Letters to the Editor Policy

The Power Of Ignorance

In last week's Transcript one correspondent referred to "how much power there is in ignorance," then he and another correspondent provided us with a textbook illustration of it. Because the latter one presented a grotesquely trumped-up case for Impeachment, I felt it necessary to rebut what would otherwise be considered silliness.

President Obama was accused of "refus(ing) to defend our borders." If so, he's in good company with all previous Presidents, who have performed pretty much the same. In fact, Obama has actually added to our Border Patrol, for what it's worth. As for "attack, impugn, mock and insult" the border states, that is an extreme stretch, as is the accusation that this, even if true, constitutes "levying War against them." I mean, come on! Did he send the Army to Arizona to attack the populace? No? Then spare us such war allegations!

Obama was then accused of "bribery." Apparently our correspondent is new to following the political process, or she would know that this kind of thing (the "Cornhusker kickback") is standard operating procedure, going way back.

Next Obama was accused of violating the War Powers Act (an Act, I might add, that hard Rightists bitterly opposed when it was passed and did all they could to weaken, so it's strange they invoke it now). This act does not refer to flying a few air support missions, but to the stationing of our forces within Libya, something that has not happened. Also not happened: the loss of America lives there, a libelous accusation made against the President. And it's ironic how she puts herself in bed politically with Dennis Kucinich.

Finally, both our aggrieved correspondents take President Obama to task for "throwing Israel under the bus." In proposing that Israel uses the 1967 borders as a basis for negotiation, Obama has merely repeated the essence of "the two-state solution," something that previous Presidents have accepted, and Israeli Prime Ministers as well! Why Netanyahu would act as if it were something new and radical is something for him to explain, but I think it's embarrassing to say the least that the American Right seems to put Israel First, not America. That is a lot closer to treason than anything Obama did. He certainly did not "give aid and comfort to our enemies" since there is not an officially declared State of War between us and the Palestianian authority.

It should be disconcerting to all Americans that once again the Right Wing is desperately trying to come up with some sort of flimsy grounds for Impeachment. They tried this the last time we had a Democratic President, and all they accomplished was distracting the whole country from the looming threat of Al Qaeda. I consider them to be an accessory to the bloodshed on 9/11. Furthermore, if they did not see fit to even consider impeaching Bush for his serious and substantial violations, one of which was waging war under false pretenses, they have no business breathing the word impeachment now.

Sincerely,
Stephen Van Eck
Rushville, PA

Holy Smoke!

As late as 1911, people in Susquehanna were still manufacturing candle lamps. That tidbit was gleaned from an essay, written by a Nellie M. Clancey, who lived from 1868 to 1947. Within its 28 pages, titled Susquehanna, Penna with the sub-title “The City of Stairs,” the lady Clancey provides the reader with dozens and dozens of other tidbits.

I never knew, until I read it, Tuscarora native Americans frequented the “lowlands of Lanesboro.” Oh, yes, the Oakland Water Company gets mentioned. And she goes on to claim that business supplied the borough “with water as pure as can be found in the state.” It should be noted that several paragraphs deal specifically with Susquehanna County. “Montrose was made the county seat in 1811.”

Holy Smoke! How come I never heard about that bi-centennial?!

On page 16, Nellie mentions a Beach Sanitarium, where cancer victims sought treatment. “The institution is in its beginning, yet patients hearing of the successful cures performed come here from many miles away. The location of the Sanitarium cannot be surpassed with the level site, surrounding hills and the beauty of the stream.”

As I read along, the immediately foregoing was one of a handful of items that seized my attention. On page 10, there are “the blessings afforded by our Electric Light Company located at the west end of River Street.” And on page 19, Nellie gives special mentions to one of two telephone systems, specifically, the Susquehanna Telephone and Telegraph Company. From the latter central station on Euclid Avenue lines reach every street and avenue.

Here’s another tidbit: “August 18 of that year (1886) Mr. Clark published the Daily Transcript, a twenty-four column folio. This is the only daily paper that has ever been published in this county.”

Gotta admit, the passage with heading Churches made me chuckle. This I got to quote: “That this broadness of mind has widened is proven daily. One principle seems to have been thoroughly taught, and there are few who are not believers in Roger Williams Toleration Act. ‘Ignorance and bigotry cannot thrive here. We are proud of our churches - they stand ‘for God, and home and native land.’”

In the preceding several sentences, this dear lady expresses her distaste for the people, who took to heart “Joe Smith of the ‘golden plates’ fame.” Contradictions like that usually make me chuckle, occasionally sadly.

Well, some credit should go to the person, who under the auspices of the Susquehanna Depot Historical Society, wrote this in the foreword: ”Her writing reflects the beliefs and attitudes of her time …” Oh how true that is!

I got my copy by swapping a “star-spangled crescent” tee shirt with the proprietor of the Pure Pennsylvania Gift Shop in Hallstead. What’s more, copies are also available at the Gifts-n-More shop in Susquehanna Depot.

Sincerely,
A Alexander Stella
Susquehanna, PA

Fueling The Protest (Profit) Fire

I would like to comment on the letter of last week from Sandra Babuka, as well as on comments made from another source of news that also appeared last week regarding the Lyncott Corp. landfill in New Milford.

I can appreciate and respect your concerns and opinion. I also think that some of the best minds in the environmental, mining, engineering and chemical industries have been actively involved with this issue since inception. Comments made by these learned men and women lead me to think your argument flies in the face of their opinion.

Just getting 20 people representing federal, state, local and concerned parties together at one time is a feat, and tells me the reason for this turn-out is to settle this issue.

I understand the concern of the concrete. Whenever you blend different materials to make another material, you invite differentials.

A good source technician is vital, to be on top of any changes in the seam of sand and stone. Methods of production has changed for sure, but I can point out concrete work done 30 years ago, and the methods are superior to today's. It is the outside that erodes, not necessarily the core. I would think that if this site was chosen, then an engineer, being aware of the inherent conflict at this site, would already be designing a containment method to alleviate any possible breach.

I guess my trouble with this whole deal is the politics of it. There is a serious breach within the environmental groups when you get insider information, and suggestions on how to proceed.

Out here, in the real world, that behavior is called "conflict of interest." That can get a person fired, fined and maybe some jail time.

I guess this protest is just for show. I think I will listen to the educated folks who know what the job entails, and reports which say that this issue is settled. Time to move to another cause. I say this because someone, somewhere, stands to profit from this protest, and it won't be from me.

Sincerely,
Cynthia Allen
Summersville, PA

Controlling The Genie

“It's a helluva way to boil water,” was Einstein's comment on nuclear energy. If he were alive today he might say, “hellish way.” The amount of energy released in a controlled fission reactor is demonically fierce.

When Tom Cavery invented the steam engine in 1700 wood was used to turn water to steam, that ran the engines; that gave birth to the industrial revolution. But turning a tree into firewood was labor intensive as was the continual feeding of wood into a water boiler.

Wood soon gave way to coal. It has 150 percent more energy than wood. But in 1859 when Edwin Drake successfully used a drilling rig to produce oil, the industrial revolution went into overdrive. Oil has 330 percent more energy than coal.

The next leap forward occurred in 1954; the first nuclear power plant became operative in Moscow. The energy now available to heat water is a seismic 90 million percent more energy than oil. The industrialized West, China, and India quickly embraced the new technology.

With wood, coal and oil, the problem was maximizing the amount of heat. However, with nuclear power the problem is the opposite, limiting the amount of heat. Collaring the blistering heat produced by fission is key to keeping the nuclear genie in his bottle.

But can the genie be contained? This was the subject of a 1975 study, the WASH-1400 report. The answer was a resounding yes. The risk to an individual dying from the operation of 100 nuclear power plants in the United States for a year was 1 in 5 billion, the report concluded.

In fact, nuclear power was so safe, said the report, that being killed by a lightning strike was 150 times greater than dying from a nuclear accident.

Yes, indeed, nuclear power was safe, very safe. Only it wasn't.

In fact, major nuclear accidents are common. In the '50s = 25; '60s = 25; '70s = 13; '80s = 14; '90s = 4; 2000 = 6; and in this decade = 3, so far.

The most serious mishaps were in Russia, Chernobyl 1986; the U.S., Three Mile Island 1979; and Japan, Fukushima 2011. The three have two factors in common: 1) they were all certified by experts to be absolutely safe, and 2) the causes of the accidents were all unforeseen. The specter of the unknown unknowns lurks in every reactor.

Worldwide there are 442 nuclear power plants. Which one is next? Of course, no one knows. But a good place to start looking is the Mark I reactors. They have two inherent and irremediable design flaws.

First, it is doubtful that Mark I reactors can contain the immense pressure that would result if the reactor lost cooling ability. And second, Mark Is are designed to store highly radioactive used fuel rods in open pools next to and several stories above the reactor. In either situation, if water is lost and the rods are exposed to air, a meltdown would occur.

This is exactly what happened to three of the six Fukushima reactors; the reactors cracked under pressure and the storage pools developed leaks.

There are 32 Mark Is in the world, 23 are in the U.S. and seven of these are in our own backyard.

The seven problematic reactors are located in four Pennsylvania cities. Using New Milford as a benchmark they are: Delta, 150 miles south, has two; and Middleton, 125 miles sw, has one. These aging 36-year-old reactors have been granted a twenty-year extension by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But are 50-year-old reactors safe?

The other two cities are Pottstown, 110 miles south, has two; and Berwick, 150 miles sw, also has two. They average 25 years old.

Is another nuclear meltdown waiting for us in the future? Edward Teller, father of the H-bomb, contemplating the dicey probability of an extreme nuclear accident is reputed to have said, maybe not one in a thousand years or maybe five next week.

Teller was off by two. Japan had a triple meltdown in one week.

Sincerely,
Bob Scroggins
New Milford, PA

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY
Letters To The Editor MUST BE SIGNED. They MUST INCLUDE a phone number for "daytime" contact. Letters MUST BE CONFIRMED VERBALLY with the author, before printing. Letters should be as concise as possible, to keep both Readers' and Editors' interest alike. Your opinions are important to us, but you must follow these guidelines to help assure their publishing.

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