America, set your house in order

4/19/2008

These are the times that try men's souls. I thank God, from whom all blessings flow, that he has provided me with longevity and soundness of mind. In my 80-odd years I have witnessed "my" America in its finest hour and also in its worst hour. I have scrutinized this entire situation and found America has been weighed in the balance and found wanting. America in its worst hour has been found deceitful and hypocritical in her dealing with others.

The late Jerry Falwell called his followers the "Moral Majority." The moral may be debatable but they were a majority. They were a silent majority. I am sure they saw a great deal of wrong, but they remained silent.

Nevertheless, they have been rendered frustrated into gullibility, not realizing that silence is consent. When you see wrong being perpetrated and you remain silent, you are consenting to wrong, thus making you equally guilty.

Then, along came George Bush, with his unholy cohorts, and in their insane greed they brought my beloved nation to its financial knees and to the very brink of economic disaster.

America, set your house in order. Charity begins at home and then spreads abroad. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

The Rev. Fredrick Brown

Evesham Avenue

As we read about the huge amounts of money former president Bill Clinton has made since he left office, another former president comes to mind. That president is frequently evoked by Democrats and Republicans alike for his strength of character. He is considered by the vast majority of political scientists to have been our last great president.

Upon leaving office, he indicated that he would not trade on his name or on the office of the presidency. He would serve on no corporate boards, accept no gifts, nor money for lobbying.

Not owning his own home, he returned to his home town to live in his wife, Bess' home. Aside from some inherited land, his income was primarily an army pension of $112.56 per month.

After being hailed a year earlier by Winston Churchill as "the man who had saved Western Civilization," he was asked by a reporter on his first day out of office, as he stood outside Bess' home, what was he going to do now?

The man who had "saved Western Civilization" responded that he was "going to take the grips [suitcases] up to the attic."

To those of us old enough to remember him, and those of us who learned from our history, we are reminded once again of President Harry S. Truman.

Gerald Bazer

Carrietowne Lane

The longer the campaign runs, the less I like the candidates. I have no problem with either a black man or a woman running for president, but I'm not all that excited about Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton scares the heck out of me, and Sen. John McCain seems to be a George Bush, Jr.

Heaven help the United States of America. Where is "none of the above"?

Richard M. Reder

Foxcroft Road