Keeping Memorial Day Parade alive; Don’t import dogs; Leaders fell short dealing with virus | Letters - nj.com

Vets hold socially distanced parade

The Bayonne Memorial Day Parade stepped off on Monday on Memorial Day — despite being canceled due to COVID-19. A small group of veterans marched up 5th Street to keep the more-than 100-year tradition alive.

Two Bayonne Memorial Day Parade Committee members, Michael Embrich and Mike Ransom, kicked off the parade from the usual location located at the World War I Memorial behind Mary J. Donohoe Elementary School in Bayonne.

New Jersey still has restrictions on large gatherings like parades, and Monday’s parade complied with social distancing and other CDC guidelines.

We wanted to keep the Bayonne tradition going, and at the same time remember the many Bayonne Veterans who gave their lives in service of this Nation.

The small group aimed to be safe and responsible, so the parade was not announced to the public. Typically, the Bayonne Memorial Day Parade hosts hundreds of marchers and thousands of spectators each year in Bayonne. The parade is one of the oldest Memorial Day parades in the State of New Jersey.

Michael Embrick, Bayonne, commander, Catholic War Veterans, NJ.

We need to take care of our own dogs

I do not support the importation of sick dogs from other countries. We need to take care of all the rescues in the USA.

More than one million dogs are imported into the U.S. each year according to the CDC, yet only about one percent of these dogs are screened for the serious diseases they carry. We would not tolerate this lack of oversight for cattle, poultry, or swine arriving in the U.S. and we should not tolerate it for the animals who are our closest companions.

The U.S. dog import system is broken! Rabies, canine flu and brucellosis, screwworm, and a host of other serious diseases, parasites, and vector-borne diseases already have been carried into the U.S. by imported dogs. Please support the Healthy Dog Importation Act - HR 6921. Protect our pets, America’s livestock, and the people who live and work with animals.

Judith Dompieri, North Bergen

Vote to secure our future

Until this country decides to use one test, that truly works and provides a true result throughout our land, we will never know for sure, if a individual has or does not have this infection. Currently, this is like a comic Chinese fire-drill, with everyone running around with no direction and certainly no cure, except it’s not funny!

This country’s leadership fell far short in dealing with this disease and without question, you can lay the blame on the doorstep of our leadership or the lack of it. Our economy will not be as it was, if we continue to lose Americans to this virus.

As we face a National Election in November, we’d be very wise to recall the results of inaction, diversion, and outright lies. If we started to publicly recognize and fight this problem when we had the chance, four to six weeks sooner, perhaps in early December, we’d now likely have thousands of fewer deaths.

This is a tragedy for America, because of it’s poor leaders and leadership and borders on criminal behavior. Please consider this when you vote in November.

To all of our Republican friends, understand that we all have suffered through this mess and also understand that Democrats have crossed the party line when necessary, to insure competent leadership. There is only intelligence in this consideration and I hope and pray that you join with us in securing America’s future as a Democracy and not a kingdom.

There is probably not one person reading this that does not have immigrant roots in their background. America represents every skin color, nationality, and religion on the face of the earth. Having said the above, please together, let’s secure the values that made this country the envy of of the world. Together let’s vote to secure the future of America for ourselves, our children, grandchildren and all that follow us!

James Aumack, Cape May

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