What embellishment can improve a masterpiece?

I have read with interest the views of teen-agers and parents concerning the use of "body art." Some young people think it's their right to be able to express themselves in this manner because it helps them to "establish their identity."

An article by theologian Pia De Solenni in the August 2002 National Catholic Register brings up some interesting things for us all to think about. Some excerpts:

"Nearly every society, civilized or otherwise, has been fascinated with the human body. Body art was part of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. The persistence of such practices throughout history reveals something about human nature - namely that we have a need to manifest belonging. Belonging is part of our identity.

"The desire to enhance the body's beauty is universal, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with it. Bodily adornment can indicate a relation with others or even with God. The problem in our day is that, like all cultural drives today, it often gets carried to extremes.

"The Church has long taught that cosmetics should never be applied to the point where they effectively disguise the identity of the wearer: God should never look down on his creation and be unable to recognize it as his own... .

"Body art may be OK for those who feel they have no other way to express their identity, but we Christians have been given an identity and a relation that transcends any bodily mark... .

"We might ask our young people to think of body art this way: You wouldn't walk up to Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper with a palette and brush and attempt to improve on it by adding your own embellishments. And you certainly wouldn't want to change it to the point that people could no longer tell what the original looked like. So why would you want to alter one of the greatest artist's greatest masterpieces - you?"

To view the entire article go to http://catholiceducation.org/ articles/religion/re0567.html

JUDY HUDSON
Ocean Springs

Few positives found in a negative letter

If the author of "If your words aren't making a positive difference, shut up" had taken his/her own advice, the rest of us wouldn't have had to endure "If your words aren't making a positive difference, shut up."

ARMOND 'SI' SIMMONS
Pell City, Ala.

Do not ask Americans to divide our loyalties

As I was driving to work on Sept. 11, the radio stations were paying tribute to the victims of 9/11 on the first anniversary. I fought back the tears as I listened, and I had an especially hard time fighting back tears as I drove by the flag display at DeBuys Road. All of the flags were flying at half-staff to honor the victims. On the radio, Lee Greenwood was singing "Proud to Be An American."

My sense of loyalty to the American flag and my country has compelled me to write a letter that I have contem- plated for many weeks. I am a white woman. I have lived my entire life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I am very proud to be a Southern woman, but I am most proud to be an American.

As an American, I have only one flag to defend. I am truly offended by others, including the Harrison County Board of Supervisors, who will defend any other flag. The supervisors should not have to be guided by a popular vote to make a decision. The Rebel flag represents a rebellion against the United States. For this reason, this flag has no place being flown next to or beneath an American flag. Individuals have the freedom to fly the Rebel flag on private property and the Rebel flag seems appropriate at Confederate landmarks. The Rebel flag appears to be totally inappropriate when flow near an American flag.

So, I would ask the Board of Supervisors, "Which flag will you defend?"

LANA HODA
Gulfport

For 133 homes, developer should build own road

This time, the same prospective developer of the Edgewater Bay Golf Course does not seek a delay in building an entrance and exit road into their proposed waterfront subdivision on the back portion of the golf course. They do not want to build a road at all! They initially said this would cost over $6 million and they could not afford that kind of money. Now, they seek to use the existing roads of Lakeview Boulevard and Cove Drive for access instead of building their own roads.

I sincerely hope our Biloxi Planning Commission will have the vision to again reject the request to connect this proposed waterfront subdivision to the quiet, narrow, dead-end street of Lakeview Boulevard and to Cove Drive. The commission previously mandated that the developer build their own entrance and exit roads.

Residents of Edgewater Estates currently have enormous problems getting onto Pass Road. This proposal by Hartley-Vey Developers to use Lakeview Boulevard would simply compound the problem.

Allowing this would also provide a shortcut for Jefferson Davis College traffic to Pass Road. This would create a nightmare of immense proportions.

If these out-of-state developers have the enormous funds to build 133 waterfront homes, then they surely have the money to build their own entrance and exit roads into their proposed subdivision. No money. No road. No development!

Additionally, any prospective developer should be required to have a specific plan for use of the entire acreage, not just a mere portion of it.

Voice your opinion! Attend the public meeting at 2 p.m. today. Sept. 19, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Building.

If you cannot attend, call 435-6266 and voice your opinion or fax your comments to 435-6188.

PHYLLIS A. LUTTMAN
Biloxi