Letters to the Editor

By Staff
Change we can believe in
Editor:
A few weeks ago, it was reported president-elect Barack Obama would use a portion of the time between the election and the inauguration to read the works of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy for inspiration and encouragement.
I think that’s a fine idea. I have framed on the wall of my study some writings of President Lincoln I would like to suggest.
The text follows:
You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they should do for themselves.”
Abraham Lincoln
If Mr. Obama reads these thoughts from one of our finest presidents, and if he accepts them, and this acceptance leads to action, then that would be change I could believe in. Time will tell.
Carey Green
Hartselle
Alcohol issue isn’t a moral one
Editor:
Have you seen them, or do you know them? They are people that are against the city of Hartselle going wet in order to raise tax revenue. You know who they are. You’ve seen them in Decatur. They are the ones that put their alcoholic beverages at the bottom of the grocery cart, so no one can see it. They are ones that slip in and out of the package stores, hoping not to be seen. They are the ones that get stopped by law enforcement, and with a little name recognition or notoriety, get escorted home.
They are the ones that advocate staying dry, with alcohol on their breath. They are the ones that go to church, sit in the amen corner, with a hangover, from to much alcohol the night before. They are the ones that will accept anti-alcohol campaign contributions from people that sell alcohol in Decatur.
They say that drinking alcohol is a sin. They do this while adjusting their belts around a 50-iinch waist (gluttony). They are the ones that desire to be more important or attractive than others (pride). They are the ones with an insatiable desire to possess material goods (envy). They are the ones that are vengefu of others (wrath).
They are the ones that put personal gain ahead of everything (greed). They are the ones that exhibit excessive love of others (lust). They are the ones that exhibit the lack of moral or righteous virtues (sloth). They are the ones that are guilty of some or all of the “seven deadly sins” of mankind.
Consuming alcohol is not a sin. The sin is in the excessive drinking or becoming inebriated from alcoholic beverages. From my interpretation of the scriptures, Jesus turned water into wine, (John 2:1-10). Many theologians and biblical scholars say that in those days, fermentation was necessary to purify the natural juice of the grape of its impurities, therefore wine, and fruit of the vine, was wine, and not grape juice.
We can debate the wine versus grape juice issue until the cows come home. Neither position on it will get a new school built and funded. Funding a huge project such as this, on projected sales tax revenue alone, is much like spending millions of dollars on land that for some reason or another, cannot be given away, must less sold.
If we are to have an election regarding the school board, then add the wet/dry referendum to it.
Just remember this. If you are guilty of any of the aforementioned seven deadly sins, then don’t let a moral issue of Hartselle going wet, persuade you into voting to stay dry. A sin is a sin. There’s only one that is unforgivable!
Mike Dowdy
Hartselle