This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Be careful out there

We need to pray for all of our farmers. If it weren’t for farmers, most of the world would starve. Their getting lies from everyone except “Almighty God.” They deal a lot with chemical companies, and they tell our farmers that Agent Orange mixed with Roundup is the best thing since sliced bread and that it won’t hurt them or their families. If they handle closed barrels of this killer chemical it can cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

If you’re a farmer and none of these diseases run in your immediate family and you’ve been diagnosed with ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease and had to have stents put in, then more than likely, it’s these chemicals you’re using that have caused your problems.

I’m a Vietnam vet and I was exposed to Agent Orange and at that time that assured the U.S. Army that it was the greatest thing since the automobile was invented. That was a a big lie. No one in my family had ever had ischemic heart disease, but I’ve seen so many of my friends die from this that I went and had a check-up. They found I had the “Widow Maker” and should’ve dropped dead years ago. My cardiologist said walking five miles a day had caused me to grow small by-passes around the 100 percent blockage of my left anterior descending artery. That and the awesome God I serve saved my life.

The chemical company said they’d saved a lot of lives in Vietnam killing the foliage so we could see the enemy, but I say they killed more soldiers after they came home than were killed in action. If you don’t believe me just Google “Agent Orange” and Roundup and the Vietnam War. You can also check with www.organicconsmersassociation.com if you like.

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State and federal differences

Franklin J. Hogue, an attorney, brought something to my attention that, in my opinion, needs addressing; federal inmates are treated differently than state inmates.When some new governors are elected they stop all executions, which is not picking who is to live or die for all are excluded. However, I have always disagreed that a governor can stop last minute executions because only one person is making the decision. And of course, governors are party politicians. And we all know about unbiased judgment of political parties.

States have a system for pardons and paroles in order to release prisoners for good behavior etc. Whereas federal inmates seem to have none. It also seems they only have the president of the United States who can help them. That is ridiculous. I believe all federal inmates need the same chance that state prisoners have to strive for clemency by only relying on themselves to earn such. I read earlier that federal inmates need a second chance and Congress can act.

I also read, as of January 2017, there were 62 federal prisoners on death row. Maybe Congress can address this discriminatory treatment between federal and state prisoners and rather than have one person deciding the outcome maybe establish an equal nonpolitical system applicable to both.

Hogue states that party politicians choosing is working well. But for whom? Certainly not for those not chosen by a governor or president.

This story was originally published December 25, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, December 26, 2017."