YOUR VIEWS
Speed monitoring
Please ask your state delegate and state senator to vote for HB20, related to photo speed monitoring devices. This bill, if passed by the General Assembly, will permit your local government to place speed cameras in places where there are problems with so many speeding cars.
Presently, many areas of our cities have problems with speeders. Because of a shortage of police officers who are busy with other serious crimes, there are not enough to enforce the speed laws. Also, it’s very dangerous when an officer does stop a speeder. When standing beside a driver’s door, the officer may be struck by a passing car, which has occurred many times in the past. With the few officers we have, we certainly don’t want to lose any more.
Nowadays, drive at the posted speed limit on any through street or highway and you soon are overtaken and passed by another driver. In 2022, compared with 2021, more crashes resulted in death. Use of these cameras will result in lives saved and safer neighborhoods. When drivers know there are cameras on guard, many will stay within speed limits. If he or she does get a traffic summons based on use of these cameras, it will not be part of the driver’s record and shall not affect the driver’s insurance.
When driving on a public street, cameras are not an invasion of privacy because it’s on a public street. So, please ask your state representatives to support this bill, HB20.
— Henry P. Henson, retired Norfolk chief of police, Norfolk
Bird deaths
Re “Norfolk casino developer delays city review of latest plans until later this month” (Jan. 9): While the city of Norfolk considers the latest plans for HeadWaters Resort and Casino, please consider the impact of the design on bird migration. Birds face numerous threats in our human-built environment.
Bright lights can confuse birds, causing them to collide with windows and walls or circle in confusion until exhaustion overcomes them. Members of the local Audubon Society have documented deaths of many songbirds by collision with buildings downtown; estimates are that hundreds of millions of birds die each year from building strikes.
Buildings with a lot of glass are especially responsible for unnecessary bird deaths. As the casino will potentially be a 24-hour-a-day operation, lighting and building design will be very important.
There are bird-friendly materials and design features such as placing glass behind screening, glass treatments and patterns that increase visibility to birds in flight; and there are down-shielding exterior lights. Environmentally responsible designs should be incorporated now, in the planning stage, to prevent tragic incidents like this fall when nearly 1,000 dead birds were discovered in one day outside the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago during migration.
— Judy Hinch, Chesapeake
Self-pardoning
I would like to put to rest the notion that a president may pardon himself, given the chance that former President Donald Trump will be convicted this spring or summer in Washington.
One need look no further than the wording of the Constitution’s impeachment clauses 6 and 7: “The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.” And, “Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”
Now, how could the president who has been impeached be “subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law” if he has the power of self-pardoning prior to conviction in the Senate trial?
— Christina Anne Knight, Newport News
Be careful
As I write this letter, I am witnessing the reactions of people in Iowa concerning their choices of candidates. As usual, many people are saying that their candidate would be the best choice because he or she has more political experience than the others. It is my opinion that this country needs fewer politicians and more statesmen or stateswomen. Politicians benefit from bigger government, and they promise more programs. More programs mean more money needed and that means higher taxes and or deeper debt.
There are only two candidates from the Republican Party who are not politicians. One knows plenty about the Constitution and how to reduce the size of government, something politicians care little about.
The other Republican candidate knows little about the Constitution and that can be a problem no matter how patriotic he or she is.
Let’s get rid of politicians and welcome more efficient people into our government who will abide by their oaths or affirmations instead of being just a bump on a log.
— Jim King, Chesapeake