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Letters to the EditorsWhy can't board prayer be silent or non-secular?
© St. Petersburg Times, Editor: Re: School Board ejects pagan over prayer at meeting's start, May 23 Citrus Times: I, too, am a pagan. I support Charles Schrader in his endeavors. One way to solve the situation is to say a non-secular prayer instead of one that denotes any certain religion. According to the law, religion and education are not to be mixed. This should include the School Board meetings. The meetings are intended for the community, and everyone's beliefs should be taken into account. If they don't want to include a non-secular prayer, then have a few minutes of silence instead of a prayer; that way everyone could pray quietly to their own deity. Another thing that I am outraged about is the fact that Mr. Schrader was not identified as a concerned citizen, but as a pagan. Until the time we stop classifying people by their religions, religious persecution will continue to rage. You did not identify any of the board members as "Christian." Mr. Schrader has every right to speak his prayer while others are speaking theirs. I have been in many churches while searching for my own path (before I found paganism), and in many of the churches I witnessed the pastor praying aloud while his congregation did the same. Isn't that what prayer is about? Praying to the spirit of all things? No matter what we choose to call the spirit, it is all the same, whether that name be God, Buddha, Shiva, Demeter, etc. The spirit does not matter what you call it so long as you call it. If the School Board wasn't so close minded it would listen to its community's request and try to do its best to follow it. But Mr. Schrader has been fighting this for more than a year now, and still they continue to ignore his requests and do as they wish. Mr. Schrader is not the only pagan in their community, and pagans all over the world are listening to this debate closely. It's sad to see that the Citrus School Board permits and even encourages religious discrimination against anyone. It is a sad day for America, which was founded upon freedom, when the boards we trust to make our children's educational decisions promote religious persecution. What is even sadder is that these people are supposed to be community leaders, and the only thing they are leading are the next religious wars. It's time we came together as a people, as human beings, and stop being so critical and judgmental of someone else's religious choices. I'll also bet you not one of those School Board members can even accurately define the words "Wiccan" or "pagan," or even tell you what it is about. It is this same ignorance that caused the Romans to persecute the Christians, and the Puritans to persecute witches, etc.
Glidewell's prayer satire a hoot: Patience lacks toleranceEditor: Re: Let us pray, but we'd better do it her way, May 28 Jan Glidewell column: The column was a hoot! I agree with him SO much. It's Patience Nave's way or nothing. Why do people put up with this? I keep waiting for a lawsuit. Great satire. Keep it up.
Tell me, when did Larry, Curly and Moe join the School Board?Editor: I am so tired of hearing about the three stooges on our School Board who feel they can run the meetings as they please, and then get nothing done. Their insistance on having a secular Christian prayer to start the meeting is unconstitutional and offensive to those of us who are not Christian. These board members should be dismissed immediately and replaced by persons whose main concern is education, not religion. Maybe Chairwoman Patience Nave would like to copy what they are doing in Afghanistan and require all persons who are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, pagan and even some Catholics to wear identifying symbols, and therefore lose our rights in her Bible Belt. By the way, Jan Glidewell's May 28, Let us pray, but we'd better do it her way, hit the nail on the head. It was great!
Glidewell should know whole story before writing his columnEditor: Re: Let us pray, but we'd better do it her way, May 28 Jan Glidewell column: I am a big fan of Glidewell's, but it appears he does not know the rest of the story. I was quite surprised at the view he took. I am tired of people who don't know the whole story painting Citrus County School Board Chairwoman Patience Nave as this horrible person. She is one of the dearest and sweetest people you could ever meet, who has always strived to be fair and not hurt people. Apparently blinders have been put on and the one who deserves to be put through the mud is now someone to uphold. Bullpuck! There is no way Glidewell would have written this column if he truly knew the antics of this individual (Charles Schrader). I really thought Glidewell had the view that everyone had the right to freedom of expression. Nave offered individual members -- no matter their religion -- the right to start the meeting with whatever prayer they choose, giving each person his or her freedom of expression. But apparently Glidewell feels that freedom of expression is allowing a few to make the rest do what they feel is right. Perhaps the laundry detergent fumes in Glidewell's home are clouding his view of freedom? The Bible had been taken out of context during Glidewell's entire scenario. So were freedom of expression and individual freedoms. Glidewell feels it is all right for Schrader to disrupt a meeting by being rude, inconsiderate and more then a little off into left field. And we don't have a right to say enough is enough? Schrader is getting worse with every meeting. There are rules in society we have to follow, and so should he. How is making our board members have a moment of silence before every meeting allowing each member to express individual rights? No matter how I look at it, forcing a moment of silence allows the few who have been ugly (by actions, letters or backbiting) to have their rights forced on the rest of us. It is not allowing individual freedom. If Glidewell really wanted to know the whole story, maybe he should meet with Nave and some of us "moron rednecks" (as Mr. Schrader called us at the last meeting). I think he might see we truly want all individual freedoms and rights to be had, not the chosen few. Regarding Glidewell's reference to the Pledge of Allegiance, how does desecrating the pledge prove you are an individual? By the way, is Glidewell aware that Mr. Schrader wears a jacket with the emblem from the U.S. Marine Corps on it? I get the impression that is a symbol that he fought for the freedoms that he now wants to take away from us "moron rednecks." Or is the wearing of the jacket a slap in the face to all service people who have fought to protect our country? One really cannot understand his true intent, except to get the fame he is receiving. If Schrader was a child, he probably would be put in time out until he could act in a civilized manner. P.S. I'm still a Glidewell fan! Nave's treatment of Schrader at meeting bigoted, un-AmericanEditor: Patience Nave's treatment of Charles Schrader, a Marine veteran of 20 years and a Vietnam veteran, is a disgrace and an affront to all Americans, especially veterans like me. I would join Schrader in prayer in Hebrew at the meetings, except for two things: my health and my uncontrollable verbal temper in front of people like Nave and her followers. I pity board member Carol Snyder for having to work with bigots like Nave. Nave's day will come when the thinking people of this community throw her out of office. Her actions are un-American and against what all veterans fought for. Nave missed her calling; she should be a television evangelist. Now she is just a hypocrite.
Share your viewsThe Citrus Times welcomes letters from readers for publication. Because of space limitations, letters should be of reasonable length. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. All letters must be signed and must contain the writer's address and telephone number. Addresses and telephone numbers will not be printed. Send your letter to Citrus Times, 301 W Main St., Inverness, FL 33450. Send letters by electronic mail (in text only format) to citrus@sptimes.com.
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