Sherry Allen – 5/9/11

This page was last updated on May 10, 2011.

Drawing on our resilience; Sherry Allen; Beaver County Times; May 9, 2011.

Since January 2008, the Times has published at least 31 letters from Ms. Allen. Letters I critiqued are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Of letters I didn’t critique, one (“Conserving water for future,” 1/13/08) asked us to conserve water (primarily by not eating meat), another (“Say ‘no’ to push polling,” 2/10/08) complained about alleged telephone “push polls” by Republicans, and the third was (“Plant a garden to offset oil usage,” 8/1/08). In one letter I did critique, Ms. Allen gushed about a book she found “that has hundreds of ideas on how to save our planet.” In a partisan letter, Ms. Allen concluded with “Let’s endeavor to walk together peacefully.” In one letter, Ms. Allen related a story of disaffected Republicans voting for Mr. Obama. In another letter, Ms. Allen tried to compare abortion and war in an effort to promote Barack Obama over John McCain. Other letters from Ms. Allen were entitled “Just appreciate the here and now,” “Let’s be proactive on the environment,” “Arena a valuable community asset,” “Time to get behind health-care reform,” “A state budget we can all live with,” “Keep pushing for a public option,” “Election ruling terrible for nation,” “Practicing small acts of kindness,” “It’s how we act after events that matters,” “Use freedom of speech wisely,” “Let’s reduce our carbon footprints,” “Natural gas drilling impacts our water,” and “Don’t take shortcuts on drilling for gas.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 changed our lives for better and worse.”

[RWC] “For better?” Seriously?

“Many of us became more grateful for family, friends, neighbors and our blessings. We came face to face with the reality that now is all we really have. We began taking care of ourselves and our country.

“Later, many more of us woke up during the Iraq war. We were horrified watching the war bankrupt us, and the maiming and killing of thousands of our valuable young men and women.”

[RWC] I have a hard time believing Ms. Allen doesn’t know the Iraq war didn’t “bankrupt us.”

“Today, ground zero is here in Pennsylvania. Our government officials are threatening basic needs like clean air and water. Also, Medicaid is in jeopardy, hurting the people who helped build our country and are now vulnerable.”

[RWC] Is Ms. Allen really comparing her political positions with 9/11?

Which “government officials are threatening basic needs like clean air and water” and how are they doing it? As for Medicaid, keep in mind Ms. Allen is a supporter (here and here) of a government-run, taxpayer-funded healthcare monopoly.

“A plaque in my bathroom says, ‘Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you only have today.’

“Vote this month and attend townhall meetings. Go to vigils in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.”

[RWC] I’ll go out on a limb and guess Ms. Allen is writing about lefty “vigils.”

“Most importantly, draw on your resilience that grew from 9-11, and use it to sprint through today.”

[RWC] As far as I can tell, Ms. Allen didn’t learn the right lessons from 9/11. If she had, I’m reasonably sure Ms. Allen wouldn’t compare 9/11 with her political desires.