The Oak Bluffs selectmen have decided to take away our right to vote. The roundabout was not allowed on the ballot. The rest of the Island voted against the roundabout and I believe Oak Bluffs would have, had they the opportunity.

In her August 24 letter to the Gazette, Barbara B. Rivers quotes Thomas Sowell in describing what she sees as the negative aspects of re-electing President Obama. She ends her letter with a suggestion to think about Mr. Sowell’s words. So let us, indeed, think — specifically let’s think about the man who is the source of the quote.

The August 17 edition of the Gazette featured a front page story on the negative effects of CO2 on the ocean. Let’s remember that wind power emits no carbon dioxide but was and is roundly opposed by many Islanders. What hope is there for a solution to increased carbon dioxide production when clean alternatives are opposed by the people?

We have been coming to the Vineyard for 36 summers without a break. Like many people, we treasure the peace and tranquility the Vineyard is known for. We are lucky to live in a wonderful part of Edgartown near the Harbor View Hotel. Recently we have been bombarded by incessant airplane noise. When I was having breakfast at the Katama Airfield, I was surprised to see that there were now three bi-planes, not just the red one that we had become accustomed to hearing flying low over our neighborhood.

I had a dream last night that our democracy today looked like our forefathers intended — a government run for the people, by the people. In my dream, it was a time where our elected officials were selfless, hardworking individuals who (due to the new voting rules) were able to work together as one cohesive body because their only role in congress was to educate themselves on the bills and resolutions coming up and then to advise their constituents accordingly.

Recently there have been alarming reports of outbreaks of West Nile fever in Dallas and Chicago. The cases now number in the hundreds, with several deaths, and more cases expected. We should not forget that this disease, as well as an even more deadly disease, eastern equine encephalitis, exists just five miles from our shores, in southeastern Massachusetts. The diseases are both caused by viruses which are carried by mosquitoes.