LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONTINUED
Judge Overrules Church, Constitution
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
The decision by Circuit Judge Randy Bellows to force the Episcopal Church to become a congregational church has interesting implications ["Breakaway Congregations Win Va. Church Dispute"].Don't like a decision of our elected board, the vestry? We can simply call a meeting of the congregation and change it.
Have a member we think should be ordained but the bishop and the standing committee disagree? No problem; convene a congregational meeting and vote the ordination. Heck, we can go ahead and ordain him or her ourselves.
Don't like the bishop? Well, we'll elect our own. The implications for the Roman Catholic Church are even more profound. Pope, what pope?
I guess the judge saw the U.S. Constitution as prohibiting the establishment of religion -- but not prohibiting wholesale changes of an existing religion to whatever the legislature and/or the judiciary wants it to be. So much for the protections of the Constitution.
Bruce McAlister. Richmond.
Contempt Citation Showed Discrimination
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
You recently reported on a judge in Douglasville, Ga., who ordered Lisa Valentine to serve 10 days in jail for contempt of court. This resulted from Valentine's refusal to remove her head scarf. She, a Muslim, violated court policy prohibiting the wearing of headgear in court.The judge's order based on contempt of court elicits contempt from many Americans who value religious freedom. I wonder if a distinguished Jewish attorney, representing a well-known client, would be commanded to remove his skull cap. Or would an Eastern Orthodox Christian prelate called into court as a witness be required to shed his head gear? How about a Sikh?
Valentine was correct in her refusal to remove a piece of garb mandated by her religion. The judicial order was most injudicial and reprehensible. Any American, regardless of his or her religious affiliation -- or of no affiliation -- should be enraged by such behavior that, whether constitutional or not, is certainly unacceptable.
I.B. Koller. Richmond.
It's Time to Change The Tone of Discourse
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Correspondent Margaret Gallagher writes, "Since all the major news outlets are owned by conservatives, the liberal media exist only in minds." Funny -- even liberal commentators have admitted that news coverage generally favors Democrats. Also, Gallagher might benefit from a lesson on who exactly owns public companies (hint: the general public). But even if she intended to state that the major news outlets are all managed by conservatives, she would be incorrect. In any case, the premise that corporations are by definition conservative is as fatuous as it is ubiquitous on left-wing Web sites.Perhaps Gallagher gets her abusive tone and opinions from those same sources. Her "blithering idiot" and "dolt" insults reflect the kind of commentary usually expressed in the anonymity of the Internet or behind the wheel of a car. Her list of complaints -- illegal and immoral war, worst president in history, shredding the Constitution, lies/Iraq -- has been recycled so exhaustively in the left-wing echo chamber that her letter is simply angry repetition rather than a reasoned argument.
One doesn't need to be a blind-faith supporter of President Bush -- which I am not by any stretch -- to object to the degradation of public discourse over the past eight years. This has gone in both directions; I was disgusted by much of the garbage directed at Barack Obama leading up to the election. Fortunately, most post-election opposition opinion has been respectful and appreciative of the historic importance of his presidency.
Even though I did not support Obama's candidacy, I hope this civil tone will continue throughout his tenure. Enough is enough.
Rick Provost. Midlothian.
Blagojevich Simply Reached Too Far
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich comes from a recent sequence of Illinois governors unable to show restraint when reaching into the cookie jar. The mistakes have been blatant violations of the acceptable boundaries for the ubiquitous practice known as quid pro quo.This is a Latin term defined as: "one thing in return for another," and is the accepted norm of most everyday transactions in general. This is also naturally the accepted everyday practice with most winning politicians: "to the victor belong the spoils" and the favors to bestow -- until the hard to resist overreach, and then the familiar stench of corruption.
Blagojevich will most likely hear the familiar report later after arrival at his state pen: "The food was better in here when you were the governor."
Henry V. Secor. Midlothian.
Proposed Cigarette Tax Makes Perfect Sense
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Currently in Virginia, 30 cents per pack of cigarettes for prevention is worth $167 million for curing our current financial woes. To prevent heart disease and for sound fiscal policy, Gov. Tim Kaine's plan to raise the cigarette tax by 30 cents per pack makes perfect sense.We know that disease prevention is important and there is no better way to prevent heart attacks and strokes than by decreasing smoking rates. And there is no better way to decrease smoking rates than by increasing the price of cigarettes. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to price increases. For teens, a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes usually results in a 7 percent drop in smoking rates. Because smokers typically become addicted to nicotine during their teenage years, raising the price can affect a teenager's lifelong health.
Opponents argue that the tobacco industry will be harmed by the tax increase, even though Virginia currently has the third-lowest tax in the nation. But the tobacco industry is not the only sector of our economy that will be affected by reduced smoking. Happily for all, reducing smoking rates will decrease the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and other related illnesses, affecting revenues to providers, but also reducing health care costs throughout the commonwealth. The American College of Cardiology supports the tax increase because it's the right thing to do.
These are hard economic times. Tax revenues are down sharply and our state constitution requires that we balance the budget. Kaine's plan to increase the cigarette tax is a sound policy decision. It will create a short-term revenue stream and by preventing disease, it will create long-term savings.
John E. Brush Jr., M.D., President, Virginia Chapter,
American College of Cardiology. Norfolk.Kaine's Budget Was Way Off
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Recently Gov. Tim Kaine released his revised 2009 budget and stated that the projected 2009 revenue will be almost $2 billion dollars less than he projected a year ago when he submitted his 2009 budget.The sad part of the governor's error is that it did not have to be this way. Last December when Kaine released his revenue projections, the Republicans doubted the projections and requested a revenue review. The Washington Post quoted Kaine as saying that these were simply "goofy claims" by the Republicans. Those claims certainly do not appear to be very goofy now. At that same time The Washington Post said that "Senate Democrats are also a bit nervous about Kaine's revenue estimates." The Post added that state Sen. Charles Colgan said, "Hopefully, the governor's numbers are close." Well, the governor's numbers were not close and the citizens of Virginia will pay for it.
The governor is still refusing to face the facts. The actual revenue (as reported by the auditor of Public Accounts) for the first quarter of 2009 was $8.7 billion dollars. This is a decrease in revenue of an additional $1.2 billion. The real bottom line is that Kaine was wrong, really wrong, and the actual 2009 revenue is going to be $3.2 billion dollars less than what Kaine first projected.
What does this mean to the citizens of Virginia? The governor is allowing our public safety, transportation, and state employees to shoulder the burden of his mistake. The even more devastating news is that this will not be enough. Over the next few months the state will have to make deeper and broader cuts to cover Kaine's $3.2 billion mistake.
Jerry Burch. Mechanicsville.
Clinton Has the Chops To Serve at State
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
As a dedicated Democrat and retired Richmond schoolteacher, I believe positive attitudes are the secret to the success. Today gratitude is extended to Sen. Hillary Clinton for being willing to serve as a female trailblazer for diverse audiences in the 21st century. In her fight for justice and equality for all, she is not threatened by difficult challenges. She will be an asset as secretary of state, because she is greatly concerned about the welfare of others.Clinton possesses integrity, knowledge, vision, charm, tenacity, faith, and expertise to motivate and inspire people of different races, creeds, and colors to achieve greater heights.
Her experiences as an illustrious senator, wife of a former president, devoted mother, politician, and humanitarian will enable her to encounter days without pain; laughter without sorrow; and sushine without rain -- because she has the strength and courage for the day, comfort for the tears, and the perseverance to make her dreams a reality.
Cheers for our new secretary of state!
Barbara McDaniel Harris. Richmond.
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Reader Reactions
I do know a thing or two about the stock market. But I have no idea what you are talking about. I would venture to guess nobody else does either.It might not be a good idea to buy any stock anytime soon.
Greta. I am going to guess by your comments to Mr. Strong about shareholders that you don’t know how being a shareholder works. No public company is owned by the ‘General Public’. The companies are owned by those who choose to purchase stock in said companies. It is not the same as the Government at all.
Holders of IRAs, annuities, etc. like you have referenced are not necessarily insiders in the company. Therefore, even if they own holdings in said company, their information is not reported to the SEC, nor made public.
Um, no. Shareholders of a company are a specific group of people, not the ‘General Public’.
And, why does every discussion devolve into Bush bashing? Are you being sincere? Perhaps because he is leaving office with an almosts 80% disapproval rate? And, the 80% is finally fighting back.
Barack Obama’s rallies did not include anyone yelling ‘Kill Him’, or the N-word, or ‘He’s a terrorist’ like they did at Sarah Palin’s. I will give McCain credit; when confronted by that idiotic woman at one of his rallies who stated she didn’t trust him because he was an ‘Arab’, he did correct her.
Bush is a stain on the history of this country. He has sullied everything he has touched. Those of you who cannot see it are to be pitied more than vilified.
Mr. Strong-
Are “specific shareholders” not members of the public? Holders of IRAs,
Annuties, 401Ks. Not members of the public?
Mr. Provost certainly does not need me to defend or explain his thoughtful and intelligent commentary. However I find it difficult to understand how his statement “the degredation of public discourse over the past years. It went in BOTH directions.“ (The block letters are mine of course. That point seemed to be in need of some stress) reaches the level of unhappy whining. He pointed out that he was disgusted by the treatment of Mr. Obama leading up to the election. I also recall Mr. McCain declaring the ranting Reverend Wright “off limits” at the end of the campaign when another whiff of his puffery would have been very unpleasant for Mr. Obama.
I also recall people misbehaving at many Obama rallies. Ladies with scarves being removed from the camera sight. And most startling of all young people waving the communist Hammer and Sickle flag in Was
Washington D.C. There was enough bad behavior to go around.
And why does every discourse have to descend into a Bush bashing session. What in the world are you people going to when he is finally gone from the scene?
This commentary started out about bias in the media. If you are interested in that subject the debate continues. Whining and ranting and bashing is juvenile and worse boring.
The General Public owns public companies? Wow. I’m out of the loop on that one. I thought it was specific shareholders that owned public companies.
I echo MES’ comments. The right wingers in this country are whining about how their hero is being treated in his last days, which is beyond ridiculous. The man and his administration have destroyed this country; driven it economically into the ground, entered us in a war where we had no business, embarrassed us on the world stage by squandering all the good will since 9/11, and now the right wing wants civil discourse? Wow. In the eight years since Bush has been President, the only comment that reached across the aisle to Democrats was the infamous cursing out of Patrick Leahy by Dick Cheney.
You reap what you sow.
Greta. Again we meet. Mr. Provost’s comments show that the right wing is now very unhappy with the comments directed at their President. Really? They want to change the level of discourse. Where were these same people when Rush Limbaugh called Chelsea Clinton a dog? Or when the Republican convention was loaded with people who wore purple band aids mocking an actual war hero, instead of the draft dodger they blindly followed?
I defy you to show this column any of the same level of hate radio or television that is 24/7 by the Republican party and their supporters. Barack Obama himself called for Sarah Palin’s children to be ‘off limits’; do you honestly think that the right would have done the same?
The ‘pro-life’ party has proven itself to be a lying party. 8 years of a staunch pro-life President, 6 years of a Republican Congress, a Right leaning SCOTUS and Roe v Wade is still here. Why you ask? Because it’s a wedge issue and the right knows that 70% of Americans approve of a women’s right to choose. It’s interesting that the right wing is so steadily in support of a war which we had no business entering. What pro-life message does that send?
The continued adverse reaction to the letter penned by Margaret Gallagher is very revealing. It seems to have triggered a tipping point of some sort.We are all indeed saturated with the same mindless Daily Kos, Huffington Post rhetoric that has been used as a substitute for any genuine knowledge of the real issues in the recent political season.
But to stridently insist that there was no media bias during that time is to completely disregard the mea culpas and confessions made by many of the entities involved. Not to mention the ones who were listed in the polls taken by the Pew Research Center and several other respected institutions.
I personally do not have a party affiliation but the degree of civility demonstrated by the conservative faction in their loss this time around is in glaring contrast to the collective tantrum thrown by their counterparts in 2004.They were very bad losers and I am afraid they are not very gracious winners either.
We all wish Mr.Obama great success. It is in everybody’s best interests to do so.
And I sincerely hope that Mr. Provost’s echo chamber is silenced once and for all and true political debate can resume for those who are interested in genuine dialogue and not just parroting dogma in a box.
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