Winston-Salem Journal LTE's TU 08/23/11

Good AM, folks!

Here are the LTE's. There is news also, as it may be that the Debka report that O.T. cited yesterday is correct: Khadhafy forces let the rebels in to Tripoli and are trying to cut them off. According to NPR just now, the situation is "still murky."

Tax-cut extension

Extension of the Bush tax cuts for people earning more than $250,000 supposedly was necessary in order to stimulate investment and job growth. So, where are the jobs?

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CAM CHOINIERE
Pfafftown

A disturbing dissonance

Appealing the ruling blocking sectarian prayer before Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meetings while so many in our community hunger gives Winston-Salem a black eye. Recent stories in the Journal reflect a disturbing dissonance between the need for the public display of faith and its expression through action.

"The greater Winston-Salem area was ranked the worst metro area in the United States in having families with children that had a hard time putting food on the table … ." And the Second Harvest Food Bank reports empty shelves. ("Hunger study calls area worst in U.S.," Aug. 17)

Claims that the appeal is funded by the Alliance Defense Fund (provide a certified accounting of all money/staff time expended on this legal battle and all sources of funding) ignore the fact that our commissioners feel this fight is more important than children who hunger. Our commissioners should suspend this case and direct their attention to the pressing needs of our community.

Faith based in love and compassion demands action. I see neither compassion nor love in this legal effort. Those who feel it necessary to continue the court battle should heed the words found in the scripture (Matthew 6, Matthew 23 and Matthew 25) they claim to defend: Minister to those who are hungry and thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit those who are sick and in prison.

"Words that do not match deeds are not important." — Che Guevara.

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HENRY H. LAFFERTY
Winston-Salem

Religious freedoms
I'm not religious, but I was somewhat comforted to read the story "Prayer service provides support for area schools" (Aug. 17). The source of my comfort was the description of the Methodist Church having a tradition of being strong supporters of public education — unlike the fanatical and unyielding fundamentalists and tea-party politicians we read about so often today.

These fanatics don't hesitate to describe public schools as if they were some kind of brainwashing centers, simply because schools teach things that are contrary to their own pre-determined beliefs. They carry on about how God and prayer have been taken out of the schools, though neither claim is true; they purposely ignore the deeper aspect, that government-sponsored religion has been removed, allowing students greater freedom of conscience — even Christian students. The fanatics in Raleigh won't hesitate to attack public education because true education doesn't support their own fanatical beliefs. The same is true of their attempts to weaken government — because government actually serves as protection against their fanaticism.

They also won't hesitate to be deceitful in pursuit of their goals; they think they're serving a greater good.
I don't expect my letter to change the minds of any fanatics out there, but I hope to alert everyone else to the fact that if we don't stand up and oppose them — and they are well organized and embedded — they will soon be running the country. And they have no compunction against taking away the freedoms the rest of us hold dear.

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MACK FERGUSON
Winston-Salem

No need for a trial
This is how the conversation should have gone:

Rep. Virginia Foxx: "Did you DUI?"

Chief of Staff Todd Poole: "Yes."

Foxx: "You're fired."

It's not rocket science.

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ED SEHON
Winston-Salem