Halos and Horns: You’re doing it wrong
Editor’s note: One Dec. 31, 2015, the Advocate came out with its annual Halos and Horns, an edition dedicated to skewering and praising the people, places, things, and events of 2015. Here’s some reader reaction:
Responding to horns for Candidate Sarno: The harsh reality is that [Springfield Mayor Domenic] Sarno was reelected on his record, news coverage, and advertising. Everyone else pandered to demographic groups that refuse to vote. Very few opponents said how they would make anything better. They presented us with an inflated idea of what a city government can do to make a “safe” city and bring in jobs. Most of them were Democrats which support free trade and outsourcing, which was the cause of jobs leaving in the first place.
Crime is a state problem. A city does not have a court, nor a prison. Circosta said he would get the sheriff to patrol the city. A big piece of his idea that was missing was a statement from the sheriff that he would do it. Businesses tend to support the incumbents. Many have licenses they need to stay in business. So catering to that group as an outsider is a self defeating strategy.
Responding to horns for Northampton parking enforcement: Can we lay off with the ridiculous criticisms of Northampton’s parking enforcement team? “Over-zealous” “less hospitable” “draconian”? There is an abundance of on- and off-street parking in this city, including the garage, which offers a free hour. No one should have any trouble finding a spot here if you’re willing to walk a couple of blocks from Main Street.
Besides, there are much bigger issues more deserving of Horns in Northampton, including the stormwater charge enacted this year or, better yet, Smith’s president Kathleen McCartney, who came out opposed to the PILOT that the mayor is trying to enact. Instead, you focus on one of the few sources of revenue in this city that doesn’t hammer homeowners and instead gets it from lazy and entitled car owners. They deserve halos, big time.
General beef: Lyin’ Liz Warren said she was a “woman of color” at Harvard Law School in 1993. Sen. Warren is still pretending to be a Native American (which she’s most definitely not — just look at her), yet this newspaper’s editorial staff thinks she is presidential material and is deserving of a halo. Daniel McCarthy was awarded with horns for having a Confederate flag on display in his garage, yet this newspaper gives a halo to the abortion giant Planned Parenthood, where expectant mothers go to murder their children so they can get on with their lives. Donald Trump and Wayne LaPierre received horns (of course), yet Hillary Clinton is in purgatory because you libs can’t figure out who she really is. Seriously?
Responding to horns for Northampton parking enforcement: Might I suggest that if your editors work two minutes, presumably by car, from downtown Northampton, they spend ten minutes walking there for lunch? This would offer a three-fold benefit: more parking and less congestion in Northampton, fewer tickets and better health for your editors, and continued support for local Northampton businesses.
Responding to horns for Steven Nikitas and the Berkshire County Republican Assoc.: [From the article Nikitas wrote, which earned him the horns:] “Conservatives have recommended over and over that blacks reform their culture from top to bottom by respecting marriage and the family and the law, returning to their churches, embracing education and hard work, avoiding violence and debased rap music, speaking clearly, shunning drugs and profanity, and pulling up their pants. And to stop blaming all of their problems on everyone else.” As a black woman who bucks the Democrat plantation mentality, I have to say that I can only agree with this statement. Each and every single word is truth. This is how my grandparents grew up, how my parents grew up, how I grew up. It’s called being responsible. When there are problems that need to be solved, we need to stop expecting “someone else” to fix them, and start looking in the mirror. ‘Nuff said.
