Four out of 10 Americans don’t believe in climate change; in SPEAK OUT they are the most vocal. They will say things like global warming is not real because I was cold today. That’s like someone saying world hunger is over because I just ate. The evidence is overwhelming. Scientists usually reserved this level of agreement for claims like air is real or Earth is a planet. Right now the temperatures are rising about 10 times faster than the end of an ice age. September 2014 was the 355th month in a row of higher than average temperatures, resulting in more droughts, wild fires, hurricanes and rising sea levels (8 inches since 1901). Oceans absorb 90 percent of our heat. Animals with calcium shells are super sensitive to PH—we are on course to hit PH levels of 7.8 and that could wipe out one third of all ocean life. These are just a few out of many facts about climate change. Please just educate yourself; this is not a political issue just like gravity is not a political issue. Happy Holidays to all who read and contribute to this section of the Lombardian.

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Someone called SPEAK OUT claiming to be a proud Democrat. I am a proud American. I profess to be neither Republican nor Democrat. If the new Congress does not do the job for America and it's people, vote them out. Party politics is a joke. What counts is America. Each party has its own ideology, but is that ideology good for America? We need the right people in government working for us but to date, that is not the case. Americans have become second or third on the scale of importance.

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To the caller responding about making widgets and rising up from a low-paying job through the ranks rather than get an education, you misunderstood. Some people aren’t cut out to go to college but can start by making hamburgers to becoming a restaurant manager and more. Andrew Carnegie grew up in poverty and started as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. Sam Walton delivered newspapers, milked cows and waited tables, among other jobs. Gordon Ramsay grew up poor and worked in catering, which led to his love of cooking and aspirations to become a chef. So, how can you say we are paying for people to sit around with a minimum wage job with no ambition, etc.? I’ve known people who worked their way up in chain stores to positions in management after starting out sweeping floors, running a register, etc.

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I want to thank the York Township Board and the officials there for greeting us appropriately at Christmas on their outside marquee, with a Merry Christmas greeting. They at that place seem to recognize that the significance of Christmas is the birth of Christ and to wish us therefore a happy and joyous time. That isn’t to denigrate Jewish people for whom we want to wish a Happy Hanukkah, or for Muslim people for whom we want to recognize the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, but I do think it’s a shame that businesses and public offices try to take the reason for Christmas out of its celebration. Shame on them. I mentioned this to my neighbor; she said to me we should all vote for those people who run the York Township office.

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In Ferguson, Mo., and Milwaukee, Wis., two white cops get attacked by black men allegedly committing crimes and resisting arrest. After an in-depth investigation they are both acquitted by a grand jury. Even though their acts were self defense, they both lose their jobs. A person can commit a crime and get 20 years of free health care, meals, room and board, not to mention free access to the library, weightlifting, basketball and other activities paid by the taxpayers. Is this fair justice? Thank you.

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This is regarding who’s complaining about the leaves being out after Dec. 1. They must live in a cave because the leaves were still on the trees until mid-December.

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Lilacia Park is so beautiful at Christmas and the lovely home on Main Street with the Santa choir is amazing. I have to see these both every year along with all the other decorations. Thanks to everyone who makes our Christmases so enjoyable. Thanks.

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I’ve just got one question, and it’s not racially motivated, but I would like an answer to what people think of this question. If a white cop shoots a black person, there are race riots, the burning of buildings, there’s looting and stuff like that. Now, if a black guy shoots two white cops, how come there’s no looting, no race riots, no burning of businesses or anything like that? Can somebody explain that to me, because maybe I’m just stupid, or that’s what this world is coming to, a lot of stupid people doing a lot of stupid things. Thank you.

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This is for the individual who had said that the Democratic Party is not the party of the communists. I hate to disappoint you but it is the party of the communists/socialists, just like the Republican Party is the party of the pacifists. There’s not that much difference between the two parties, OK? It’s like going to the grocery store and getting Coke or Pepsi; that’s all you’ve got. They always say that Fox is the propaganda for the Republican Party; well if that’s the case, the propaganda for the Democratic Party is MSNBC. So, there’s not that much difference between the two parties. As far as saying our president, Barack Obama, he may be your president but he’s not everybody’s president, OK? As far as living in a communist country, I have family who have lived in communist countries. You don’t know what it’s like living in a communist country, so don’t go getting on your high horse.