Copyright Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
End shutdown Re “Go nuclear” (Your Views, Nov. 1): The letter writer praises Senate Democrats for “scramming the reactor,” but I see things differently. Using a government shutdowns as a political weapon, by either party, doesn’t protect democracy or help Americans. It hurts them. Shutdowns stall paychecks, delay critical services, and create instability that directly impacts those who serve our nation, from active-duty service members to veterans and military families. When pay for our troops and the equipment they need is in limbo, we weaken our military readiness and morale. The burden doesn’t fall on those in power — it falls on the men and women who defend this country and the families who support them. Democrats claim they’re taking a stand for democracy, but in reality, they’re using hardworking Americans, including our military, as pawns in a political chess game. The constant finger-pointing and posturing have real-world consequences that ripple far beyond Washington. This shouldn’t be about which party wins the messaging war. It should be about doing what’s right for America: keeping our government functioning, paying our troops, supporting our citizens and finding real solutions through cooperation. Our leaders owe us better. America deserves better. Democrats can end this shutdown at any moment, and I hope they do the right thing, right now. Sarah S. Smothers, Williamsburg Politics Re “The Union” (Your Views, Nov. 1): The letter described our political situation and the impact on our country in clear terms. As much as we may be disgusted by politicians and frustrated by elections, it is better that we have both versus tyranny. Imagine that we will have the opportunity and wisdom to vote in good leaders (politicians who will honor their oaths to our country), and that they will have the grit to implement election reforms. The list of potential or necessary reforms isn’t long. We need an unbiased system for redistricting; take this job out of politicians’ hands. We need a system of voting that will allow third-party and independent candidates a fair shot. Consider ranked-choice voting, so a voter can rank candidates by preference. The two-party system is a disaster, producing extreme candidates who value party loyalty over service to the country. We could consider term limits or even age limits for some offices. We need to return to some rational limitations on political spending. Those changes would move us to a better system that reflects our shared ideals and values rather than oscillating between extremes. It would weed out would-be kings. Our parties have decided that politics is warfare, and the carnage is evident. Tell the politicians you want something better. Robert Neece, Yorktown Right to work Re “Future of right-to-work law shapes Virginia’s elections” (Other Views, Oct. 26): Twenty six states have right-to-work laws. Sometimes these laws are referred to as “right-to-work for less” laws. These 26 states tend to have lower wages and fewer benefits along with higher employment-related fatalities. They also have higher rates of discrimination claims. There is also the issue of the “free riders.” These are workers who benefit from the union’s contracts without paying union dues. The Taft-Hartley Act obligates unions to represent all employees. This does seem to be unfair to those who do pay dues. These are just some of the things that also should be considered when deciding whether or not to support right-to-work laws. While we are considering labor laws, how about “at-will” states of which Virginia is one of. This means that you can be fired “at will” for any reason or for no reason at any moment. Only Montana has done away with this. Of course you can always sue for discrimination under federal law for as long as we still have it. Nancy Sharkey, Newport News
