ONLINE LETTERS
To the editor: Don't forget meaning of Christmas
12/4/2017These days, people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.
We don’t have a computer or a smart phone, so if we shop, we have to go to a store.
We still mail Christmas cards. We put money in the Red Kettle. We give to Toys for Tots. We try to help feed and clothe the needy.
We still go to Christmas Eve services at church and pray for peace on earth.
We still say Merry Christmas and try to remind people that shopping is not the reason for the season.
JAMES MARKIN
Sylvania
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Words also behind violence in world
Fearing another slaughter of the innocent has occurred, turning the television on fills me with dread. No place is safe. Not an elementary school, not a movie theater, a music concert, not even a house of worship; they have all fallen prey to a madman with a gun.
Society is spiraling out of control. We are frantically searching for a way to rein in this madness. People blame mental health issues, or lack of gun control. Society at large shares the culpability for this insanity; we must wake up and realize our problem is not gun control, it’s tongue control.
The Hollywood elite spew gratuitous blood and gore on the silver screen. Music icons and idolized sports figures poison the psyche of young men. Allegations of sexual misconduct is spreading like gangrene among politicians and political analysts. Leaders who are supposedly the best and brightest society has to offer. These modern day philosophers consider themselves worthy to pass laws for me to obey yet lack basic crotch control themselves. Hypocrites, who have no clue how creepy and sleazy they are.
I have often heard high-ranking law-enforcement officials say, “If you see something, say something.” Do they mean witnessing Madonna threatening to blow up the White House, Johnny Depp implying it’s time for a re-enactment of the Lincoln assassination, or Robert De Niro wanting to punch the President in the face. When you visit social media sites, “If you don’t have anything good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.”
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A poison tongue or pen does nothing to advance our collective consciousness. “You reap what you sow.” As you bend the twig, so grows the tree.
DON GOZDOWSKI
Franklin Avenue
Military members deserve our respect during anthem
When you “take a knee” during the singing of our national anthem, it appears that you are announcing, “ My cause is more important than your cause.”
Americans struggle with many problems: discrimination, poverty, abuse, environmental, and health issues. No one problem outweighs another. We are imperfect Americans working to create a nation that seeks life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. We are standing and singing in unity for unity.
Without “life,” liberty and the pursuit of happiness is meaningless. Our military members put their lives on the line every day, enabling us to enjoy freedom. The next time you are admiring the amazing green of the football field or the pristine polish of that basketball court take into your lungs a deep breath of fresh air, stand, place your hand over your heart, sing with passion and thank a veteran.
FAYE SCHAFFER
Stoneleigh Drive