Editor, Times-Union: This is in response to "Inappropriate Movie" in which a parent blames a movie being watched at club for her child's violent actions at Baker Youth Club. The children are not allowed to watch anything but cartoons, sporting events or "wholesome" television shows in our TV room. However on this day her son and some other kids did break our rules and changed the channel, watched a few minutes of the movie "Childs Play," the public channel version, not the R-Rated version. They shouldn't have done that and as soon as it was discovered the channel was changed back to cartoons and the appropriate kids were disciplined, including her son.
This does not excuse the boy for his behavior. As soon as staff member and sheriff's department employee Tom Craft heard the boy's comments he called one of his fellow officers to the club to convey to the boy the importance and seriousness of his actions. I commend Tom for taking the time and initiative to try to reach out and help the boy. He needs to take responsibility for his own actions. If they were watching the Three Stooges would it be all right to hit another child on the head with a sledgehammer or poke them in the eye? I don't think so. It is ironic that at the very same time the parents are complaining about club not being a positive place for their son that they are fighting his suspension.
It is sad and disheartening that the only letter to the editor during the past year about our clubs is a negative one. Baker Youth Clubs is in its 75th year of serving the youth of Kosciusko County free of charge. Our staff does not serve our kids for recognition. In fact we hate to "blow our own horn." However, during 2000 the total attendance of our clubs was 23,833 visits. That was 23,833 times we positively touched the life of a child. We have clubs operating 7 days a week. We have clubs in Silver Lake, Claypool, North Webster, Pierceton, Leesburg and Warsaw. We are in our second year of helping with Upward Basketball, a ministry-based youth basketball league that has over 530 players. We ARE making a very positive impact on the youth of Kosciusko County. So the next time you drop your child off at any of our clubs, please take the time to thank the director in charge for taking the countless hours away from their own family to help create a fun positive place for your child. Thank you to all that do support us. We really appreciate it.
Scott Wiley, executive director
Baker Youth Clubs via e-mail
Thanks For Hospitality
Editor, Times-Union: I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people that opened their hearts and who welcomed me into their family Christmas parties. I have been in Warsaw for about four years now and the people have always shown me kindness. The two families that invited me to their holiday get-togethers really showed me the true meaning of Christmas and the spirit of giving. They will always have a special place in my heart.
Once again, thank you for everything.
Doug Fletcher Warsaw
Faith-Based Danger
Editor, Times-Union: President Bush has shown boldness in giving "faith-based" programs credit for bringing about positive changes in the lives of the people they serve. I see a grave danger, however, in assuming that what works well under private sponsorship would work even better under government sponsorship. Furthermore, the idea that a welfare program can be based on anything but faith of some kind or another is erroneous. Every program that attempts to better the human condition is based on faith; either faith in evolution to selectively change the human species into something better, or faith in the creator to redeem and regenerate a repentant, sin-scarred soul. It is not the faith-based program, but rather the faith at the basis of the program, that is actually able to bring about the desired change. Faith-based programs are successful only to the extent that the person being served actually adopts the faith being proffered.
It was in pursuit of that goal that an early Congress authorized funding a missionary enterprise to Native Americans. The goal was that they give up their paganism, which was ruining their civilization and posing a threat to American society. As laudable as this goal may have seemed, government funding was not the way to pursue it. In 1877, influenced by Darwinian racism based on faith in evolution, Congress made a policy change, canceled all treaties they had made with the natives, and expelled them to western reservations. But the deadliest blow came when faith in evolution was applied to an attempt to better the human condition of those on the reservations. The alcoholism, broken families and general abuse that followed in the wake of making welfare states out of the reservations have only been alleviated to the extent that government handouts have been replaced by confiscating money lost by gamblers.
No matter what faith they base their aid on, government spending on faith-based programs has a dismal track record. The faith-based program to which I belong was lauded by Mayor Goldsmith for bringing change to the lives of juvenile delinquents in Indianapolis, but it has never asked for government funding. Faith-based programs CAN replace government welfare spending, and MUST if lives are to be truly changed for the better.
I propose to Mr. Goldsmith and the president an even bolder solution: Eliminate the government's forced redistribution of wealth to give all faith-based programs an equal chance. By thus leveling the playing field, all faith-based programs - evolution-based and creator-based - would have to compete for funds from the private sector. Only then would we find out whose faith is truly worth adopting - and supporting.
