew Schiavone, Dataw Island
re: Wait … don’t jump
Mr. Wainwright, when did you think America was not great? And why use your slogan of MAGA? Carol Lucas and Terry Manning are highly educated and well-informed columnists whom I follow and respect greatly. You tout limited government but insist in legislating the bedrooms of citizens and deigning health care choices to women?
Patriots? Your people attacked the capital chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” and were responsible for hundreds of injuries and five deaths. Immigrants have been a hot potato topic for decades. yet no administration has addressed it. Trump wanted to build a wall which has never worked and cost billions. He didn’t do it.
Promised to have the best health program in history, didn’t do it. Promised to lower taxes for all Americans? Oh he did, for the top 1% wealthiest Americans and corporations adding to our national debt by over $2 trillion. Exxon alone had $800 billion in profit, yet got a $700 million tax refund. Trump promised the greatest infostructure program in history. He didn’t [do it].
Trump was so stupid, his dad had to pay off every school he attended so they would pass him. Trump claimed his dad only gave him $1 million to start his business, but was actually more than $4 million. In just a few years he filed bankruptcy. Same with his casinos, the house ALWAYS wins! How do you bankrupt a casino?
Trump is a convicted felon. Fraud, rapists, adultery, taxes and insurance fraud; stealing government documents and then hiding them when FBI served him. Much more as well.
Just a suggestion, pray daily to your God for forgiveness for supporting this fraud gangster.
— Don Cass, Beaufort
Thanks from a retired Army Colonel
I am a resident of Beaufort, a retired Army Colonel, and an enthusiastic and appreciative reader of The Island News. I especially enjoy and use your columnist Larry Dandridge’s articles on veterans’ benefits to help me navigate the complex VA and S,C, veterans’ systems. Larry’s articles are most informative and simplify things for me.
After having questions concerning aspects of the VA claims process, I called your Larry Dandridge. He immediately talked me through everything I needed to know and sent me a detailed email referring me to the Beaufort County Veteran Affairs Office. He also sent me a half dozen past articles from The Island News that explained all I needed to know about Intent to File, Filing Claims for service-connected disability compensation, Lay Witness Statements, Evidence Needed, Compensation and Pension Exams, VSOs, and more.
Larry even called me the next day to see if I had any questions with the information he sent me the day before. I’m most grateful to The Island News and Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge, U.S. Army (Ret.), for helping my fellow veterans and me every week through your articles.
I know that the VSOs are overwhelmed with calls for help from military members, veterans, and their families, and it is people like Larry and your newspaper who are serving a desperately needed role in helping veterans like me until we can get an appointment with a VSO.
The Island News and Larry deserve public service and writing award recognition for their valuable support of our military members, veterans, and their families, caregivers, and survivors.
— Col. Howard Born, U.S. Army (Ret.)
