Speak Out

Re "Bush's propaganda" (Editorial, Aug. 23):

Maybe The Star should pick up a book and review the cost of the 13 or 14 years of horror that followed the policy of appeasement people preached in the 1930s until Hitler marched into Poland, and after al-Qaida hit the World Trade Center and Saddam Hussein went into Kuwait.

Better yet, ask the 6 million Jews, the 20 million Russians or the 400,000 U.S. troops who paid for that policy. Or the countless millions who fell under the Nazis' boots and the thousands killed in Kuwait and at the World Trade Center.

The likes of Hitler, al-Qaida and Saddam understand only one thing — force. Trying to reason and compromise with them is seen as fear and weakness.

Terrorist groups in Iraq have learned that if they can drag it out, there will be people in the United States who will weaken the people's will to fight.

I'm sorry there is no Ronald Reagan or Harry Truman among the gaggle of liberals and nincompoops from which we will choose in the next election.

Bush has not been the best of commanders, but anyone who can do better should get out of his chair and do it instead of whining. If you're over 35, a U.S. citizen and not a felon, join your fellow liberals and nincompoops and run.

Darren Wilson
Anniston

Thanks to Fite, Abbott

We would like to thank two individuals who have helped us out greatly here in Nances Creek and the surrounding area. These two gentlemen are Lea Fite, our District 40 representative, and Rudy Abbott, our District 5 county commissioner. Without fail, they have always come through when we needed assistance with an event at our community center or upkeep on our roads.

Fite donates generously to our neighborhood-watch program and, through his Food Outlet stores, provides help with our annual turkey shoots, which benefit White Plains-area sports. He has been willing to assist in situations that may have gone unnoticed by many. Even before he held public office, I had heard how Fite gave to families who were in need.

A few weeks ago, Abbott cut the grass at our community center before 8 a.m. and came back that evening to finish. Many times he has called us and asked what we needed at Nances Creek. You may not have noticed him in our community because he wasn't in a county vehicle, but was driving his personal truck.

We give these guys a pat on the back and say thanks for caring about our community. Fite and Abbott are doers, not backseat drivers.

Stan Barnwell and Dennis Lipham
Nances Creek

Cars are not the issue

Re "Club U to close after 1 year in operation" (News article, Aug. 26):

I don't think what type of car the parents drive is an issue with the decision that was made to close the club in Hobson City. In business you either pay or you don't receive the service.

We all put our money where our hearts are. If parents weren't paying, that should have been handled on a business level, but to take pot shots at people because of the type car they drive is very unprofessional.

Marché Scott
Weaver

Definition of fairness

Senators Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer Hillary Clinton and most Democrats are worried about conservative domination of talk radio. They say it should be more fair and programming should be 50 percent left and 50 percent right. I agree, but only if it applies to all forms of public communication.

Then, all colleges and universities would have faculties that consist of 50 percent liberal and 50 percent conservative professors. All major newspapers in the United States would have to slant 50 percent to the right in lieu of being almost 100 percent to the left. Instead of the term "undocumented worker," they would have to use the correct terms: "illegal immigrant," "alien" or "invader."

The New York Times would have to use words like "terrorists" in lieu of "insurgents" or "civilians;" The Boston Globe would have to tell us how many terrorists killed instead of just how many Americans killed. The TV networks would have to make 50 percent of their anchors conservative.

Of course this would entail a new cabinet-level agency to be called The Department of Communications For Fairness to be headed by Feinstein. If the Democrats don't agree, they should look up the word "fairness."

Edwin R. Hyatt
Huntsville

Give Byers credit

The Alabama State Board of Education met recently to consider two proposals to ban "double-dipping" in the two-year college system. The vote was 6 to 1 for one proposal and 5 to 1 for the other.

I saw news stories that Republican state school board member David Byers was one of the board members who abstained on the "double-dipping" votes. The stories I saw did not mention that Byers was presiding.

Byers is vice-president of the state school board and it is his responsibility to preside when Gov. Bob Riley is not present. I have confirmed from several sources that Byers presided at this meeting. According to Robert's Rules of Order and other established parliamentary practices, in that role Byers should not have voted except in case of a tie.

Even though he did not vote, Byers should be given full credit or blame for supporting Riley and two-year college Chancellor Bradley Byrne on these two votes.

J. Elbert Peters
Huntsville

Judgment and immigration

Jesus said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." Today folks are being judged wrongly as racist, hateful bigots because they oppose illegal immigration.

Throughout our history there have been limitations made on immigration to protect our country. There are requirements made of new immigrants, including learning the English language and American laws. Assimilation into our society was and is essential to promote peaceful relations among different ethnic groups.

There is strife between different cultures, but we cannot attribute the modern backlash to illegal immigrants as simple bigotry. Laws made to unite us as "equal under the law" are being violated daily by illegal immigrants. Now these people and their supporters are asking all Americans to wink at the law and allow them to slip over the fence and butt into line, taking whatever legal citizens receive: jobs, housing, medical help, schooling, legal assistance, etc. They even take the right to protest, holding up foreign flags and signs that judge and condemn those who oppose their lawless attitudes.

Don't allow yourself to be shamed for believing in what's right and supporting the law. The same Jesus who said "love thy neighbor" also commanded us to obey and judge righteously.

Those who hate should be ashamed, but the majority of us simply want our laws obeyed and enforced for all, regardless of race, color or creed.

Douglas Roy
Lexington, Ky.