Letters

Letters Policy
 
DeWittDailyNews.com welcomes letters to the editor, as a way we can let our readers and listeners sound off on the issues most important to them. If you wish to submit a letter, please note the following guidelines: 
 
  • All letters should be no more than 500 words in length, and should include the writer's name, address and phone number. We will not publish street address, e-mail address or phone number; rather, we reserve the right to contact writers to determine their validity.
     
  • We do not accept handwritten letters or letters submitted on paper.  All letters must be submitted electronically to whow@randyradio.com
     
  • If the editor comments about a letter, the reader may respond with at least as many words as were used by the editor. We would like to stimulate a sincere dialogue.
     
  • All letters become property of DeWitt Daily News.com and Kaskaskia Broadcasting, Inc., dba WHOW/WEZC Radio, and are subject to editing for length, content, grammar, punctuation at the editor's discretion.
     
  • Material that may libel or slander an individual or group will neither be accepted nor posted.
     
  • You may email letters to whow@randyradio.com; to ensure your message is received, please include "Letter to the Editor" in the subject line.
 
We look forward to hearing from you.

Station Editorial: Feeling Good About Our Country

STATION EDITORIAL

Posted July 31, 2021

 

This is a station editorial, I’m Randal J. Miller, station president.  A couple of items I’ve heard or seen recently, both gave me a good feeling about our children and our country.  I’d like to share both with you.

 

First, I’ve heard many stories from our Miller Media Group announcing staff who covered the many 4-H and County Fairs thru-out July.  These stories all had one telling thread, that 4-H’ers who needed assistance with their animals as they prepared them for the show ring, were given that assistance by other 4-H’ers.  Whether it was offering a brush, or doing something to help their fellow 4-H’er get their animal ready to show, the  camaraderie was enough to cause University of Illinois Extension 4-H officials that organized the Fairs, to comment to us, as well as that same feedback coming from our staff announcers who broadcast live interviews with these 4-H’ers.  

 

Secondly, in my travels across our Taylorville and Clinton market areas, I’ve noticed more and more American flags being displayed at homes, businesses, and even in many villages and towns, not just during the 4th of July holiday, but they’ve stayed up and are still on display.  It encouraged me enough to do the same at our home.

 

Both of these “feel good” stories, give me hope and confidence about the future generation of youth, as well as our country in general.  No matter whether you’re liberal or conservative, left or right, no matter what color your skin is or your beliefs, we all are still Americans, living in the free-est country in the world.  

 

Our freedom was bought and paid for, by the sacrifices of the millions of service men and women that fought, and many cases, died, so that we enjoy the freedoms we have.

The freedom to fly the Stars and Stripes.  The freedom to show animals at a 4-H Fair.  And, the freedom for youngsters to help each other because they care.

 

Makes me feel good about the country I live in, and our future.  I hope you do, too. 

That's our opinion, we welcome yours.  Our e-mail address is editorial@randyradio.com.

Letter to the Editor: Support the Clinton Community YMCA

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted July 22, 2021

Dear Editor:


I sat down to write this announcement on Father’s Day morning to announce the start of the Clinton YMCA Annual Strong Kids campaign. This year I have volunteered to lead the campaign.  For those of you that do not know, my father passed away in December of 2020.  Our YMCA also lost one of our valued staff members in David Torbert, the Youth Sports coordinator and a man dedicated to the mission of the YMCA.  My inspiration while drafting this came from David, his family, and my father on our first Father’s Day without them.


What does this have to do with the YMCA Strong Kids campaign? I grew up loving sports.  Our local YMCA was one of the first places I can remember playing in youth basketball, youth soccer, and swim.  My father was there with me, coaching and teaching me and other kids the joy of these sports.  I also think of David coaching Youth sports with a smile on his face.


Our YMCA is not just a gym.  The Y is a Christian organization that seeks to allow those who can and cannot afford to pay for a membership, to be able to use the pool, the basketball court, the weights and equipment with the helpful staff and volunteers that enable us to strive toward a healthy body, mind, and soul.  It is because of this campaign that we are able to raise funds for our Y, funds that provide for the children in our community whose parents cannot afford to pay for them to participate in basketball, soccer, summer camp, and swim.  We do not turn these children away.  We do not tell them that they cannot play.


However, the ability to subsidize or waive the fees to those of our community that cannot afford to enroll their children in Y programs still comes at a cost.  The lights do not stay on for free.  This Strong Kids Campaign will help to pay for our YMCA to continue to provide for an investment of $117,000 in financial assistance in our youth, as we invested last year.  Those of you reading this can be a part of helping a child attend summer camp, participate in youth sports and swim lessons, and continue to use the Y’s facilities. 


David and my father volunteered as coaches and Christians.  In the coming weeks, you may be contacted by myself, other YMCA Board Members, Clinton YMCA staff like Rennie, Gretchen, Bonnie, and Pat.  We ask you to join us as campaigners in seeking donations from other community members and donating yourself.  Please consider not waiting to be contacted if you read this and wish to volunteer by contacting me or the YMCA.  I pray that each of you will think of men like David and my father to give of yourself and join us in our mission to bring the light of Jesus and hope to the youth of our community.


Sincerely,
Bryce A. Lynch
Taylor & Lynch
Clinton, IL 61727
 

Letter to the Editor: Politics from the Libertarian Perspective

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted July 20, 2021

 

Dear Editor:

 The political left is dominated by the Democratic Party; conversely the political right is dominated by the Republican Party.  But who represents the majority of Americans in this scenario?  Actually neither does.  Nearly half of Americans don’t align with either the Democrats or the Republicans.  The majority of Americans politically identify as Independents.  There are several different parties that can make up this Independent category.  However, the third largest political party is the Libertarian Party.

 

Libertarians are described by Democrats as “just Republicans that smoke weed,” and described by Republicans as being “Democrats that like guns.”  Neither of these assumptions is completely true.  Libertarians actually believe that you know what’s best for your life better than anyone else.  So basically you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt people, or take their stuff.  Democrats hold that that they want to control your money but you can control your actions, Republicans are the opposite of that.  They think that you can control your money but they want to control your actions.  Libertarians contend that you can control both your money AND your actions.  So if you’re tired of the right/left paradigm in politics take action to free yourself!

 

If you are interested and would like some more information on the local Libertarian Party chapter in DeWitt County do not hesitate to reach out.  Our chapter’s email address is dewittcountylibertarianparty@gmail.com.  You can also email me directly at n..florey1@gmail.com.  Also, our Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/DCLP2018/?ref=pages_you_manage.  Thank you and I hope to hear from you!

 

Nathan Florey

Chairman, DeWitt County Libertarian Party

Clinton

Station Editorial: Fool Me Once, Shame on You; Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me

STATION EDITORIAL

Posted July 13, 2021

This is a station editorial, I'm Randal J. Miller, station president.

There's a motto I learned as a child:  Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me.

You may remember in my editorials last year during the COVID pandemic, that I stated when politicians take more power or control, whether they're Democrats or Republicans, it's difficult for them to let go.

Here we are weeks away from school starting, fall coming, and the time of year we begin to see flu cases go up.

Only, in this case, the Delta COVID variant is rearing its ugly head.

I would remind any politician that hears or reads this editorial, that many people perceived that you took too much control last year in the midst of the pandemic, shutting down the economy, costing millions of jobs, not to mention shutting down the government that is supposed to serve all of us.

If any of these politicians think we have short memories, I hope they think again.

The electorate has a very unique and democratic way of expressing their approval or disapproval of their elected officials.  It's called the ballot box, and the 2022 elections aren't that far away, despite attempts in Illinois to postpone the Illinois primary to June because they claim they're waiting on Census data.

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  

Remember who has the ultimate control of our lives.  We do.  We live in a free country, last I knew, and we can make our own decisions, good or bad, in how we live our lives.

Unless politicians who want to keep control, think otherwise.

That's our opinion, we welcome yours.  Our e-mail address is editorial@randyradio.com.

Townhall Top of the Hour News

Local Weather - Sponsored By:

CLINTON WEATHER

Local News

DeWittDN on Facebook