When depressed by the foibles of human nature, we are refreshed by facetiousness that’s not restricted to cartoons and comics. What a relief to be enlightened by pooling of ignorance validated by asinine polling of the thoughtless about the insignificant!Thanks to an ABC poll for President’s Day, we now know which presidents have risen to the top: Lincoln, Kennedy, Bush II, Reagan, Clinton and FDR. Two were assassinated, one survived a shooting, at least two were philanderers whose spouses might have contemplated murder, one was elected for a fourth term, and one has completed a one-year internship. None is listed among the pious as Founding Fathers. Perhaps some of those polled never heard of them; others may have forgotten them.
How interesting to read what Washington and Jefferson thought about the exclusive club. General Washington wrote that he had rather be on his farm than to be “emperor of the world.”
The epitaph that Mr. Jefferson wrote for his gravestone expressed his scale of values about the sum of his life: “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and the father of the university of Virginia.’’
John A. Vanderford
Jacksonville
Not Christian
In response to the letter in “The Sunday Mail,” Feb. 24, I would like to ask the writer, “What makes you think that most homosexuals and most of the criminals who go through our courts and fill our prisons are probably Christians”? Is this your doctrine of man?
Christ said in Mark 7:7, “In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrine, the commandments of men.” In Mark 7:21 he further stated, “out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, the evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness, all these things defile the man.”
No, those who do these things are definitely NOT Christian, which means belonging to or follower of Christ.
Charles Mobley
Ranburne
Incineration
Now that our county is in a standoff with FEMA over the money for essential protective equipment, important decisions need to be made. Despite a delay from a leaky pipe, the time for test burns at the chemical weapons incinerator is almost here. We must dispose of the decaying munitions. Safety must be the top priority, but our county lacks the funds (or even the most current toxicity reports) to provide maximum safety; and an accident at the incinerator will result in catastrophic loss of life. It is time to look at alternatives for disposal. We need speed and safety and one cannot be sacrificed for the other. To meet the demand for maximum safety and quicker disposal, neutralization must be the alternative of choice.
Recently, Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado endorsed neutralization as the preferred method of disposal. In December, Colorado Senator Wayne Allard called on the Pentagon to select neutralization which is "considered to be safer than incineration."
According to Ross Vincent, a senior policy advisor for the Sierra Club, “We are appreciative and welcome the governor's action to ensure that the citizens of Colorado get the most protective and cleanest technology available to deal with these munitions. Incineration is clearly the wrong choice from a public health and environmental standpoint. The neutralization-based approach is low pressure, low temperature and gives the operators much greater control over the agents while being processed. Every site in the nation should be going this way.”
At the Tooele, Utah incinerator there have been technical problems, agent releases, and safety issues. Hasn't Calhoun County been dealt enough damage from PCBs? Do we honestly believe that duct tape and plastic will save us if there is an accident? Do we want a community where we have to carry protective hoods like purses and wallets and our children go to school with hoods in their backpacks?
If you do not want this to be your lifestyle, let your elected representatives know we want another method of disposal: we must have neutralization.
Our county commission, our governor, and our elected representatives and senators are all demanding maximum safety. As residents here, we all have a voice; speak up and demand neutralization. It is not too late!
Sherry Blanton
Jacksonville
Dear Governor Siegelman
First let me begin by telling you that I am a mother of three children at Ohatchee School in Calhoun County, Alabama. I am also the Assistant Principal at Saks Elementary School in Anniston.Saks Elementary has approximately 700 students. Therefore, you could honestly say I am responsible, directly responsible, for at least 703 children in the Calhoun County School system.
Here’s my dilemma. I’m an educator by profession. I take great pride in being a productive part of molding our young individuals into readers, writers, productive thinkers, problem solvers, good citizens and so forth. I fully face all the challenges public education has and to the best of my ability hurdle past obstacles that stand in the way of educating children. However, lobbying for protection for our children from chemical agents or nerve gas is out of my genre of qualifications. I believe this is where our public officials should step in.
I attended a meeting recently at Saks High School, one of several meetings that I have attended on this subject, concerning the lack of appropriate protection for our children. Approximately 4, 000 children from Ohatchee, Weaver, and Saks are “sitting ducks” in the event of a chemical accident.
Parents were involved in the meeting and one concerned parent asked, “Would the local school administration organize parents to try and get the government to put in place the protection of pressurization?” Once again, I am an educator by profession. So I ask you, “ What should my plan of action be for these concerned parents?” “What would you do?”
Karen Winn
Saks Elementary School
Anniston
