Letters To The Editor
Cassandra Was Right, But No One Cared
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In Greek myth, Cassandra was given the given the gift of prophecy, but when she spurned Apollo's seduction, was doomed to never be believed.
That is how it feels for city residents right now when we can be justifiably concerned that no one is listening at the City Council level. We share what we see, but -- not being enamored -- we are ignored.
We ask questions, see a disaster in the making, and we get castigated for asking the questions.
No comprehensive engineering report has accompanied the other studies on the physical feat of putting a ballpark in the Bottom. The proposal cannot even label the project as in the "Bottom." It is labeled instead as "Shockoe Center," like some suburban strip mall project.
Check out the "Phases" of the project. Phase III (translation: never) is to provide for recognition of slavery's past in Richmond. Very seductive to those who do not turn a critical eye to the proposal from the beginning.
But if the "fix" is in, we remain Cassandras.
Jean Wight.
Richmond.
It's Time to Listen To a Higher Law
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Our children are screaming for adults to "do something" to transform our world in the only way many know how -- by committing suicide. Bright, loving children send us a message: "I can't take it anymore!" Take what? The violence that characterizes their world -- in school, on television, in their video games, on the Internet, often at home, in the world-at-large. How long will we ignore their screams?
At age 10, Addison sends us a message of love. She wants to go to camp this summer. In order to pay the tuition, she created flower-topped pencils and sold them. During a recent home church service, she heard the story of children in Ghana having to live in the town dump, so they can eat the garbage. Addison contributed half of her camp money to send a dump child to school for a year. She demonstrated the way of love: "Do onto others as you would have them do unto you."
Addison will go to camp because she knows the secret of an abundant life: "Give and you will receive." A child in Ghana will attend school, get a hot meal each day, and have adequate clothing. All prosper when we walk the path of love. How long will we ignore this fact?
There are approximately 8 million man-made laws within the American legal system. Our crumbling world yells the message, "Man-made laws are not working!" How long will we ignore this call to lift our consciousness to a higher plane and implement the laws of God -- "Be kind to one another." "We reap what we sow." "Build up treasures in heaven"?
It is time to listen! Time to rise above all that separates us. To replace violence with loving concern for all peoples. To allow man-made laws to fall away as we choose to implement the laws of God instead. To recognize that we are members of a cosmic family who are far more advanced than we are--both technologically and spiritually.
It is time to listen and to re-create our world!
Nancy Detweiler.
Richmond.
Peace of Mind Eases Pain of Insurance Costs
Editor, Times-Dispatch: I must respond to Peter Pudner's letter, "Americans Don't Want For-Profit Health Care."
First, the 103 million Americans he claims who would opt into government-managed health insurance will expect something for nothing. This reflects the desire of many Americans for the growth and expansion of the nanny state.
Second, Pudner claims that the goal of a "Medicare-style program is to provide health care."
He left out the fact that bankrupting our country also seems to be the goal of Medicare programs. Like any good liberal, he considers profit to be a dirty word. If health insurance companies making a profit is such a crime, why not have the government take over the auto insurance and homeowner insurance industries?
For 30 years I have paid my auto and homeowner insurance premiums and have never filed a claim. Does it upset Pudner that I have gotten nothing in return for my money?
However, in those 30 years, my family has used our private health insurance many times. It has always been there when we needed it and given us peace of mind -- something the government is absolutely incapable of.
Bill Walker III.
Warsaw.
Reader Reactions
“Taking the profit out of healthcare is going to drive doctors out of the profession.” Posted by (M&P .45)
Bon Secours Health System, headquartered in Marriottsville, Maryland, a $2.6 billion not-for-profit Catholic health system, owns, manages, or joint ventures 18 acute-care hospitals, one psychiatric hospital, five nursing care facilities, five assisted living facilities, and 15 home care and hospice programs. Bon Secours’ more than 20,000 employees help people in seven states, primarily on the East Coast.
Bon Secours operates 5 hospitals here in Richmond—and employs lots of Doctors.
M&P .45: Please educate yourself. It is very dangerous for citizens of a Democratic Republic to be as ignorant as you are about Health Care & Non-profits.
Taking the profit out of healthcare is going to drive doctors out of the profession.
Just who the heck is going to go bust their tail for straight A’s from High School, College, Medical School… then a Residency, then another couple years training for a specialty… close to TWENTY years of school/training…all BEFORE you start making any money.
And then not have a chance to get paid?
Heck with that. I’d go become a pharmacist and work 9 to 5 with vacations and holidays and take my $90k per year from day 1.
“That’s funny, I keep hearing Christianity described as a 2,000 year old fairy tale, but, historical records kept by Josephus, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus, independent of the Bible and relatively contemporaneous of the time verify the historical existence and works of Jesus Christ. Fairy tale is a pretty big stretch compared to the evidence to the contrary.” Posted by ( Randy )***
Actually, it is much more of a stretch to grab at “Josephus, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus” in an attempt to make credible the pathetic testimony of 21st Century conservative American Evangelical Christians.
Josephus, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus do not “verify the historical existence and works of Jesus Christ” any more than the Bible does. It’s the way Christians live their lives in this world that makes the difference:
Matt. 5:14-16: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.“
I do not see “A city that is set on a hill…“
TITUS FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS (37 –100 AD)
Josephus was born in 37 AD at least 1 year after Pontius Pilate was relieved of his position as Procurator of Judea. Josephus could not have been an “eye witness.” Josephus wrote the Antiquities of the Jews in 93 AD (about the same time the Gospel of John is said to have been written); and therefore, he had to depend on sources that were decades after the events. Paul’s epistles & the synoptic gospels existed at that time; but written copies were very, very rare. Josephus may or may not have read some of these documents—no one knows.
As far as I know Josephus mentioned Jesus on two occasions:
Antiquities of the Jews 18.63
“ Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”
Antiquities: 20.9.
“Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he [Ananus] assembled the sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James…”
PLINY THE YOUNGER (61—112 AD)
Pliny the Younger wrote the Emperor Trajan in 112 AD about Christians, who refused to worship the emperor:
“Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ — none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do — these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshiped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.”
TACITUS (56–117 AD)
Writing in 116 AD [Annals Book 15], Tacitus mentions “Christus” as having been executed Pilate during Tiberius’ reign:
“Nero fastened the guilt of starting the blaze[Great Fire of Rome: 64 AD] and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius [14-37] at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.”
That’s funny, I keep hearing Christianity described as a 2,000 year old fairy tale, but, historical records kept by Josephus, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus, independent of the Bible and relatively contemporaneous of the time verify the historical existence and works of Jesus Christ. Fairy tale is a pretty big stretch compared to the evidence to the contrary.
I’d love to see what kind of insurance plan Mr. Walker has, and who actually pays the premiums. People are rarely happy with their private, for-profit insurance when they’re confronted with how much it actually costs, not just what they think it costs because their employer is subsidizing most of it.
Of course, ignorance is rarely a reason not to post libertarian teabagger screeds on the internet. In fact, it seems to be a requirement.
Hey, Ms. Detweiler. I hear they like “implementing the laws of God” in places like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Maybe you should move to one of those places, as opposed to trying to force your 2,000 year old fairy tale down the throats of people who could care less what sky wizard you pray to.
While we’re on Greek Mythology - compare Narcissis to Obama and Echo to the MSM. It’s perfect.
An excellent letter Mr. Walker.
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