Letters, 6/23: Don't blame the liberals
Merlyn Braunsroth’s letter about liberals lying about President Bush (LJS, June 16) makes me wonder on what planet he and letter writer Wayne Simpson are living. Conservatives always blame the problems they create on “liberals.”
Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, not as a push for terrorism, but because Kuwait was angle-drilling under the Iraqi border into its Rumaila oil fields and because of a dispute over the real border as Kuwait was once a possession of Iraq.
Braunsroth obviously forgets who the president was at this time, because it was George H.W. Bush who decided not to push the military to Baghdad (not the liberals as he suggests who prevented the military from finishing the job). Senior Bush, unlike his son, knew that occupying Iraq was a bad idea at that time. Actually, the U.S. ambassador, April Glaspie, was quoted as saying to Saddam, “We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait.” Assuming that Bush didn’t care about him invading Kuwait, Saddam felt that the United States would not intervene. But Bush knew any conflict in the region would increase oil company profits.
And, wrongly again, Braunsroth tries to say that this was the reason the terrorists attacked us on Sept. 11, 2001, forgetting that none of them were from Iraq, but from our friendly neighbor Saudi Arabia. There were no terrorists in Iraq until after we invaded and put the Iraqi military out of work.
If President Lincoln were alive today, I doubt he would see “the divisiveness and immorality liberals have wrought on our country,” as Braunsroth says, but actually the attempt to wreck the Constitution, the ignoring of habeas corpus and the use of torture for which the Bush administration is now responsible.
If Braunsroth would actually study history and stop listening to all the garbage the Republicans make up (and Fox News), he might actually learn that another word for “liberal” is “progressive.”
Craig A. Wagner, Lincoln
The death of tradition
Funerals of loved ones are hard enough, especially if the death was sudden or for someone very young. I recently attended the funeral of my friend’s young son. The service was attended by a great number of people, and most of them joined the burial procession to the cemetery.
With all those people, we thought for sure it would be police-escorted. However, we were informed just before we left that police could not be spared for such unimportant tasks.
I was disgusted to see how many cars disrespectfully cut off the procession, sped around us or did not allow us to reach the cemetery together. People need to learn funeral etiquette and give up 5 minutes of their time to respect grieving family and friends. What happened to cars yielding to a funeral procession, or pulling over and turning on their headlights?
Most of this shocking behavior could have been avoided had the city provided just one car to escort the procession and ensure traffic safety at busy intersections. Not only would this have been an additional safety measure, it also would have added dignity to the suffering family. Why should the residents of Lincoln have to grieve the death of tradition and respect because it costs the city a few dollars?
Mary J. Oswald, Lincoln
The sins of homosexuality
Once upon a time, homosexuality and the homosexual community were distant concerns for those who led the local church.
How is it a reality in our day-to-day ministry? We are faced with friends and relatives, co-workers and church leaders who in one way or another are dealing with homosexuality. It is an issue that confronts us in the newspaper, on the television and in our local schools. It is an issue that is tearing apart friendships, churches and homes.
What about the person claiming to be a “practicing homosexual Christian?” Scripture speaks clearly to this. A person who makes such a claim is making two contradictory statements: 1) I am a practicing homosexual, and 2) I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
Which one supersedes the other? Which one is most basic to their identity?
If a person says “Christian,” then as a disciple of Jesus their sexuality must bow in obedience of Christ and what the Scripture says about the sin of homosexual behavior. If a person says “practicing homosexual,” then God and Scripture must bow to their sexual orientation, and this makes homosexuality an idolatrous identity for the practicing homosexual. Their identity supersedes their identity in Christ. Anything above God is an idol!
Pastor Andy Hergenreder, Kimball
Capitalism at its finest
On the news Thursday, a gaggle of top Fed enforcement people told us how many arrests and indictments they have gotten lately related to the subprime and investment banking crises.
I was amazed at the sheer number of people and funds involved. But I was more amazed by the lateness of all this legal action.
The subprime situation hit the wall last year. The hedge fund mess is just a bit behind. But that means the circumstances lending themselves to these abuses have been going on for years.
I’ve lived through two administrations that believed in laissez-faire capitalism. I didn’t think one could be more irresponsible than Reagan. I was wrong. Bush wins.
The consequence to the public of unfettered capitalism is like that of true socialism, because a small group of elite people control most of the wealth of the country. The next administration must rebuild our protections against one of the most dangerous defects in the capitalistic theory: “Let the buyer beware.”
Steve Poots, Seward
Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, not as a push for terrorism, but because Kuwait was angle-drilling under the Iraqi border into its Rumaila oil fields and because of a dispute over the real border as Kuwait was once a possession of Iraq.
Braunsroth obviously forgets who the president was at this time, because it was George H.W. Bush who decided not to push the military to Baghdad (not the liberals as he suggests who prevented the military from finishing the job). Senior Bush, unlike his son, knew that occupying Iraq was a bad idea at that time. Actually, the U.S. ambassador, April Glaspie, was quoted as saying to Saddam, “We have no opinion on your Arab-Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait.” Assuming that Bush didn’t care about him invading Kuwait, Saddam felt that the United States would not intervene. But Bush knew any conflict in the region would increase oil company profits.
And, wrongly again, Braunsroth tries to say that this was the reason the terrorists attacked us on Sept. 11, 2001, forgetting that none of them were from Iraq, but from our friendly neighbor Saudi Arabia. There were no terrorists in Iraq until after we invaded and put the Iraqi military out of work.
If President Lincoln were alive today, I doubt he would see “the divisiveness and immorality liberals have wrought on our country,” as Braunsroth says, but actually the attempt to wreck the Constitution, the ignoring of habeas corpus and the use of torture for which the Bush administration is now responsible.
If Braunsroth would actually study history and stop listening to all the garbage the Republicans make up (and Fox News), he might actually learn that another word for “liberal” is “progressive.”
Craig A. Wagner, Lincoln
The death of tradition
Funerals of loved ones are hard enough, especially if the death was sudden or for someone very young. I recently attended the funeral of my friend’s young son. The service was attended by a great number of people, and most of them joined the burial procession to the cemetery.
With all those people, we thought for sure it would be police-escorted. However, we were informed just before we left that police could not be spared for such unimportant tasks.
I was disgusted to see how many cars disrespectfully cut off the procession, sped around us or did not allow us to reach the cemetery together. People need to learn funeral etiquette and give up 5 minutes of their time to respect grieving family and friends. What happened to cars yielding to a funeral procession, or pulling over and turning on their headlights?
Most of this shocking behavior could have been avoided had the city provided just one car to escort the procession and ensure traffic safety at busy intersections. Not only would this have been an additional safety measure, it also would have added dignity to the suffering family. Why should the residents of Lincoln have to grieve the death of tradition and respect because it costs the city a few dollars?
Mary J. Oswald, Lincoln
The sins of homosexuality
Once upon a time, homosexuality and the homosexual community were distant concerns for those who led the local church.
How is it a reality in our day-to-day ministry? We are faced with friends and relatives, co-workers and church leaders who in one way or another are dealing with homosexuality. It is an issue that confronts us in the newspaper, on the television and in our local schools. It is an issue that is tearing apart friendships, churches and homes.
What about the person claiming to be a “practicing homosexual Christian?” Scripture speaks clearly to this. A person who makes such a claim is making two contradictory statements: 1) I am a practicing homosexual, and 2) I am a follower of Jesus Christ.
Which one supersedes the other? Which one is most basic to their identity?
If a person says “Christian,” then as a disciple of Jesus their sexuality must bow in obedience of Christ and what the Scripture says about the sin of homosexual behavior. If a person says “practicing homosexual,” then God and Scripture must bow to their sexual orientation, and this makes homosexuality an idolatrous identity for the practicing homosexual. Their identity supersedes their identity in Christ. Anything above God is an idol!
Pastor Andy Hergenreder, Kimball
Capitalism at its finest
On the news Thursday, a gaggle of top Fed enforcement people told us how many arrests and indictments they have gotten lately related to the subprime and investment banking crises.
I was amazed at the sheer number of people and funds involved. But I was more amazed by the lateness of all this legal action.
The subprime situation hit the wall last year. The hedge fund mess is just a bit behind. But that means the circumstances lending themselves to these abuses have been going on for years.
I’ve lived through two administrations that believed in laissez-faire capitalism. I didn’t think one could be more irresponsible than Reagan. I was wrong. Bush wins.
The consequence to the public of unfettered capitalism is like that of true socialism, because a small group of elite people control most of the wealth of the country. The next administration must rebuild our protections against one of the most dangerous defects in the capitalistic theory: “Let the buyer beware.”
Steve Poots, Seward
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