Speak Out A 02/29/02

Point of disagreement

THERE'S BEEN a lot of Speak Out space given to Jerry Falwell and his religious beliefs. It seems if you disagree with him, you feel he is preaching hate. I find there is a fine line between judging a person's conduct and condemning the person. The Bible instructs us to judge the sin, but we have no right to condemn the person. That's God's job. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, even if we can't agree with them. It seems those who disagree with Falwell are guilty of the same thing they despise in him.

Practice and preaching

I READ with interest in "Out of the Past" for Feb. 24, 1992: "In attempt to curb conflicts of interest, city councilman David Barklage has initiated ethics law applicable to city council; law would prohibit those businesses council members have interest in with contracting with city." I'm wondering why it is that when people get so high and so powerful, that they refrain from practicing what they preach.

Waiting-room blues

I GO to my physician to help heal myself, but I do not think that some doctors have their patients' best interests in mind. The receptionists overbook, and a lot of patients sit there and wait for an hour or two to get in and see the doctor. Then they call you back to the examining room and you wait some more. I think they need to get their priorities straight.

Book review

IT'S BEEN great to have most of the people in the city read the same book. I encourage them to do it again. I attended one of the recent book discussions, and the participants kept going on about the different aspects of cotton farming in Arkansas. "A Painted House" is not about cotton farming. It is about relationships and more specifically is about a young mother who wanted to find a way to get away from her in-laws and take her children to a better place to live and grow. That's what the book was about.

Art and vulgarity

NOTE TO SEMO: A crucifix in urine is displayed as art in other tax-funded performing arts centers. Other traditional symbols are being modified in horribly vulgar ways and then displayed as art in such tax-funded centers. I have attended theater performances at SEMO that were vulgar and profane. I would be very sad to find the once highly regarded St. Vincent's Seminary converted to such uses.

Losing our own

EVERYONE'S HEARD of the Keystone Kops, but have we heard of the Keystone Military? Helicopters and planes are constantly going down. It seems like countless soldiers' lives are being lost needlessly. At Fort Bragg, a sheriff shoots two Army men, unaware that it's a training mission. Somehow Washington needs to be held more responsible for the young men's lives.

Time to stop dancing

With all due respect, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is no Robert Kennedy. The Justice Department cannot dance around Enron forever.

Repugnant actions

THESE PEOPLE who are selling and killing these beautiful wild cats for profit, as well as the purchasers, make me sick. Their acts are repugnant. They should be banned from any kind of participation in the wild-animal trade. The fines are not enough, since their subsequent debt will probably spur them on to more selling of death to make up for the fines. I hope they are closely watched after their sentences and fines are satisfied.

Source of hot air

IN HIS recent letter, Alan Journet inferred there weren't any scientists who refute global warming. In one of his previous letters, he told us there are 5,000 scientists who say it is occurring. What Journet failed to mention is that there are over 25,000 scientists who say it is not occurring. It looks like most of the global warming is being caused by the hot air of the leftist environmentalists.