Letters to the editor for Jan. 30

Obama wasn’t scandal free

James Werrell recently wrote a colum about President Barack Obama, and a lot of it was true. But when he wrote that Obama’s eight-year tenure was scandal free, I believe he was looking at the forest and couldn’t see the trees.

How about Benghazi? Obama and so many of his people claimed it was caused by a video.

How about his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and her private server with classified information for other countries to hack?

How about Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s private meeting with Bill Clinton while his wife was being investigated by the FBI? How about FBI Director James Comey saying Hillary Clinton broke the law and lied but she should not be charged?

How about a health care plan that has cost billions of dollars that was misrepresented as “you can keep your doctor, you can keep your policy and it will cost less”?

Does that sound scandal free?

Darrell Ayers

Rock Hill

Let’s not repeat mistakes of history

During this season of change in our country’s leadership, it is imperative that we don’t lose our understanding of history.

History shows us that building walls for protection doesn’t work. Case in point, in biblical times, walls were built to protect cities. They failed.

The Great Wall of China was built to protect against the Mongols. It failed.

In more recent history, two world wars were fought and “walls” were built to protect against invasion. They all failed.

So, during these turbulent times, it is incumbent on our elected officials to realize that every day we are all part of history. Putting politics aside, our elected officials’ task is to choose a responsible path between listening to Chicken Little running down the street shouting, “The sky is falling,” and allowing the gift of a “Trojan Horse” at the gate into the city.

Misguided leaders have destroyed nations and civilizations before. Common sense and reason are the only solutions to prevent us from repeating the lessons of history.

Our voices must be heard. Repeating the lessons of history is unacceptable.

David Gray

Indian Land

This story was originally published January 29, 2017 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor for Jan. 30."