Don't forget all the good deeds

To the editor:

Cindy Tatum is my friend. No matter what mistakes she has made, she will always have my respect for the incredibly hard work she has done as a volunteer for many organizations.

I was on a PTO with her at Jackson Middle School, serving as treasurer. She was constantly being e-mailed by teachers asking for items. She worked hard getting teachers presents, setting up lunches for parent-teacher conferences, running PTO meetings and much more. She worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the school.

I am sad she made a mistake, but I am also sad that the only time she appears on the front page is when she had made a mistake. She has never appeared on the front page for the hundreds of unpaid hours and hundreds of unreimbursed miles she had driven to help make Jackson a better place for our children.

As my sister-in-Christ, I love her unconditionally. As a member of the Christian community, I hope she and her family are not ostracized by other members. Matthew 7:1 says, "Judge not lest ye be judged." It is up to our justice system to decide what restitutions she must make. It is not up to us to judge her. As American citizens we must remember that we are all innocent until proven guilty.

Remember Jesus' teaching about those without sin throwing the first stones (John 8:7). In that parable all the citizens walk away. I believe most of us would have to walk away if Jesus were standing by Cindy today.

KAREN S. HARVEY, Co-president, Jackson Middle School PTO