Letters to the Editors

Pledge recital is one way to start meeting

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 1, 2001

Editor: I have closely followed the controversy over invocations to begin Citrus County School Board meetings. I have a modest suggestion: if they must pray, why not do so before the meeting in a separate room or hallway? Instead of prayer to begin the meeting, why not just recite the Pledge of Allegiance?

In David Smith's interview regarding the Fellowship of Christian Athletes party during school time (Minister: I merely presented facts, Sunday's Citrus Times) he stated "I simply outlined the truth to the best of my ability. I presented the facts and allowed each young person to decide for themselves." Mr. Smith may think he presented facts, but in fact he presented his religious opinion, not facts, as he seems to believe.

I hope he can come to understand the difference between facts and opinion, and conduct himself accordingly.
-- Jim Hand, Homosassa

Fundamentalists seem bent on domination

Editor: The meeting at Forest Ridge Elementary School turned out to be as planned by community fundamentalist churches, a tent revival for Christ.

No matter how you people belittle the children and people of other religions by displaying pictures and messages of Christ in the parking lot, the front door, or with Christian prayers and hymns, I am not denying your faith one bit. But think of the people of other religions whose faith is just as strong, and they don't jam it down your throat or try to intimidate and convert you. Fundamentalists, it seems, will be happy only when they drive all the people who are not Christians from this county so that all the public schools will be turned into branches of the already overabundant churches in this area of only 115,000 people.

Right now, you have the majority, but the way the growth of this county is bringing in more and more non-Christians, your dominance in the future will not exist.

You are insulting people and children of all the other religions by displaying your overwhelming dominance, and even Christ himself would not act in the manner you are acting, making all of the believers of other faiths feel they are outsiders and second-class Americans. I am sure the one and only Creator is looking down on all the people He put on this planet in disgust, as we are so divided and have pitted religion against religion.

Are you all too dumb to see the ethnic cleansing going on all over the world? You are making a good start in bringing it here. But you people are too hardheaded to care about it, just so long as you get your way.

It seems that Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson have got this community all fired up to strengthen their cause. Consider the other religions in this community before it is too late. Theirs count just as much as yours.
-- Ray Raphael, Beverly Hills

Veterans of all wars deserve our appreciation

Editor: This letter is to address the plight of the Vietnam veterans in our country and let them know they are loved by their fellow man, as all veterans are. They had one of the toughest assignments of all times and we appreciate them.

I am a disabled veteran of World War II. There were four Wing boys and we all served in the war. Our father was on a sub-chaser in World War I, his father was too old for that war, but did carpentry for the Army. He was too young for the Civil War, but did what he could where he was needed. My father's grandfather was in the Confederate Army, and we had kin on both sides of that conflict. So, among us all, we knew what war was and can assure you that anyone who has had to take up arms should be appreciated by all.

I can only speak to World War II; the Pentagon, in all its wisdom (or lack of it), did a tremendous disservice to our men by furnishing them cigarettes as many of the men started smoking when they got in. (I actually quit as smoking impeded my lung capacity.) Also, they encouraged the use of salt and insisted we take salt tablets. Consequently many men have developed high blood pressure and I am wondering if that trend didn't trigger the rash of strokes we see in our populace at this time. (I had two strokes this past year.)

But back to the Vietnam veterans, also the Korean War veterans and those in Desert Storm. We appreciate you and would like to have you join us in the VFW and American Legion as full members. You are the hope of our veterans programs being continued for the benefit of all veterans.
-- W. C. "Bill" Wing, Wildwood

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