Letters to the Editors

Joining in our nation's heritage of freedom

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 4, 2000

Recently I became an American. Together with my family and 508 other applicants, we joined this great nation.

As I took the oath of allegiance, I could hear the voices of freedom whispering in my ears. So many emotions flooded through me and overwhelmed me with memories.

I grew up as a white, privileged child in a country where the vast majority of its people suffered under the terrible yoke of apartheid -- a tragic land of immense beauty and great sadness. As I swore the oath of allegiance, I could feel my Zulu nanny's warm arms around me, gently whispering lullabies in my ears.

I could also feel the pain and loneliness of leaving so many loved ones behind and starting a new life here in the United States. I could feel the warmth and love of new friends, new family, the welcome of a society mostly without prejudice and snobbery. A simple thank you seems hardly adequate, but thank you, America, for taking me in, for giving me the self-confidence to be my own person, for giving me the great privilege of being part of this incredible democracy.

The whispers of freedom grow louder in my ears. Generations have come to your shores seeking this freedom. I am now a part of this heritage. My roots will grow strong and proud in my new country.

Happy birthday, America the beautiful!
-- Charlotte Dusheiko, Palm Harbor

Freedom and religion

Re: Prayers given by students silenced, June 20.

July 4 is a good time to think about freedom and religion. Some want government to provide for organized prayer for/by students and vouchers for religious schools. We celebrate freedom on July 4 because we did not want Europe's coercion (including England's church/state merger). The United States is one of the most religious nations in the world because our government does not run religion. Perceptive U.S. Baptists and Roman Catholics recognize that with government aid comes government intrusion.

The U.S. Constitution allows some governmental/religious activity by adults (congressional chaplain, "In God We Trust" on coins) since we believe adults will not be pressured as would impressionable children. Our wall separating church and state may seem inconsistent, but it has worked well for over 200 years.
-- Pastor Jim Hilton, Clearwater

An amendment's great merits

At this time of celebration of our incredibly marvelous country and our liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, may we be reminded that among all the other marvelously liberating ones, the First Amendment constructs the strong wall to separate church and state that makes this country unique.

We are also reminded that there exists case law that corroborates citizens' freedom from religion. It is not "democratic" to tolerate illegal intrusions upon our liberties, our Bill of Rights. If it was worth fighting for at our country's birth, it's worth it now.
-- Sandy Oestreich, North Redington Beach

A better society needs better individuals

The Fourth of July should remind all Americans of the sacrifices our founding fathers made so that we can enjoy the grand blessing of freedom we have today. But to survive as a nation, we must be more concerned with the problems that now beset us.

We must be concerned that our technologically advanced civilization will not lead us toward extinction -- namely, nuclear war. And, frankly, with all the crime and corruption, we must raise the character of the citizenry who constitute our country. That can be done only by raising the cultural and social level to a higher plane.

We must remember that the family is the basic cell of civilization. Because much social evil stems from dysfunctional homes, we must strive to build more stable ones. More wholesomeness everywhere, especially relative to the movie industry and television programming, would foster more wholesome Americans.
-- Robert B. Fleming, St. Petersburg

Iraqi suffering is ignored

Re: Allied bombing kills civilian, Iraq says, June 30.

I found it ironic and sad that this short article noting the continued bombing of Iraq by the United States was buried on page 13 of your newspaper. While Americans flock to watch Fourth of July fireworks, those "bombs bursting in air" are still exploding, virtually unnoticed by our populace, over the sovereign territory of Iraq, and Iraqi men, women and children continue to die as a result of our policies.

It's a tragic commentary on our society that we can celebrate our "independence" while simultaneously turning a blind eye to our role in the destruction of another country. Iraqi lives are just as valuable as American lives, a lesson we do not seem to be able to grasp.
-- Rebecca Johns, St. Petersburg

A promise withdrawn

Events have cast a shadow on the basic soundness of my Navy recruiter's decades-ago promise: ". . . and if, after 20 or more years you qualify for retirement, the Department of Defense guarantees full medical benefits, free to you and your dependents."

I signed up in 1947, retired in 1979 and got shafted in 1998 when my friendly DOD informed me, "We were just kidding about the medical perk." It seems Congress decided one of my age and circumstance should come under the aegis of Medicare with its (at extra cost) supplements, dwindling HMOs, co-payments and 1040 implications. As an aside, that august body elected not to take similar action against one of its own, the felonious, racketeering ex-con/congressman Dan Rostenkowski, whose 100 percent medical coverage remains in force today, on taxpayer account, thanks to his congressional retirement plan.

Class actions are in process. A bill has been introduced to bring retired/over 65 vets under the medical provisions of an existing federal employees' plan. But legislative wheels turn sluggishly, judicial ones slower yet. The sands of time appear to be slipping away at a quickening rate. How long must we who retired in dignity endure this betrayal?
-- William J. Boyd, New Port Richey

Unseemly abuse of the Irish

Re: John Rocker: captive of culture, June 17.

Once again the Times has shown its selective and slanted prejudice. As Brandt Ayers writes about baseball player John Rocker's quote in Sports Illustrated saying he wouldn't play for a New York team because he didn't want to ride the subway "next to some queer with AIDS," he bashes an ethnic group to which I belong.

While he was absolutely correct in admonishing Rocker, I felt that Ayers stepped way over the boundaries of racial type-casting. He writes, "In his blood, mingling with a six-pack, pulse the genes of his wild Celtic ancestors. Behold John Rocker: red-neck, good ol' boy, decendent of fearless Highland warriors, Irish rebels . . ."

Ayers also writes:

"From painted, screaming Highland barbarians down to fearless pioneers facing the wilderness alone was John Rocker made . . .

I'm sorry but, as a decendent of the Irish, I was deeply offended. My grandfather was a man of outstanding values, which he passed along to my father and then to me. Was my father a fighter? Only in World War II. Never was he a man of violence outside of that arena. To suggest that my father had "demons in his blood" makes his passing last year only that much more our family has to go through.

Yes, John Rocker was an idiot for the remarks he made. But so is Brandt Ayers for his remarks about my family! Had this article been written with references about African-Americans, Jewish people or any other race, you would have been overwhelmed by angry and upset people, demanding an apology.
-- Pat Holler, Treasure Island

In love with books

Re: So much to miss if books die off, by John Updike, June 22.

Finally! What a treat to read that there are others like myself who would miss the contented feeling of holding a book in their hands. The advancement of electronic text-delivery systems is definitely useful, and we read constantly about how it has improved our lives.

But woe to those who need to pick up a book and run their hands lovingly across the embossed lettering on a cover or smooth down a turned-up corner of a page, only to find that books have become obsolete.

I cannot even imagine what my life would have been if I hadn't had my books. Ever since Papa put a beautifully illustrated copy of Cinderella in my hands, I have had a love affair with books. I spent many hours reading, cleaning and arranging my books around me. Skinned knees and broken hearts were temporarily forgotten as the pictures and characters came to life in my hands. My mouth watered as I imagined tasting the food that Ernest Hemingway described. I've cried sympathetically when someone died or lost their only true love, and I've laughed out loud at an author's witticism. At times like those, I'd grip the book tightly as my emotions welled up... and I have been known by some to actually hug the book when finished from the happiness it gave me.

As John Updike wrote, they are a sensual pleasure, a souvenir and ballast. My home is wherever my books are. They are as much a part of me as my own arms and legs and remain alive as long as someone takes the time to know them, to hold them, love them and remember them when they are gone -- just like us. Try getting all that from a pocket PC.
-- Darcelle Renee Reynolds, Palm Harbor

no hed

Re: So much to miss if books die off.

I am so very happy to see articles about books -- collecting them and the love of them! I cut one out of the Times on June 21, A child who loves books is never alone by Carolyn Sandlin-Sniffen. I'm sending it to my youngest grandson who is just discovering reading and collecting books. He will "never be alone."

I admit I love books and the library. I am guilty of owning too many books, causing clutter. However, every time I try to weed them out, I have a terrible time deciding which ones to give away. For book lovers, it is a wrenching experience to part with a book, even one you don't remember as particularly memorable.

I don't want my books on a computer. I want my books around me to pick up and savor. Please let's not go overboard and stop publishing books we can hold in our hands and stack around us.

So thank you, John Updike, for this article and for your prolific contribution to readers.
-- Dorothy Karkheck, Palm Harbor

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