Voice of the people (May 19, 2024): Thank you for support during our Flight to Honor

Thank you for support during our Flight to Honor

I would like to thank Polk Veterans Council and all of the sponsors.

I am 81 years old and served 1965 to 1971 in the Army. The attitude of the public about the military in the past 60 years has reversed for the better.

I was one of the 86 veterans and 86 escorts on the April 30 "Flight to Honor" to D.C. We flew from Lakeland to Baltimore, walked inside the airport about a quarter mile to our buses. There was a standing ovation and a lot of “thank you for your service” that lasted until the last veteran passed.

When we returned to Lakeland, there was a large crowd to greet us. We walked down a red carpet with lots of American flags waving, many hand shakes and “thank you for your service.” I had about 55 letters and notes from school students and others. A "Certificate of Congressional Recognition" for dedicated service to the Armed Forces of the USA signed by Congressman Scott Franklin.

I never thought much about my serving in the Army, just fulfilling my duty to my country (drafted). I was very much humbled by the support that we received on this Flight to Honor.

Terry Parker, Lakeland

Voice of the People (May 12, 2024):Florida meatheads ban lab-grown meat

Flight to Honor

As a recipient of the generosity of individual, corporate and organizational donors that funded Mission 9 “Flight to Honor” event, I express my heartfelt thanks.

The 86 guardians that accompanied we 86 selected veterans paid a fee to perform that service, helping to offset the expense too.

Many volunteers in numerous capacities contributed countless hours.

It was a privilege to go to our capital and the different memorials, to honor those that paid the ultimate price for all of us.

Thanks also to the schools and teachers that encouraged our young people to express their gratitude to us for our service in notes and letters we received in the “mail call” portion of our event. Also received were expressions of gratitude from individuals, families, corporations and organizations.

The icing on the cake, was the overwhelming turnout at the airport to greet us upon our return home.

Ralph D. Shadley, Lakeland

Voice of the People (May 5, 2024):Roundabout at Galloway and 10th Street would be a waste

Vote for Donald Trump

When I read the Lakeland Ledger's "Voice of the People" highlighting different viewpoints on politics, I start to question, "What does America stand for today?"

The United States of America, once a secure, united, free, sovereign, constitutional republic is now politically a socialist, failed, bankrupt, dictatorial third-world country. Former President Obama and current President Biden's progressive socialist democratic party's vision was and still is "Fundamentally Transforming America."

Big-money corporations rule. Where's our congressional representatives and government leadership? Are they ensuring energy independence, a balanced federal budget and reducing our national debt? Honest voting laws need to be enforced throughout all 50 states. Thousands of undocumented illegal immigrants are pouring across our open borders every day. America's future national security is a concern.

Be an informed voter in November 2024. Consider who will secure our borders and restore our national security while draining socialist, racist swamps. Celebrate America's history, freedoms and our founding fathers' Constitutional rule of law and vote to support business regrowth and capitalism. Vote for Donald Trump's business leadership and bring back a government to Washington D.C. that supports, recognizes and represents all American working middle class taxpaying citizens.

Walt Back, Lakeland

Voice of the people (April 28, 2024):Why are Polk County trash collection fees going up?

Columnist refuses to believe Trump’s guilt?

So R. Bruce Anderson, a college professor teaching government, no less, had an epiphany when a sharp legal mind spoke to his class about “factual guilt” vs “legal guilt,” determining that while Donald Trump is indeed “factually guilty” in his election interference trial in New York, he now refuses (Anderson’s italics) to believe that Trump is “legally guilty.”

This of course despite the factual evidence, including the $310,000 in payouts, that Anderson does believe, and based on his reasoning, if you want to call it that, that Americans are so morally bereft that they wouldn’t care about yet another story of Trump’s sleaze or crimes and would have elected him anyway, and Trump knew it too.

This is similar to those who refuse to believe that they were anything except “tourists” there at the Capitol, because Speaker Mike Johnson has released more than 30 seconds of tapes showing those who illegally entered the Capitol acting peacefully while disrupting the certification of the next POTUS.

I would say that many times, if you refuse (my italics) to believe something, in reality you’re proving that it is indeed true. The irony of course: Anderson will refuse to believe this too.

Kevin Kayden, Bartow

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