The Coshocton County Beacon June 10, 2020 | Page 12

June 10, 2020
How concerned should
we be about our rights?
Letter to the Editor:
While I was a participant
in an exercise class in another
county, I asked a lady in
the group to go to lunch.
Anyway, in talking with
her, politics became a part
of our conversation. This
occurred sometime in late
2017. At one point I asked
her where she gets most
of her news. Her response
was from Facebook. So I
suspiciously knew what her
views would likely be.
While I do not have factual
proof, it would seem
those who are on Facebook
might very well often communicate
with those who
agree with them politically.
I am not a Facebook person,
but occasionally I click
on a Facebook notification
to see what is being communicated.
No doubt there
are some tantalizing recipes
and perhaps photos of some
wedding or other happy
occasion. So there are some
very beneficial things about
Facebook, but as for me, I
do not want to know everything
about others’ lives or to
share my own happenings.
Today of this writing,
I find a news story
that our current president
was expected to sign an
executive order that could
threaten punishment against
Facebook, Google and Twitter
over allegations of political
bias.
Should we be concerned
about any threats to our
right of free speech? Well,
definitely if there would be
terrorist threats or false conspiracies
that some act of a
massacre never occurred,
I believe the information
needs to be checked out.
Don’t we all agree no one
has a right to yell fire in a
crowded theater if there is
not an emergency? Reading
an article that bad state data
hides the virus threat as
there is a push for reopening,
should we consider this
is perhaps true?
Many of you readers
may know that every president,
whether a Democrat,
Republican or independent,
has powers that are called
PEAD (Presidential Emergency
Action Documents).
These are little-known
classified documents that
are planning papers. As I
understand, these documents
do not go beyond
what the Constitution gives
him or her to do in a national
emergency declaration.
An independent senator
from Maine and legal
experts have asked an
inquiry to see this administration’s
documents to see
what its interpretation of
emergency powers contain.
We will recall that when a
large number of immigrants
were marching toward our
southern border, there was
an emergency declaration.
Well, President Trump used
that declaration to divert
funds that were for military
construction projects to his
wall. Likely there are some
out there that think this is
a good presidential power.
There was some $3.6 billion
of military construction
projects diverted.
I do not know if FDR’s
attempt to increase the
number of SC judges to get
approval of farm support
subsidies and things like
banking regulations could
have been under PEAD, but
the plan failed the approval
of Congress.
How concerned should
we be that a president states
he has authority to force
states or businesses to
reopen during a pandemic?
How concerned should
we be that vigilantes are
armed with AK rifles on
state house steps or outside
a business to protect
reopening status?
In conclusion there have
been PEADS up through
the ‘70s about detention of
subversives, warrantless
searches and the imposition
of martial law. What
about powers that could be
to suspend postal delivery
of ballots in a presidential
election?
Martin Baumgardener
Warsaw
Meet Rachel the cat
Submitted
Rachel is a special cat who is both a male and female. The cat is
refered to as a she because her foster named her Rachel. The condition
is rare, but she is healthy and happy. She’s outgoing and vocally
quiet but has a way of letting you know what she wants to do. She
gets along with other kitties well and likes to play. She loves a treat
of canned cat food. Her adoption fee is $25. For more information
call the Coshocton County Humane Society at 740-575-5829.