Tombstone Derby idea is revolting

9/2/2005

When I turned to the Neighbors East section of The Blade on Aug. 25, I was appalled to read the article of the upcoming "Ghostly race set up in Elmore."

The first Tombstone Derby is a revolting idea and extremely despicable; to think that a village would use a most sacred event such as a funeral to celebrate and use as a race car. Have you no morals or respect for the dead? A coffin is a vehicle of final passing used for the funeral of loved ones, not for the entertainment of persons who are apparently uneducated and unfamiliar with proper use of coffins.

Perhaps the mayor would choose to be interred in the coffin pictured in The Blade with his brother driving him to the cemetery.

The story is told of a serviceman coming home from World War I on a motorcycle; why not use motorcycles in your event and leave coffins for their intended use?

I have always enjoyed Elmore and the new look with the antique stores, new coffee house, and the beautiful gardens to visit and enjoy. Rethinking the beauty of the village with souped-up caskets at the curb while shopping or lunching at the Village Inn puts a new light on Elmore.

I would hope that the mayor and his family could find entertainment that would be more suitable for a celebration.

Praying you will change your mind and keep coffins at the mortuary or cemetery where they belong.

Janet Osborne

Northwood

Does The Blade also endorse the last verse of our national anthem? Or shall we erase this history as well?

"Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'

And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

Joyce Millimen

Cyril Street

With all the poisons available to eradicate insects, including hornets, wasps, and bees, there isn't one to kill off the ash borer without eliminating its food supply? Sounds like the powers-that-be would rather chop down all the ash trees, hoping the menu of borers doesn't change to maple trees, for example.

Now that I see the red spray the authorities have victimized my property with, I can only hope that someone comes up with an alternative to total destruction of my wind break for a questionable solution to the ash-borer invasion. Or, of course, we will just chase the borer south to another state. Spare the trees and just kill the borer, please.

Gordon Nunamaker

Curtice

Do protesters think we started this war or that if we quit our enemy will quit, too? Our foe's holy war can never be settled diplomatically! "Peace" will be obtained only on the enemy's holy terms or when they are eliminated. Until then, they will fight until they win or die.

If our enemy wins, we would be forced to follow many alien anti-freedom customs, pay an additional holy tax, and submit to perpetual second-class citizenship in our conquered land. Only as long as war protesters are protected by our armed forces are they are free to protest.

James M. Stewart, Jr.

Shoreland Avenue

Your Aug. 21 comics section reached a new low: Tom Batiuk, Funky Winkerbean, and his terrorist attack at an embassy. Comics are supposed to be funny, a place to get away. Sometimes they are not funny but never should they be like this. I should not have to pre-read the comics to make sure they are safe to read for my 9-year-old daughter, but now I must.

You could have moved Funky Winkerbean to a main news section if you feel compelled to print that kind of trash. But placing it right under Doodles (which is really meant for kids) is totally irresponsible. Yes, it does reflect what is happening in the real world and the insane terrorists that inhabit it. But that belongs almost anywhere in your paper except the comics.

Rick Lederman

Swanton

While glancing at the Readers' Forum this morning while drinking a cup of coffee, I almost choked when I saw a contributor mention that to get fair and balanced stories he would have to watch Fox News on TV. I have a feeling that Rupert Murdoch would fire the head of his TV division in the United States if he found fair and balanced stories were being presented. That is, it seems to me, a slogan rather than a part of the operation.

However, it does remind me of a time long ago when the British ambassador to the United Nations, after listening to a rather dense speech by the ambassador of the Soviet Union explaining how the Soviet Union was so much more democratic than the United States, that it reminded him - and I paraphrase - of Satan rebuking sin.

It also reminded me of the times when, after presenting what I absolutely knew were fair and balanced proposals to customers and, at times, employees, I was shocked to find that they did not agree with me. I soon realized that these unthinkable situations would occur far more often than I would like and that life would go on. And so it has!

Calvin Brauer

Ottawa Hills

The biggest reason the Westgate area should oppose the Costco proposal is not the big-box retailer argument, but more importantly our city's general lack of planning.

Since the Westfield shopping center redevelopment, Woodley Road traffic has doubled. Unfortunately, though convenient as a cut-through, it is a residential, uncurbed road not intended to carry that volume of traffic. With the closing of Talmadge Road at the I-475 overpass, Woodley residents are forced to deal with four lanes of traffic rerouted right down our residential street, intended or not. I thought the mayor and the city would get right on it.

I support any opposition to Costco until the impact on the neighborhood has been studied and remedies applied. Any business is good for Toledo, especially a company that has a proven, positive track record. The days of the independent single point retail operation have given way to price selection and value only the big-box retailers can deliver.

J. M. MILLER

Woodley Road