Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 02/24/12

Wasting time

How embarrassing.

I'm about as liberal as they come, and believe in strict gun control, but I couldn't believe that anyone would waste their time complaining about the ProShots Indoor Range and Training billboards ("Under fire," Feb. 12). For goodness sake, it's obvious that the company is just trying to be funny while drumming up some business. And I'd much rather see a billboard from a company that welcomes everyone than one of those terrible "If you voted for President Obama, we don't want you" commercials that were in the news a while back.

ProShots is a legal business and as far as we know, has not broken any law or harmed anyone. I wish I could apologize to the ProShots owners for my fellow liberals — sometimes they can be a dour bunch.

If my friends really do want to "coexist," that means with gun owners, too.

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JANE FREEMONT GIBSON

Winston-Salem

In the middle

Regarding the Feb. 20 letter "Governing our food," readers should understand that the truth of the matter, as is often the case, lies somewhere in the middle of the fray. According to information coming from Bob Barnes, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in Hoke County, the error was not so much in governmental meddling but rather in a poor decision by the child's teacher.

The lunch in question met dietary guidelines except for a sugary fruit drink that should have been replaced by low-fat milk. The teacher told the child to get a school lunch rather than just getting some milk.

This has been blown way out of proportion in regard to any governmental oversight of school lunches and should only receive the attention it deserves.

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LOUIS NEWTON

Winston-Salem

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Do you think Americans are too obsessed with the untimely deaths of celebrities?

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Yes. And way too "unobsessed" with the untimely deaths of our soldiers, sailors and Marines who gave their lives in defense of our right to obsess over the deaths of celebrities.

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CHARLIE STOTT

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Americans have become pathologically obsessed with the deaths of celebrities, who originally became famous for their talent but consciously chose to follow paths of darkness and tragedy, suppressing their development of character. It is often obvious that their fame ran away with their good judgment.

On Feb. 17, the highly celebrated and prominent Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier received awards on national TV for their active interest and contributions to various important humanitarian causes and charities.

These are the mentors and models whom we should honor and imitate.

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VIRGINIA UNDERHILL

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Yes, but it's not just Americans, it's worldwide. Most people have a need to worship something. It may be a god, or a celebrity, and they are willing to spend millions of dollars to show their love and adulation of the one(s) they worship. And, to add to the words "untimely deaths of celebrities," in your question, in so many instances, it's also the "inevitable deaths" of these celebrities who had it all, and blew it on drugs, losing the one life they had. It is sad.

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PATRICIA STOCKMEISTER

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Concerning the attention given celebrity death and our fixation on celebrities in general, the broader question is: What are we celebrating?

In the words of George Will concerning Jean Edward Smith's biography, "Eisenhower in War and Peace" ("Reasons to like (and honor) Ike," Feb. 20), has the "person esteemed by the nation lived and is worth learning more about" met that criterion? Do we hear America singing by virtue of that honoree's life? If not, then less attention than that recently given Whitney Houston would be in order.

On Feb. 22, many of us heard the words: "Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return," as we received the blessed ashes on our foreheads. Death levels the playing field, an equal opportunity player, as we graduate from life on earth to life in heaven.

Sic transit gloria mundi!

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WILLIAM K. ACH

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Yes, Americans are obsessed with the untimely deaths of celebrities. I truly wish they were as concerned with the untimely deaths of our young military men and women. These are the ones who knew more about death long before they knew much about life.

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JIM SCHALLER

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Yes, most definitely, we're all simple living creatures, but Americans are also obsessed with the untimely death of most everything. Every live thing since the beginning of time has departed this old world the same way.

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FRANK SCISM