Holiday becoming thankless
12/1/2012I am sad that our country has lost the meaning of Thanksgiving (“Black Thursday,” editorial, Nov. 22). Family and friends gathering together to give thanks has been replaced by greed.
The encroachment of shopping has progressed each year. How long before we lose Thanksgiving Day completely? Instead of celebrating by giving thanks for what we have, we’re using the day to hurry out to obtain more.
Thanksgiving used to be the start of a season of warmth, with family and friends coming together. This path we’re now on frightens me.
DEB MAZUROWSKI
Monclova Township
Name sometimes outweighs talent
Your Nov. 15 editorial “What’s in a name? Plenty,” about name recognition making a difference in the result of an election, was right on.
Several years ago, we voted for a name and got a Bush for president. We voted for a name and got a Taft for governor. We voted for a name and got a Latta for congressman.
It’s not what the candidate knows, but who the voter thinks he or she knows.
RICHARD LAUDICK
Ottawa, Ohio
Milking an idea from camel article
After reading about Joe Garverick’s camels, I had an idea (“Entrepreneur takes unusual tack; Mich. man raises camels for their milk,” Nov. 19). There are many empty lots in Toledo where houses have been torn down. Why not turn half of these into “Camel-lots” and the other half into vegetable and fruit gardens?
Mr. Garverick could help by training homeless and unemployed people to care for the camels. The Amish farmer he mentioned in the article could teach them to milk the camels.
The processed milk could be distributed to the poor. Camel dung could be used to fertilize the gardens, which would be tended by unemployed people.
To ease the energy gap, dried camel dung might heat our houses. It’s a win-win situation.
JUDITH PLACE
Daleford Drive
Legislating morality is wrong
The writer of the Nov. 11 Readers’ Forum letter “Obama voters to put up with a lot” apparently thinks government should promote his religious views. But the Founding Fathers separated church and state.
President Obama’s support of gay marriage and the right to an abortion promotes civil goals of personal freedom. When certain segments of our society enacted Prohibition, it didn’t work. It caused crime and violence, and was another failed attempt at legislating morality.
MEL POMMERANZ
Lakeside, Ohio