11/24/00

Unfair to Chads!

Alas, it is time for a call to arms! All Chads unite!

How can we sit idly by while our good name is dragged through the floor, besmirched in every conceivable manner? How many times must we be the butt of the "dimple" jokes that pervade the office place?

Let us unite in a class-action lawsuit against the Democrats, the Republicans, the media, the state of Florida and anyone else that comes to mind.

We can hire Johnnie Cochran. If he can't win, no one can. Then, let's hire Jesse Jackson to manage the publicity! If he can't make us look hurt, no one can.

We do not hang from three corners. We are not dimpled. I am definitely not pregnant.

Let us stop this atrocity before we all suffer a life of torment, never to heal. Chad Tillman, Madison

Part of the process

After reading the letter from John Moss who prefers George W. Bush to Al Gore it made me realize the extreme ignorance, hatred and prejudice that will divide this country if people listen to these observations.

I will not pretend that I prefer Gore over Bush; however, whoever is chosen as our next president and commander-in-chief, I will support either one as long as he fills that office. I served under six presidents - three Republicans and three Democrats - over a 24-year military career. They all deserved my support.

I felt no need to malign their religious beliefs, denigrate a public official because his entire career had been serving this country in a political office, or to make unsubstantiated statements concerning their character. There are many people in this town who have served their entire careers in public service/civil service, who are people of integrity, have a solid belief in God and are members of many religions, including the Jewish faith.

If anyone cannot make an effort to offer an unbiased opinion that is based on a proven substantiated fact, it really isn't appreciated. No matter who wins, when it's over, you support whoever is president and vice president. That's the part of democracy apparently many have forgotten. Leonard Clark, Huntsville

More misinformation

As a lesbian and a Christian, I get tired of seeing misinformation about both subjects appearing in The Times. A caller today feared that if Al Gore wins, homosexuals will get special rights and Christians won't be able to pray in public.

As a lesbian, I cannot legally marry my partner. She can't get health insurance from my employer. I can't be consulted about her medical care, without seeing a lawyer to draw up powers of attorney. If she died, I could expect no paid bereavement leave like my heterosexual co-workers would get. In fact, there are no legal restrictions preventing my employer from firing me solely because I am a lesbian.

So can someone please explain to me exactly what "special rights" are? As far as I see, I don't have them. I'd settle for equal rights.

As a Christian, I can pray anywhere I want. Nobody can control what's in my head and heart, or interfere with my relationship with God.

I fear that what most Christians mean when they speak of public prayer is forcing our faith on others. Yet in Matthew 6:5-6 we are specifically warned about praying in public to put on a show. We are told to pray in private, and our Father will reward us in public.

That tells me that Jesus really isn't interested in football stadium prayers that alienate Jews, Muslims and other non-Christians. Stadiums are for sports, and schools are for learning. Neither place is suitable for church services. Alix Morehouse, Huntsville

Joining the mob

While watching the Florida election process, my grandchildren have finally become interested in our political system.

They now want to grow up and join the Mafia. Armond Simmons, Pell City

Foolish, foolish me

I am indebted to The Times of Thursday, Nov. 16, and to First Baptist Church and Frances Jones for correcting my misunderstanding of The Bible. Jones explains, "I don't want to be submissive to my husband."

Foolish me; I had assumed it was what Scripture instructed, not what individual Christians want. But, hey, realizing how irrelevant Paul's writings are today, I immediately whited-out Ephesians 5:22 ("Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.") Oh, yes, and I explained to my wife that I was dropping Ephesians 5:25 ("Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.")

After all, no woman deserves such sacrifice from a man.

While I was at it - sorry, Justice-elect Moore - I decided to drop that Ten Commandment foolishness: Deuteronomy 5:18 "(Neither shalt thou commit adultery") because my neighbor's wife and I really want each other.

I like this new Baptist faith where one does what one wants, not God's will, although I was upset when the kids told me they don't want to follow Deuteronomy 5:16/Ephesians 6:2 ("Honor thy father and mother.") I cannot write what they then told us to go do.

And by the way, next time you even think about cutting someone off in traffic, I also deleted Deuteronomy 5:17 (Look it up). Richard H. Fabacher, Harvest

Honor Martin Dies

Who was Martin Dies? Why is he worthy of honorable recognition as one of our 20th century heroes?

Dies was a seemingly ordinary young Democrat congressman from Texas elected in 1930 to the House while still only 29 years old. Smack in the middle of the blatant pro-Communist climate in wake of Franklin D. Roosevelt's ascendancy to the White House in 1933, Dies took it upon himself to buck his own party's rabid opposition to investigating communist subversion and infiltration of government, academia, labor unions and the media. He became the first chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1938 and led its efforts until 1945. For effectively exposing communist subversion he was viciously attacked, just as Sen. Joseph McCarthy was in the 1950s. Rep. Dies exposed 539 communists or communist sympathizers on the U.S. payroll.

The communists infiltrated all major universities by deceiving tens of thousands of students into rioting. Upon questioning many Marxist-leaning professors, Dies could get them to admit only that they were "liberal." The same was true of major newspapers.

Hence, we innocently send our children off to these liberal universities only to find, too late, that they have been destroyed, as was Hillary Rodham, our liberal Huntsville Times editors, etc. Thus we have lost the Walter Williams column. Howard F. Stearns, Harvest

A wonderful community

On the day after Christmas 1999 we suffered a devastating house fire. While no one was injured, anyone who has endured the loss of their home knows the deep tragedy and the difficulties of recovering from such a catastrophe.

As native Huntsvillians, we are grateful for our community where churches, friends, neighbors, and businesses pull together to help families heal from disasters.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to: Mayor Spencer and the Huntsville Fire Department for their fast response, bravery and thoroughness; to the Red Cross for their quick support; to our family, friends, and neighbors in the Piedmont neighborhood for their selfless help over the entire time it has taken us to get back in our home. We have been blessed by the inspiring love and compassion from our church, First Christian, as well as the parents and staff of the Early Childhood Ministries. Special thanks to ServPro, Parisians, VisionMaster, Bruno's Pharmacy, Waterford Square Apartments, Spencer Oil and Gibson's Bar-B-Q.

We only hope that we can soon start giving back to this wonderful community. Larry Burger and family, Huntsville

Support Project Share

Project Share is an excellent way to help people who are in great need. It is easy to participate by adding dollars to your utility bill.

Each month Huntsville Utilities drafts from my bank account what I owe for utilities and a specific amount I have identified for Project Share. It also saves writing a check, an envelope and a stamp.

The real satisfaction is knowing that people are being helped. The majority of us are truly blessed. We are able to reach out to the needy and won't miss the dollars donated. John Newton, Huntsville

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