No merit badges earned for displaying intolerance
Regarding Jimbo Perry’s comments concerning the Boy Scouts of America (The Free Press, Jan. 30) I’m compelled to publicly ask Mr. Perry to explain his litmus test for determining the sexual orientation of the children he deems unfit to participate in Scouting. Is there something he knows that I don’t?
From Cub Scouts on, our troop consisted of children of privileged families as well as children from struggling unconventional families. All were welcome. All provided for. All seen as equals in the eyes of our doting den mothers. All seen as budding young men through the eyes of our mentoring Scoutmasters.
Scouting challenges the mind. Scouting teaches collective cooperation. I am the person I am today because of my experience as a Scout. Therefore, in my humble opinion, there is no merit in, and no Merit Badge for, intolerance.
Robert G. Hodges
Austin, Texas/Kinston
Obama administration trying to rewrite history
I’m personally baffled by the continued posturing in Congress and by the Obama administration.
We endured months of talk about the “fiscal cliff ” — a preposterous fabricated term — and the perceived danger of falling off that cliff. Congress and the president shortened Christmas and New Year’s to come to an agreement. Early in the hours of Jan. 1 a 157-page bill was passed that cut taxes for some, raise Social Security tax 2 percent, raised taxes on the “wealthy” and there were essentially no cuts to expenditures.
At the same time other taxes increased on about 70 percent of the total population of the United States. Since then the administration has been almost silent about the economy and getting it back in gear. Anything else must be more important and the Senate must agree, too!
Congress and the administration keep parroting the “deep” cuts they’ve made. But if you look at expenditures you will see they are increasing every year by substantial amounts. Washington maxim: Taxes go up immediately, cuts are prorated over 10 years. The budget — there has not been a constitutionally mandated budget in four years — is based on the money spent last year, which went up. Therefore, the new budget is always higher than last year’s. Spending has increased! Looking at the current “budget” is like looking at the surface of the ocean with its waves and tides that totally mask what is really under the surface. You might call it “smoke and mirrors.” No matter what, there is one thing for sure, if their lips are moving about a budget or the economy, they’re lying.
Right now there are two camps of thought. Each vying to convince you their way is the only way. Most of Congress and the administration are adamant that the tax cuts Reagan advocated, and Congress passed, did not create more than eight years of economic growth. Interest rates did not fall from over 20 percent or tax income to government, at all levels, did not increase, with millions of people able to go back to work.
Part of Congress believes that if the government would get out of the way this economic boom could happen again. There is, though, a big group that wants to rewrite history (what really happened) with a new history where the more money government controls the better off we, as a society, will be. In 1905 George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it,: a quote from “Reason in Common Sense,” the first volume of his “The Life of Reason.”
It certainly does not matter that our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, written immediately after successfully removing an oppressive government, expressly gave the people the power over our new central government. Our Founders adamantly rejected the formation of another central government similar to what they had just fought years to overthrow. This is our history! Are we going to repeat this chapter by voting in only those who promise us everything but cannot give us anything they haven’t first taken? It will be the voters’ choice: many people will lose their life, freedoms are being thrown away and we can repeat history. It’s up to the people!
Alan Harper
Kinston
Event for Emily brought best out in community
Words can not begin to express our gratitude for all the “acts of kindness” that have been bestowed on behalf of our daughter Emily; the Emily Dunham Benefit was held Jan. 18.
It is amazing what can be accomplished when a person, a group of people, a community come together for a little 7-year-old girl that had a very special need. Emily will receive her diabetic alert dog in the coming months. We look forward to sharing with the community this most wonderful occasion. Thank you all so very much and may God bless the people of this community as He has us. Thank you.
Sam and Kim
Kinston
Eager adopter proves old dogs count, too
A few weeks ago my husband and I found out we would be moving to an “assisted living” place. We had a 14-year-old dog named Mitzi and knew we could not take her with us.
So, I spoke to someone about her who told me no one would adopt an old dog! Well, no way would my family have her euthanized.
So, my son took a picture of her with my little granddaughter and he put it on Facebook. A lady from Greenville called. She was looking for a dog for her grandparents.
So Mitzi has a new home. Thank God and everyone for seeing old dogs count, too!
Anne Brownlee
Kinston