Letters: How can anyone support Democrats?

This letter is in response to Randall Benally’s opinion entitled, “How can anyone support Republicans?” published in the Navajo Times on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015.

If Benally thought the Indian Cowboy was an oxymoron, then he’s in for a rude awakening to learn the oxymoron of Native American Democrats. While Benally’s opinion is narrow in thought about the Republican Party, he fails to examine the Democratic Party and the destruction they caused since their political party came about.

Benally is correct that the Republican Party is the party of Lincoln, the anti-slavery party, but what Benally fails to grasp is the fact that the Republican Party is also the civil rights party, pro-life party, and personal responsibility party to name a few.

When one visits the history section of the Democratic National Committee website, there is no mention of the Democratic Party’s stance on slavery or anything prior to the 1960s for black Americans except for President Harry S. Truman’s efforts to integrate the military.

By contrast, the Republican National Committee’s website history section recounts the great battles the party waged to end slavery and its struggle to win battle after battle for civil rights for all Americans.

While Benally and other like mined individuals might think this is ancient history, current events will demonstrate the “pro-equality” and “pro-civil rights” party has not changed. While many Native American Democrats praise the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare, many have failed to read and see the danger of ObamaCare, which was solely written and passed by Democrats.

According to ObamaCare, there is “no cost-sharing for [Native Americans] with income at or below 300 percent of poverty,” which translate to “stay poor and we’ll take care of you but if you become successful we’ll punish you with a federal mandate tax or confine you in a jail or prison.”

So if a mother and father work full-time both making $35K a year and have one child, and reside in the state of New Mexico, they would have to make the difficult decision on who’ll be cutting back on their work hours or seek unemployment because their combine income cannot exceed $59,376 a year in order to avoid paying for the required health coverage mandated by President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Health care was already a trust responsibility of the federal government where Native Americans didn’t have to worry about being punished with a federal mandate tax or confine to jail or prison for simply working hard and becoming successful.

It’s easy to be blindsided by the media or in this case an opinion letter by Benally. And if you the readers really want to know the truth about the government shut down and sequestration, I encourage you to read “The Price of Politics” by Bob Woodward. And while we may not all see eye-to-eye, I am proud to belong to a party that is pro-civil rights, the pro-life, and pro-personal responsibility.

Edwin J. Begay
McKinley County Republican State Central Committee
Tohatchi, N.M.

More need for veteran housing

November 11 is Veterans Day. This year, let’s mark the day by committing to finding permanent housing for more than 100,000 veterans who sleep homeless every night.

Veterans’ homelessness is a major problem, comprising one-fourth of all homelessness. But it doesn’t have to be something we’re stuck withÑthere are real, cost-effective solutions that can help people off the streets for good.

Permanent supportive housing combines housing with support services and case management. It costs relatively little and can save the public as much as $40,000 per person annually by cutting down on jail, clinic and ER usage. The vast majority of supportive housing tenants never become homeless again.

We generally agree that housing, employment and health care alone cannot transition a veteran from homelessness to stability. Effective program design is a combination of these elements, intended to take advantage of the capacities of community-based organizations and collaboration with local resources. Restrictive timeframes and funding categorizations established limits in their ability to provide the truly comprehensive service that is necessary to help each veteran transition successfully. Proper treatment takes time and often multiple resources and interventions for effective rehabilitation and reintegration. A dramatic shift in strategy without input from successful programs can have a tremendous impact on the veteran.

Existing VA performance measures are obstacles to accomplishing the true goals of VA’s homeless programs. Consequences of a restricted “homeless” definition: One serious concern regarding performance measures as obstacles to accomplishing the true goals of VA’s homeless programs is the definition of homelessness.

VA performance measures being weakened by the department’s culture is the recent tightening of GPD rules that apply to female veterans over safety concerns. The concern for this population’s safety and security is commendable. However, implementation of some measures lacked thoughtful input from providers, and may negatively affect the socialization processes needed by some female veterans to fully reintegrate back into mainstream society.

Additionally, by isolating females from services being provided at a gender-neutral location, organizations may be forced to take on increased costs to provide the same services on a gender-specific basis. As a result, new performance measures related to female veterans will negatively affect the ability of providers to stabilize homeless female veterans and place them into permanent housing.

HUD-VA Supportive Housing case management is currently unable to address the complex needs of chronically homeless veterans. The current problems with HUD-VASH result from misinformation and poor training. It is difficult for anyone to get copies of the actual program manual from HUD, and different housing authorities have different interpretations of regulations.

Teddy Nez
Howell Mesa, Ariz.

Thanks to those who helped a accident victim

I wish to express my opinion and appreciation. Today, we the Navajo are so negative about everything and we sow what we reap.

I’m a 73-year-old man who did my job raising my children and worked until I was 69 years old. In my time, I’ve seen a lot of changes in people.

I was in an automobile accident on Oct. 14 in Shiprock, and my wife and I were in shock and losing consciousness when a lady came up to each of us and prayed. Her prayers were so powerful that we came back to realization. Another lady came and called our daughter-in-law. I am so thankful that people like this exist despite all the changes in people.

I just want to say thank you to these two ladies. I couldn’t even talk at the time.

May the Creator bless you in many ways for your thoughtfulness and kindness.

Herbert H. Nez
Newcomb, N.M.

Improvements need to be made at Fort defiance cemetery

I read an article by Gerald Skeet, on the cemetery in Wingate, N.M.

My name is Daniel Yazza. I served in the U.S. Air Force and I’m a Vietnam veteran. The past few years I have been involved with veterans and recently I hold these positions as a vice commander, Tse Hoo’ Tsooi’ Twin Warriors Committee; commander for Veterans of Foreign Wars, Navajo Post 6789, Window Rock; and commander for the Veterans Dialogue, the Episcopal Church in Navajoland, Fort Defiance.

With the Veterans Dialogue a Bishop Magness, Episcopal Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Armed Forces, and a Bishop Bailey, Farmington. They are interested in giving some support if we start to fix up the cemetery here in Fort Defiance. There are other groups that would like to see the improvement of the cemetery and make it look like a cemetery.

I wanted to see this to become a reality, to have our cemetery maintained and letting the people know that these veterans are not forgotten. As it is there are graves that are unidentified with no headstones. Those that are identified have flags that are worn or have bare poles/pipes and flowers that have not been replaced for some time.

When they are replaced, the old flowers and memorabilia are just thrown to the side. Many graves are marked by stonewalls, gates and wooden boards that surround the grave looking like tombs. The fence is falling apart with no boundaries separating the veterans from the civilians. This cemetery is filled to capacity with about 10 spaces left.

The 10 graves have to be placed in a north to south position. The next step that is being considered is to take up the parking lot pavement to make more room. We have been asking if the cemetery could be extended to the north where there is about 2.5 acres, however, we were stopped by a person that stated that was her grazing land. If you go and see the partial area you will notice that there is no vegetation, only trash from the cemetery.

The Twin Warriors perform honor guard details within the Fort Defiance Agency and we often are called out to perform a military burial and we notice that most cemeteries are not cared for. Some cemeteries have their veterans buried with the civilians. The veterans’ graves are noticed by their headstones or flags. We also travel to different chapters to perform burials at family plots. Personally, I can’t tell where all our heroes are buried. I don’t think anyone is taking count.

With the Veterans Dialogue, our first concern will be to work on the Fort Defiance Veterans Cemetery and to see if the public will take notice. This dialogue may get the word out to help maintain the cemetery, not only for the veterans but also the civilians.

Unfortunately, numerous concerns have to be considered before the Navajo Nation Council will give their attention to our fallen warriors. These heroes gave their all. Now we have to preserve that heritage by maintaining the cemeteries throughout the Navajo Nation. I’m working toward this goal because I am a son of a World War II code talker and there are many of my relatives, comrades and brothers in arms buried in this veteran’s cemetery.

Daniel Yazza
Fort Defiance, Ariz.

Message to council — Stop the corruption

It has caught my attention as much as most of you out there. I was astounded to the realization that our Navajo Nation government is still at their cunningness. By this I am referring to the decision to grant $20 million dollars to purchase planes. Planes? Seriously, I am sorry, but there are far more important issues that are plaguing our people then to have you purchase these planes.

Firstly, education is more important, like I have said once and I will say again. You all have been preaching a pretty convincing game to the youth of the Navajo Nation by getting into their mindsets that education is the key to their success, yet when you turn back around and ignore that there are matters such as scholarships that must be taken into consideration, rather than be pushed aside to further your corrupt agendas. Yes, I say corrupt, for how long before we are all made aware yet again of the lavish spending the council will spend on non-important items.

Secondly, our veterans who are the foundations of our very existence after World War II are being ignored as well. Our language won that war in the 1940s, so why is it they are constantly taking the backseat to your corruptness?
Lastly, the public has heard me state on numerous occasions that we have to keep our eyes on the funds we were given last year from the federal government, for if we take our eyes off of it for a split second, mark my words, the era of misuse of funds will occur yet again.

Our leaders need to realize we are smart enough to know when we are being lied to on a daily basis. Your tactics of fear will no longer work to drain that funding to give into your corrupt natures as “our” elected officials.

When we begin to question the loyalty of our leaders is when we, as the people, should realize it is time to stand up and ask the elected official to help or step aside and let a more qualified individual step in and take his or her place. Let corruption not plague our people no more, for we have endured too much to resort to the same scare tactics our ancestors fought against so long ago.

They did not sacrifice to have corruption tarnish the philosophy they instilled in their children to carry on into the future. Our ancestors are weeping at the very notion that corruption is tainting our lands and poisoning the idea of hozho. So, stop corruption and give the funds to what is more important, not your lavish travel plans to your “meetings.”

JayRoss Slivers
Lukachukai, Ariz.

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