Letters to the Editor 03-01-2000
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Right And Wrong - Pension Plans - Missing Word - Good, Bad Drivers - Religious Imposition - Jail Revival - Silver Lake Thanks - Diallo Acquittal
Right And Wrong
Editor, Times-Union:Tim Keyes writes "First, none of you, the readers, including myself, are 'wrong' or 'right.' We no longer live in a world of absolutes." I hope you don't have offspring, Tim. I can hear it now: "Daddy is it wrong for me to blow up the school?" Your rock solid response, "Well Timmy, I can't say that it is wrong. You know what I always say, "We no longer live in a world of absolutes." Tim hang on to a chair or something because "You Are Wrong."
Steve Long
Warsaw
Pension Plans
Editor, Times-Union:Indianapolis Star (Feb. 23) - regards to article in city/state section - "Plan Would Ease City Woes." Bail out of Indianapolis Fire and Police Pensions is buried in Senate Bill #62. Also hidden, benefits for teachers are mentioned. This year benefits would increase from 18.6 million to 38.8 million. It goes on to say that it would be more in 2002. My question is how can Indianapolis afford beautiful parks, fieldhouses, domes, etc. and not have money for their day-to-day expenses? Poor planning on their part, I guess is everyone else's problem.
I'm 70 years old with no pension etc. and still working. Poor planning on my part. Right! There are many elderly people like myself. Wouldn't it be nice if Indianapolis could raise their own taxes 40 million and give it to People Without Pensions. Call it IPFPWOP - Indianapolis' Plan for People Without Pensions.
Cecil Paulus
Leesburg
Missing Word
Editor, Times-Union:In my letter, which appeared on Monday, I mistakenly inserted a "not" where it did not belong. As we all know, abortion DOES terminate the life of the fetus. I'm sorry if my mistake detracted from such an important message. Hopefully, by God's grace, my letter served a dual purpose: to encourage the reader to defend the unborn and to produce in the author greater humility.
Tim Witte
Winona Lake
Good, Bad Drivers
Editor, Times-Union:I have never written in before, but (Mr. Kalka's) obvious wisdom and experience prompted me to write in this time. You're right, not all older people are bad drivers, but you're upset because someone is grouping all of you together so you write in and do the exact same thing to everyone else! I am a 28 yr. old trucker, I don't do drugs, I don't smoke and I don't drink and I have never caused an accident in a truck.
What I'm saying is, there are truckers out there that I wouldn't trust to drive a tricycle, but there are a lot of good people out there doing a tough job, people who have literally driven millions of miles without so much as a warning ticket and it's not because of some fictitious love affair with the cops! Same thing with young people (just fewer miles)!
But just for your information, 6 years ago I was northbound on state rd. 13 north of Pierceton, when I went through the intersection at old 30, I was broadsided by a man in a full size van. I was almost killed (by the grace of God I wasn't) and the three passengers in the van were killed. Gusess what, it was an older driver who ran the stop sign at 56 mph.
So before you run everyone else into the ground, you need to make sure you actually know what you're talking about - at the very least, be fair!
Randy Riddle
Warsaw
Religious Imposition
Editor, Times-Union:Since the beginning of this great Republic, there have been people who have rejected Jefferson's declaration of natural rights: "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with one another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinion of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Mr. Editor, it is "self evident" that those people who place their religious opinion above and superior to their fellow citizens' "natural right" to disagree would also reject James Madison's definition of unalienable:
"Because we hold it for a fundamental and undeniable truth, that religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence." The religion, then, of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; an it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is in its nature an unalienable right. It is unalienable because the opinion of men, depending only in the evidence contemplated by their own minds, cannot follow the dictates of other men, It is unalienable, also, because what is here a right toward men in a duty toward the Creator. It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him.
Madison further stated: "If all men are by nature equally free and independent," all men are to be considered as entering into society on equal condition: as relinquishing no more, and therefore retaining no less, one than another, of their natural rights. Above all are they to be considered as retaining an equal title to the free exercise of religion according to the dictates of conscience." While we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to proffer, and to observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offense against God, not against man. To God, therefore, not to man must an account of it be rendered."
Mr. Editor, how fortunate "We the people" are that Madison later authored the First Amendment - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,..." which established this county legally as a secular republic, dedicated to the principle of liberty, in which each individual citizen has the unalienable and natural right to religious opinion and the free exercise thereof as their particular conscience dictates.
After all, when one person or group of people choose to impose their particular religious opinion on their fellow citizens, this is an act of tyranny the result of which is oppression.
Chuck Zimmerman
Leesburg
Jail Revival
Editor, Times-Union:I'm writing to share with the community about the current revival taking place within the Kosciusko County Jail.
Within the last month, I've witnessed the Holy Spirit flooding the cell blocks, the (jail) church and a considerable number of inmates hearts.
I'm in the biggest, most notorious cell block in the jail and feel truly blessed to witness, and be a part of the salvation, peace, love and inner freedom that's been a daily by-product of many inmates personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing.
The main purpose of their letter is to glorify the power and unconditional love of our almighty Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For it is written in II Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank God for our hardworking and very encouraging chaplain, John Boren. Finally, I'm hoping that this letter will encourage some of our community churches or any believer who would read this to pray for the inmates and those who are battling spiritual warfare within these walls. God Bless.
Luke Monnier
Warsaw
Silver Lake Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to personally thank all the men and women who assisted the Silver Lake Volunteer Fire Department when we had both the barn structure fire and the EMS building fire on the morning of Feb. 22. When something of that magnitude happens, it gives you a good feeling knowing that so many people are ready to "go to bat" for their neighbors and help in an emergency. I think that the organization consisting of our county and neighboring county's emergency response system is outstanding. Not only our own department (which I'm proud to be associated with), but everyone that assisted us did one excellent job. When we were at the barn structure everyone pulled together from the different departments to take care of this fire, but to then take care of the EMS building fire. I would like to thank the Burket, Claypool, Sidney and Henry Township Fire Departments. Also I would like to thank Dispatch for the job that was done by them. They were very responsive to what was needed and kept us informed as events occurred; in one word dispatch- "awesome." Thanks go to the Red Cross, Medical Response teams, NIPSCO and REMC for their assistance. I hope that everyone realizes how all these different groups respond to the needs of our community. Again, thanks to all those who assisted. It is nice to know that help is just around the corner. Hopefully I can help you someday too when it is needed.
Robert Clark, Captain, S.L. 103
Silver Lake Fire Dept.
Diallo Acquittal
Editor, Times-Union:Regarding the recent Diallo uproar in New York... As an instructor in both civilian and law enforcement defensive pistolcraft, it sickens me that the media have twisted this incident totally out of context with their innuendoes of racism and brutality.
These officers were looking for a violent, armed felon. The man they stopped fit his description. When ordered to put his hands on his head, he instead darted for a pocket. End of story.
Simply put, these (read all) officers are trained to do exactly what these officers did in this situation. They did their job. They should be thanked, not vilified.
With the courts, the public and the media reacting the way they have in recent years, we are indeed fortunate that we even have any applicants for law enforcement positions. Those now serving deserve our heartfelt thanks. Think about it.
Mike Burk
Goshen
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- Right And Wrong - Pension Plans - Missing Word - Good, Bad Drivers - Religious Imposition - Jail Revival - Silver Lake Thanks - Diallo Acquittal
Right And Wrong
Editor, Times-Union:Tim Keyes writes "First, none of you, the readers, including myself, are 'wrong' or 'right.' We no longer live in a world of absolutes." I hope you don't have offspring, Tim. I can hear it now: "Daddy is it wrong for me to blow up the school?" Your rock solid response, "Well Timmy, I can't say that it is wrong. You know what I always say, "We no longer live in a world of absolutes." Tim hang on to a chair or something because "You Are Wrong."
Steve Long
Warsaw
Pension Plans
Editor, Times-Union:Indianapolis Star (Feb. 23) - regards to article in city/state section - "Plan Would Ease City Woes." Bail out of Indianapolis Fire and Police Pensions is buried in Senate Bill #62. Also hidden, benefits for teachers are mentioned. This year benefits would increase from 18.6 million to 38.8 million. It goes on to say that it would be more in 2002. My question is how can Indianapolis afford beautiful parks, fieldhouses, domes, etc. and not have money for their day-to-day expenses? Poor planning on their part, I guess is everyone else's problem.
I'm 70 years old with no pension etc. and still working. Poor planning on my part. Right! There are many elderly people like myself. Wouldn't it be nice if Indianapolis could raise their own taxes 40 million and give it to People Without Pensions. Call it IPFPWOP - Indianapolis' Plan for People Without Pensions.
Cecil Paulus
Leesburg
Missing Word
Editor, Times-Union:In my letter, which appeared on Monday, I mistakenly inserted a "not" where it did not belong. As we all know, abortion DOES terminate the life of the fetus. I'm sorry if my mistake detracted from such an important message. Hopefully, by God's grace, my letter served a dual purpose: to encourage the reader to defend the unborn and to produce in the author greater humility.
Tim Witte
Winona Lake
Good, Bad Drivers
Editor, Times-Union:I have never written in before, but (Mr. Kalka's) obvious wisdom and experience prompted me to write in this time. You're right, not all older people are bad drivers, but you're upset because someone is grouping all of you together so you write in and do the exact same thing to everyone else! I am a 28 yr. old trucker, I don't do drugs, I don't smoke and I don't drink and I have never caused an accident in a truck.
What I'm saying is, there are truckers out there that I wouldn't trust to drive a tricycle, but there are a lot of good people out there doing a tough job, people who have literally driven millions of miles without so much as a warning ticket and it's not because of some fictitious love affair with the cops! Same thing with young people (just fewer miles)!
But just for your information, 6 years ago I was northbound on state rd. 13 north of Pierceton, when I went through the intersection at old 30, I was broadsided by a man in a full size van. I was almost killed (by the grace of God I wasn't) and the three passengers in the van were killed. Gusess what, it was an older driver who ran the stop sign at 56 mph.
So before you run everyone else into the ground, you need to make sure you actually know what you're talking about - at the very least, be fair!
Randy Riddle
Warsaw
Religious Imposition
Editor, Times-Union:Since the beginning of this great Republic, there have been people who have rejected Jefferson's declaration of natural rights: "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with one another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinion of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Mr. Editor, it is "self evident" that those people who place their religious opinion above and superior to their fellow citizens' "natural right" to disagree would also reject James Madison's definition of unalienable:
"Because we hold it for a fundamental and undeniable truth, that religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence." The religion, then, of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; an it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate. This right is in its nature an unalienable right. It is unalienable because the opinion of men, depending only in the evidence contemplated by their own minds, cannot follow the dictates of other men, It is unalienable, also, because what is here a right toward men in a duty toward the Creator. It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him.
Madison further stated: "If all men are by nature equally free and independent," all men are to be considered as entering into society on equal condition: as relinquishing no more, and therefore retaining no less, one than another, of their natural rights. Above all are they to be considered as retaining an equal title to the free exercise of religion according to the dictates of conscience." While we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to proffer, and to observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offense against God, not against man. To God, therefore, not to man must an account of it be rendered."
Mr. Editor, how fortunate "We the people" are that Madison later authored the First Amendment - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,..." which established this county legally as a secular republic, dedicated to the principle of liberty, in which each individual citizen has the unalienable and natural right to religious opinion and the free exercise thereof as their particular conscience dictates.
After all, when one person or group of people choose to impose their particular religious opinion on their fellow citizens, this is an act of tyranny the result of which is oppression.
Chuck Zimmerman
Leesburg
Jail Revival
Editor, Times-Union:I'm writing to share with the community about the current revival taking place within the Kosciusko County Jail.
Within the last month, I've witnessed the Holy Spirit flooding the cell blocks, the (jail) church and a considerable number of inmates hearts.
I'm in the biggest, most notorious cell block in the jail and feel truly blessed to witness, and be a part of the salvation, peace, love and inner freedom that's been a daily by-product of many inmates personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing.
The main purpose of their letter is to glorify the power and unconditional love of our almighty Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For it is written in II Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank God for our hardworking and very encouraging chaplain, John Boren. Finally, I'm hoping that this letter will encourage some of our community churches or any believer who would read this to pray for the inmates and those who are battling spiritual warfare within these walls. God Bless.
Luke Monnier
Warsaw
Silver Lake Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to personally thank all the men and women who assisted the Silver Lake Volunteer Fire Department when we had both the barn structure fire and the EMS building fire on the morning of Feb. 22. When something of that magnitude happens, it gives you a good feeling knowing that so many people are ready to "go to bat" for their neighbors and help in an emergency. I think that the organization consisting of our county and neighboring county's emergency response system is outstanding. Not only our own department (which I'm proud to be associated with), but everyone that assisted us did one excellent job. When we were at the barn structure everyone pulled together from the different departments to take care of this fire, but to then take care of the EMS building fire. I would like to thank the Burket, Claypool, Sidney and Henry Township Fire Departments. Also I would like to thank Dispatch for the job that was done by them. They were very responsive to what was needed and kept us informed as events occurred; in one word dispatch- "awesome." Thanks go to the Red Cross, Medical Response teams, NIPSCO and REMC for their assistance. I hope that everyone realizes how all these different groups respond to the needs of our community. Again, thanks to all those who assisted. It is nice to know that help is just around the corner. Hopefully I can help you someday too when it is needed.
Robert Clark, Captain, S.L. 103
Silver Lake Fire Dept.
Diallo Acquittal
Editor, Times-Union:Regarding the recent Diallo uproar in New York... As an instructor in both civilian and law enforcement defensive pistolcraft, it sickens me that the media have twisted this incident totally out of context with their innuendoes of racism and brutality.
These officers were looking for a violent, armed felon. The man they stopped fit his description. When ordered to put his hands on his head, he instead darted for a pocket. End of story.
Simply put, these (read all) officers are trained to do exactly what these officers did in this situation. They did their job. They should be thanked, not vilified.
With the courts, the public and the media reacting the way they have in recent years, we are indeed fortunate that we even have any applicants for law enforcement positions. Those now serving deserve our heartfelt thanks. Think about it.
Mike Burk
Goshen
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