Letters: Clinton swatted away her Benghazi accusers
Republican senators had their day of TV posturing as they questioned Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the attack on our Libyan consulate. They certainly can blow off a lot of steam when something unfortunate happens, as it did in Benghazi.
In fact, the State Department and the Agency for International Development receive about 1 percent of the federal budget. I did not hear Republican senators recommend increasing that allocation for the protection of our embassies, although earlier congressional testimony revealed that the only way security could have been increased in Benghazi was by taking personnel from other locations. Republicans did, however, attempt to extract their pound of flesh from Mrs. Clinton, who blew them off appropriately.
In other words, we had another wasted day in a Senate committee. The most flagrant abuse of congressional immunity came from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who declared the Benghazi attack the worst since 9/11, and that he would have fired Mrs. Clinton. It seems highly unlikely that the American people would allow the so-called libertarian the privilege of firing any cabinet member. But they did elect George W. Bush in 2004.
NELSON GOODMAN
Delray Beach
Paul critique of
Clinton laughable
When Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said to Hillary Clinton that if he were president he would have fired Mrs. Clinton, I was reminded of Lady Astor and Winston Churchill.
Lady Astor told Mr. Churchill that if he were her husband, she would give him poison. Mr. Churchill quipped back that if she were his wife, he would drink it. Mrs. Clinton should have responded to Sen. Paul that if he were president, she would have quit.
RAY WICKS
West Palm Beach
Pompous politicians
need reality checks
John McCain says the answers Hillary Clinton gave on Benghazi were not satisfactory. When he and George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and everyone else who favored the! invasion of Iraq explain why we went to war on information that was wrong, maybe we will listen to why he is not satisfied with Hillary Clintons answers.
All these pompous jerks should get off their high and mighty pedestals and start performing the jobs they were elected to do. I, as well as many people I talk to, am sick of their behavior.
BILLIE HEARRELL
North Palm Beach
Clinton believes people
dont deserve truth
Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton angrily asked a question while wildly gesticulating: At this point, what difference does it make whether the American people were told that the attack on the Benghazi consulate was the result of anger over a YouTube video or of a snap decision by a group of armed thugs who decided they wanted to kill some Americans?
What an arrogant attitude that question conveys. A day after the attack, it was widely understood that it was the result of an orchestrated terrorist plot. Apparently, Mrs. Clinton does not think the American people need to be told the truth. What extraordinary arrogance.
LAURA HENNING
Palm Beach Gardens
Swift action needed
when attacks occur
Regarding the Benghazi hearings, the larger issue is the spreading influence of terrorist groups in Africa.
It is becoming very clear that rather then address this problem on a country-by-country basis, an overall plan for Africa must be developed. We cannot wait for the United Nations. At the rate the problems are spreading, each of these nations will have their own internal problems to deal with before any UN effort became operational.
Our lack of quick action to rescue American hostages in Algeria was sadly reminiscent of the Benghazi debacle. What will we do when the next facility or embassy is attacked? If we have a responsibility to protect, lets start by protecting our own people first.
JO! HN FLYNN
Hobe Sound
State fell short
arguing its position
Regarding the editorial Risky move nearly cost state, it looks like the Florida Supreme Court majority and The Post bought the states slick argument that to avoid a budget disaster it was all right to take state employees money, even if that violated the employees constitutional rights: impairing obligations of contract, taking private property without full compensation and denying their right to collectively bargain.
Under this logic, if I steal your car I would not have to return it if I show that I need it more than you do. The state failed to prove that it had a good legal reason to break its contract with state employees because facing a budget shortfall is not enough, as Justice R. Fred Lewis wrote.
TERRY BROWN
Ocean Ridge
Editors note: Terry Brown is a retired state employee.
Dont balance budget
on employees backs
Now that the Florida Supreme Court has upheld the legality of requiring Florida government employees to contribute 3 percent of their paychecks toward their pension, is it too much to ask that the monies collected actually go toward pensions instead of filling holes in the state budget, as the money is being used for now? Why is the state balancing the budget on the backs of its own employees?
DAVID FERGUSON
Lake Worth
Sentencing soldier
to death is wrong
To ask for the death penalty for this staff sergeant accused of the massacre of 16 people in Afghanistan is wrong. We sent our young men to a hellhole, and we are willing to possibly execute a man who was obviously not in his right mind when he killed these poor souls. I dont know how he should be punished, but to condemn him to death would be reprehensible.
PATRICIA SHACHTMAN
Boynton Beach
Student good role
model for others
Thank! you so m! uch for the article Dreams soar with NASA internship, about Alexiou Gibson, biomedical engineering major at Palm Beach State College.
That story gave to me a great sense of pride, because it profiled the science education success of a young African-American man. Unfortunately, African-American men like Mr. Gibson have become a rare breed. Black men are often presented in the news for alleged crimes, trials and jail sentencing for a crime. Seemingly, being a black male equals doing bad.
But Mr. Gibson is showing the good and intelligence in black men. Im hopeful that the other news outlets will mimic The Palm Beach Post with doing their own positive stories.
Jan. 1 marked the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. I make this point because following the abolition of slavery in America, there began the rise of the black American upper class that consisted of a strong community rallying around the black youth and their educational pursuits at many historically black colleges and universities. It was during this time that numerous African-Americans mastered science and became notable inventors.
LORI J. DURANTE
Delray Beach
Corrupt leaders push
to eliminate cash cap
Did anybody else notice the conflict in two of the front-page stories coming out of Tallahassee last week?
Side by side, they were Senate panel OKs massive ethics rules package and Campaign cash cap may vanish. How can we expect ethics rules to accomplish anything when the basic element of campaign contributions in our election system is corrupt?
JACQUELINE MCNAMEE
Boynton Beach
Police aides wont
curb school violence
Regarding spending $400,000 to add 30 police aides in Palm Beach County schools (Police aides to be costly,) it is not the monetary amount that should be considered. The concern should be whether the addition of so-called unarmed police aides would make schools safer.
!It is ! true that the presence of a law enforcement officer draws attention, whether it is in a school, restaurant, theater or a mall. However, the reality is that the worst school shootings have been done by students or former students and not by outside intruders. The $400,000 to be considered by the school district would be better used for teachers aides, counselors, school psychologists and crisis intervention personnel. This would not increase the educational staff but would add more watchful eyes on campuses.
The presence of a policeman does not necessarily make a student feel safer if he is fearful of other students.
COLLEEN WIGGINS
The Acreage