In response to letter

Dear Editor,

My February 14 letter to you generated a response in a Feb. 21 letter to you that I feel was aimed at me. The respondent demands to know my opinions and beliefs. While I am entitled to the same freedom of speech that he has, and while my opinions and beliefs are none of his business, I want to respond and refute his accusations. However, first, I will correct an inaccurate quote of mine that he presented.

He stated that I suggested that President Trump’s team might eliminate Social Security and Medicare. I said exactly the OPPOSITE; that cutting those programs would be unlikely because “both President Trump and citizen Musk qualify or will qualify for benefits from those programs. They have a personal interest in maintaining those programs because it puts money in THEIR pockets…” His tirade against me on this point was totally false.

The point of my letter was my skepticism about long-term funding for Sallisaw’s new Veteran’s Center in light of Trump’s recent multiple federal agency cuts and mass employee firings across the country, especially with 300 new jobs planned here.

My suspicion was confirmed last week when Trump fired over 1,000 employees in Veteran’s Services, including the Crisis Line. It was reasonably insightful of me to wonder if Trump’s promises to uphold Veteran’s Services would hold. I do not know whether those massive firings included any of our new Veteran’s Center employees; I hope not.

By the way, his argument that the “over 200 million checks” sent to people over 110 years old has been debunked and denied. That erroneous report was based on an old data system that was too costly to update. Social Security Administration is notified directly when people die, and their SS checks are immediately halted and any already-paid funds quickly retrieved. Anyone who has lost an adult loved one knows this from personal experience.

He goes on to insinuate that I am either “brainwashed and indoctrinated with the Communist Manifest or just ignorant…” a statement which borders on public defamation, and then demands to know on what I base my opinion and belief (about the Veteran’s Center funding).

I deny those accusations clearly and truthfully. I am neither ignorant, brainwashed, nor a Communist! My beliefs are based on conservative Christian principles of honesty, integrity, humility, kindness and respect for others, and decency. My political opinions are founded in the American Constitution: freedom of speech and religion, “with liberty and justice for all” as I have, and continue to, pledge allegiance to our country and its principles of democracy. I value those who hold and demonstrate similar beliefs and opinions.

LYNDA ZIMMERMAN