The Ponte Vedra Recorder | Page 4

4 Letters & Opinion Letters policy The Ponte Vedra Recorder welcomes letters of up to 300 words. Include first and last name, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters responding to or attacking other letter writers will not be published. Submissions are limited to one letter per month per writer. The Recorder reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Submit letters for consideration by email to [email protected]; fax to [phone] Attn: Kelly Hould; or by mail to Kelly Hould, 1102 A1A N., Unit 108, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Please be kind to all creatures — Slow down! To the individual who hit a Canadian goose and then left it flopping in agony as it slowly died to by the side of the road — I ask what kind of subhuman are you? Alta Mar Drive in the Players Club is a 20 mph roadway. Where you going in such a hurry? Even worse, the Canadian geese in here live in a flock — so no doubt this was not a single bird you just couldn’t avoid. Most of us who have had to stop from time to time and watch as their hatch in the spring and grow throughout the summer, enjoy a little bit of nature in this plastic and based on you indifference uncaring world. Did you know that geese mate for life? Probably not. You are more than likely gearing up for Florida’s first bear hunt. Words cannot describe how I feel about you. Who\ever you are, you are the worst mankind has to offer. Pity the poor turtle trying to cross a roadway to lay eggs, she would not stand a chance. Rick Mansfield Ponte Vedra The Recorder · October 8, 2015 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Ballot drop-off boxes now available In preparation for the upcoming Nov. 3 Special Referendum Election, the red absentee ballot drop off boxes are now available for absentee voters to return their ballots throughout St. Johns County. To date, 16,140 absentee ballots have been requested and mailed to voters in St. Johns County for this election. This election is open to all registered voters in St. Johns County. You will find the drop boxes at all public libraries, St. Augustine Beach City Hall, plus the Ponte Vedra and Julington Creek Tax Collectors Offices during their regular business hours. They will be available at all locations beginning Tues., Oct. 6 thru Nov. 3 (election day) when all of the boxes will be picked up at 5 p.m. and returned to the Elections Office for processing. Here’s the complete listing of locations and time times they are available: www.sjcvotes.us/Portals/StJohns/Documents/PDFFiles/ St. Augustine. They may also be turned in during early voting (Oct. 24 through Oct. 31) at all early voting locations, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Absentee ballots must be returned to the Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on election day in order to be counted. It’s not too late to request an absentee ballot for the upcoming Special Referendum Election. Simply call the Elections Office at 823-2238 or visit www.votesjc.com and use the online request form. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot to be mailed is Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. For more information on the Special Referendum Election, visit www.votesjc.com or call the Elections Office at [phone]. St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Office ElectionFiles/2015SpecRef_Mail_Ballot_Drop_Off_Locations.pdf As a reminder, there is a 24-hour drop box available in front of the Elections Office at 4455 Ave. A, Ste. 101 in Vicky C. Oakes St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections 4455 Ave. A Suite 101 St. Augustine, FL 32095 Office: [phone] Cell: [phone] Fax: [phone] OPINION The truth about Benghazi Danny Griffin A gathering of very credible figures who spoke at or attended events in our area recently made it their mission to get out the truth of what really happened on Sept. 11, 2012 at the US Special Mission Compound (SMC) and the CIA Annex in Benghazi. The events were the 9/11 Tribute presented by the First Coast Tea Party at the Salem Center, and 13 Hours Terror in Benghazi presented by the St Johns GOP at the World Golf Village Renaissance Hotel. Some of the speakers at the Salem Center included Admiral James “Ace” Lyons Ret. Commanderin-Chief US Pacific Fleet, and Senior Military Advisor to the United Nations, Rear Admiral Charles Kubic Ret., chief facilitator for Gaddafi surrender talks, and Michael J Del Rosso, Senior Fellow for Homeland and National Security the Center for Security Policy along with a couple of other speakers. The Speaker at the World Golf Village was Kris “Tanto” Paronto former Ranger 2nd Battalion, 75th Regiment now a GRS Operator (Global Response Staff). Tanto was one of the men who came from the Annex to defend the SMC; he helped fight off the terrorists to save over 20 of his fellow Diplomats, Agents, and Consultants. A number of other military, government and or contract personnel some of whom were aboard one of the vessel in the Mediterranean during the attack, or involved in the events in some way personally came to the events and provided some details that others were unable to provide due to being required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. It appears the issues covered under the non-disclosure agreement cover matters that don’t actually affect National Security but are just put in place by the State Department to prevent embarrassment. I’m not sure just what was covered, but here are the facts without releasing anything harmful to our national security. In fact it would be harmful to our national security not to learn from the m