Tolerance, not entitlement at issue with church and state

This is in response to Mr. Sneed’s and Mr. Bradshaw’s letters of Feb. 17, 2010. I would like to thank you both for your thoughtful and insightful responses to our neighbors.

“The separation of church and state” is our Founding Fathers’ greatest gift. We must work every hard to keep it that way.

I do not understand why some people think they are “entitled,” just because they believe they are the only ones with the “true religion.”

We should be more tolerant to those of us who do not believe as we do.

Kathryn Andrews
Hanover

Remember president in prayer

Thank you, Rudolph Davis, and the few others who have written in not to boast about a particular party, but, without realizing it, witnessed a beautiful relationship with Christ Jesus.

A true Christian acts and speaks “Christ-like.” Being Christ-like is obeying God’s Word regardless of personal feelings.

One of the precious freedoms we enjoy is to vote for our president. Someone wins and someone loses. We do not have to agree with the winner but we do have the obligation as Christ-like ones to cover him/her in prayer.

As Mr. Davis said, intercede and ask God to bless President Obama with wisdom, favor and guidance.

Why? Because God our Creator tells us to do so.

Of course, when you know more than God what is best, you say ugly things and write ugly letters.

It hurts to know the kind of ignorance that exists in the Christian community.

To think you can tear down our leaders — local, state or national, cause them to fail and the country will thrive/survive under the blessings of God?

If this obstinacy and outright disrespect such as never seen before does not stop, it’s just a matter of time.

A house divided against itself shall not stand. God cannot lie.

The sad part about those unkind and sometimes vicious letters and conversations is that most identify themselves as being Christian.

Oh, well, so did the Ku Klux Klan.

Since President Obama has been in office, I’ve learned so much about the depth of one’s hatred. Out of the heart the mouth speaks.

I thought I’d seen it all during the days of racial discrimination, which I had hoped was mostly behind us.

But, as the old folks will say, it’s still alive and well. All that was needed was the opportunity to revive it.

The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States of America provided that opening.

The “Christian closet haters” joined the outright haters and if you want to see/hear what they do — read their letters and watch your cable news channels (especially all those “Christians” on channel 30).

They disrespect our president in the worst way, write ugly, disrespectful letters and engage in even worse conversations among themselves.

The reason for all the uproar and ugly letters has nothing to do with our president’s decision-making or the economy.

This economy was handed to him — remember? If that were so, those same uproars and ugly letters would have been around for eight (8) years.

Search your heart. It is solely because he is part African-American occupying a heretofore white house. Period. End of story.

Did you hear such uproars before he took office?

President Obama took the office of a country in its worst crisis ever, in addition to two (2) active wars.

Did you really expect him to have solved it all within 12 months?

What happened to our previous president/vice president who left the mess behind after having eight (8) years to make all the “right” decisions (especially the former vice president who seems to have all the answers now that he is out of office).

You mean he did not see the storm coming as brilliant as he is?

He could have stopped it you know, certainly within 12 months!

President Obama was left to govern a country in the worst condition ever in its history.

Be as it may, we who are wise will continue to do what God has instructed us in His Word.

Love one another.

Pray for one another, especially for the unkind ones.

Trust in the Lord. Wait on the Lord.

Watch and see the salvation of the Lord.

Envy not the oppressor, nor take on any of his ways.

Straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leads unto life, and few there are that find it.

Jean Grantham
Mechanicsville

Don’t raise our real estate taxes

I want to recognize the statements made by the Hanover Board of Supervisors Chairman Ed Via III a few weeks ago. 

He stated that there were no plans to raise the real estate tax rate for Hanover residents.

I want to show my support for Mr. Via’s statement. 

The bad economy is affecting all of us and everyone has looked at their household budgets and have made cuts in their everyday spending. 

So I ask, “Why can’t our local, state and federal governments make these cuts too?”

Raising taxes will not solve the budget crisis however, making the right cuts to the budget is the right thing to do. 

The problem with raising taxes is that once a tax is increased rarely does it go back down, even after the budget crisis ends. two to three years from now, when the economy is back on track and the county’s incoming revenue is higher, that extra money will be wasted on new projects instead of giving the money back to the taxpayers.

The largest county budget expense is the schools.

I want to reach out to those residents and the PTA that have expressed concerns over the school budget cuts. 

I ask you, “Why should I have to pay higher taxes for the things you want? 

I am so tired of paying for everyone else. 

If you want to keep the proposed school budget, then you offer to pay for it out of your own pocket.  Don’t ask the residents who are against raising taxes to pay for it.

The Washington-Henry Elementary School PTA just sent home a letter that stated “Can you imagine your child not going to P.E. (physical education), art and music each week.” 

To answer that, “Yes, I can imagine school without art, P.E. and music every week for my two children.” 

Once again, organizations like the PTA fight against the budget cuts but the only suggestions they offer are to raise taxes. 

I believe that the school budget crisis has come about because our schools today have become a huge bureaucracy that the taxpayers have been forced to support. 

Why is it that the taxpayers have to pay for a principal and a vice principal at every school? 

We need to cut the outrageous administration cost in the schools and look at ending the pension programs for all school employees.

Additionally the School Board needs to look at cutting the Head Start program and athletic programs or have those that want these programs pay for it themselves. 

They also should cut the number of special education teachers and associated programs and increase the number of kids in every classroom.

Schools should privatize the school bus transportation and eliminate the free meals (breakfast and lunch) programs.  It is not the schools’ responsibility to transport and feed our kids.

Do the kids starve during the weekends and summer months when school is closed? I don’t think so.

The parents need to take more responsibility for their own kids and stop pushing their responsibility onto the taxpayers.

When did the people of America become such an entitlement society?

Another way to save money is have the children go to school for four long days instead of five short days a week.

My son is at school six and a half hours a day, which includes lunch.

Why can’t we have the kids go an extra hour and a half for four days so the fifth day the school can be closed, which will cut down on the utility and maintenance costs?

I know some of you will disagree with my suggestions, but we need to make tough decisions or we might be forced to cut the core programs like math, science, English and history. 

We the people need to wake up and stop the local, state and federal governments from spending our hard earned money on things that we can not afford.

Tim Reilly
Mechanicsville

Pothole problem surprising delay

Here it is the very first day of NASCAR starting back. I am watching the Daytona 500 and in total shock!

With all the modern technology in the world, why is the delay so long over a pothole?!

The drivers have been on winter vacation and now are ready to rock ’n’ roll!

I would like to say a special welcome to the newest driver, Danica Patrick.

I have a feeling she is going to show all the boys who is boss! Good luck, girlfriend, let’s rock!

Kim Zitta Phelps
Richmond

Petition will hold us back

The petition filed by our state’s Attorney General will only serve to hold our state and our country back at a time when we desperately need to be moving forward.

Dozens of other states are already taking advantage of the benefits a clean energy economy can bring, implementing their own plans to reduce global warming pollution and grow clean energy jobs.

Despite the outlandish claims in this frivolous lawsuit, the science is clear — global warming is happening and it does put our public welfare at risk.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to reduce global warming pollution represents years of careful and considered analysis by career scientists and takes tens of thousands of public comments in account.

JJ McMoon
Henrico

Support stronger sanctions on Iran

I am writing to ask this nation to immediately support stronger sanctions on Iran.

Iran has again rejected generous diplomatic offers and instead is expanding their nuclear program.

The peaceful world does not have much time to get where we need to go — preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

Serious sanctions must be put in place to convince Iran to change their minds.

The United Nations Security Council and key groups such as the European Union can peacefully stop Iran — but it must be done now.

Nuclear proliferation is one of the greatest dangers to world peace.

The Iranian president has said that he would share nuclear technology with others.

Indeed, Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism.

It is arming, funding and training Hamas and Hezbollah.

It is supporting terrorists who are killing innocents in Iraq and in other nations.

Iran is undermining peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians that could lead to a two-state solution and peace.
It is time to persuade Iran to be a peaceful nation.

If they are emboldened by possession of nuclear capability, Iran could increase its sponsorship of terrorism, and put nuclear materials into the hands of terrorists who could strike anywhere.

Serious nations need to put sanctions as a tool in their toolkits to get Iran to stop its nuclear program.

We must work urgently and effectively to ensure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons.

Please, support serious sanctions to peacefully stop Iran today!

Bill Boyer III
Henrico

Sanctions must be put in place

I am writing to get you to support sanctions on Iran.

The world does not have much time to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons.

Serious sanctions must be put in place to make them change their minds.

The Security Council and European Union can stop them, but it must be done now.

If you care about peace, please do it now.

Barbara Bullington
Hopewell