Focus on budget, not race
Regarding Eugene Robinson’s opinion piece, “Bigots using race to smear president” (July 23). First, Shirley Sherrod was used as a pawn by political pundits. Her story is one of self-redemption. However, she did use bias and clouded judgment along her journey before she realized it was wrong and sought to help the white farmer’s family.
Journalists play this kind of “gotcha” politics all the time. This is not a right-wing or left-wing issue; this is a product of political parties’ desire for control and a media in search of sensational stories to increase ad revenue.
Tea party members are not racists; they are average patriotic Americans tired of Washington politics and out-of-control spending.
As for President Obama, he has mixed heritage and has said so publicly. There is no need to keep labeling him black any more than there is the need to call George W. Bush white. Obama is our president, and black, white, brown, blue, green or yellow has no place in a person’s description while in political office in 2010.
I am more concerned with a $14 trillion national debt than political maneuvering designed to soil candidates or parties to gain favor with American voters. It’s called results.
DAVID L. NICHOLS Fort Wayne
Were Burmese dumped on city?
Regarding the editorial, “Abandoned upon arrival” (July 25):
There’s got to be more to the story than that the federal government brought the Burmese here and said, “Have at it, good luck.” Though the federal government is in many instances incompetent (look at the Gulf oil spill and Arizona illegal immigration), I don’t think it would just dump the Burmese on Fort Wayne – or am I missing something?
Catholic Charities and other like-minded groups had a major part in the Burmese coming here.
RICH POLK Fort Wayne
Religion won’t cure world’s ills
Sharon Watson wrote in her letter, “U.S. becoming godless country” (July 13), “If the world would adhere to God’s word, there would be no more wars, murders, rapes, illegitimate children, pornography and other vile things, which are running rampant in our lives today.” That assumption is incorrect because many horrific atrocities have been and are today committed “in the name of God” and “according to God’s word.”
The killings during the Crusades, justification of slavery as a way to spread Christianity and the Salem witch trial killings are examples of people “following God’s word” and bringing suffering upon others.
Today, abortion doctors are brutally murdered and gay people are persecuted and often victimized by violence in the name of God. There even is infighting between denominations of the Christian religion – people on the same team.
I am an agnostic, and I believe today’s society isn’t on a downward spiral. Were we better off burning “witches,” enslaving other races, murdering non-believers and keeping women subservient using the Bible as justification? Or are we better off trying to promote tolerance between races, religions and creeds? Bear in mind, there are often two major reasons for fighting wars: real estate and religion.
ANDREW GARDINER Huntertown
Local leaders don’t govern well
It is becoming a burden for me to read how some people who have been elected to lead us feel how our system should work.
In the story “Uniting the thin blue line: Center analyzes data to combat crime, terror” (July 25), it was reported that state Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, supports the Fusion Center, which might be more aptly named the Fuhrer Center.
In “Political Notebook” (July 25), City Councilman and Deputy Police Chief Marty Bender stated that the actions of firefighters begging on street corners is unlawful. Then, City Councilwoman Liz Brown withdrew her proposed anti-begging bill because she wasn’t willing to research to whether the bill is constitutional. Does such a statement not constitute dereliction of duty on the part of an elected official?
I for one am disgusted by the state of local governance as reported by The Journal Gazette.
PAUL T. SCHRAM Churubusco
