LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Value of diversity

Editor, the Journal,

For 10 years, I was on the board of trustees for a small Christian college that emphasized the importance of educating students who would not otherwise have access. I loved meeting these students and hearing their stories and watching them throughout their four years grow into thoughtful, articulate, courageous, well-educated adults. As the student body, staff, faculty, administration, and board of trustees became more diverse, the lives of all involved became enriched.

Two weeks ago, Donna Holliday wrote a letter addressing an issue raised the prior week about the "take back Mason County" movement. She did her homework and cited the group's website. She was not blaming all Christians, but this extreme group and others like it. This past week a man claimed no evidence was given for the claims of prejudice and loss of rights. Does he not pay attention to the news? Stories of the loss of rights and disenfranchisement are a daily occurrence. The college students I mentioned earlier had harrowing stories related to their personal loss of freedoms and prejudices they faced daily, due to their race, ethnicity, or sexual preference. I am thankful they had a safe place for a few years.

As our community diversifies, I am concerned about those who may never have the feeling of safety and freedom from prejudice. Fear mongering has become the dominant force these past several years. Hatred and prejudice are born out of fear. The musical "South Pacific" included the song, "You've got to be carefully taught to hate and fear ... You've got to be carefully taught." What are we, as individuals and as a community, teaching?

If we spent more time helping and encouraging others, and following the Golden Rule, maybe as a community we could turn things around, making all people know they are all safe and welcome.

Barbara Denton, Shelton

Songs of freedom

Editor, the Journal,

Last Friday night my wife and I attended the Songs of Freedom concert at the Shelton Presbyterian Church. We absolutely loved the concert. Directed by Beth Johnston, the choir, the pianist and the violinist sang and played music honoring our veterans. The music told stories, instilled national pride and included them music from our four major services.

We have many veterans in the Shelton, Mason County area and I urge you to attend. I would like to see the church's sanctuary filled up next year. Sheila and I would like to thank Boy Scout Troop 9112 for raising the colors and all the dedicated performers who put in so many hours rehearsing for the concert.

The whole concert was inspiring and it made you feel proud to be an American. God bless our veterans.

Mark Schmidt, Shelton

Denying rights

Editor, the Journal,

In a recent letter, Mr. Graham asks what human rights are being denied by Christian faithful? Maybe Mr. Graham has been sleeping in church, but fundamentalist Christians, who anoint themselves as the most faithful, have strongly pushed for denial of women's reproductive rights and have succeeded in many states. Christian beliefs have been foundational to long-standing denial of equal rights for gays and lesbians and only recently been remedied by legislation and courts.

The Christian right, along with their white nationalist brethren, have also succeeded in denying the comprehensive teaching of our country's checkered racial history in many public schools.

Regarding which commandments from the imaginary man in the sky are objectionable, how about the first four which instruct the indoctrination into a cult. As for number six, the Israelis have far exceeded Hamas in the killing of innocents. Certainly, many Christians do not agree with the hardcore Christian right but national polls tell us the majority of Christian faithful support an amoral adulterer and pathological liar who covets absolute power. WWJD?

J. Anderson, Shelton

Thank you

Editor, the Journal,

When I opened the Journal to the Letters to the Editor section, I was pleasantly surprised and so thankful to see a letter from Robert E. Graham. Thank you, editor and publisher, for printing his letter.

Charlie Estes, Shelton

Setting it straight

Editor, the Journal,

I would like to respond to "Reader's critique" by Mr. Graham on Nov. 9. He was responding to my letter of Oct. 26, "Taking back change."

First let us get one fact straight. In my letter I said Christian nationalists and evangelical Christians are taking over the Republican Party and pushing policy. There are about 200 denominations of Christians in America, and thousands around the world.

A tactic used when one cannot speak to an issue is to attack the person. We see this on political debate stages, political rallies and even courthouse steps. Mr. Graham has used this tactic in most of his letters. He has come at me before, he has attacked a guest columnist and even the editor of this paper.

Perhaps after Mr. Graham has actually read my letter, after he has read the Constitution (First Amendment, church and state), and after a little research on evangelical Christians (search this evangelical Republican LGBTQ), he will find what I quoted and actually did reference. Then he can discuss the issues.

As far as rights being taken away, America history being whitewashed, even eliminated, someone would have to be living under a rock to not know what is happening all over this country.

So, if Mr. Graham would watch any actual newscast, read a newspaper, research online, read a magazine or a book then he would be able to discuss an issue without personal attacks.

Of all the issues, and he chose to "critique" my writing. Wow. Just curious, Mr. Graham do you critique your students' essays, and fellow teachers, with as much condescending arrogance as you did with a 300-letter to the editor?

Donna Holliday, Shelton

A hand-up

Editor, the Journal,

Government assumes homelessness can be solved with housing so takes over hotels. Homeless folks need help. but government should require good behavior. The old saying: "God helps him who helps himself." Shelton's code enforcement officer says government provides food and housing with no behavioral restrictions. Those most successful at helping the homeless are churches and nonprofits. Unlike the government, they have behavioral requirements.

Shelton's Veterans Village, a nonprofit, nongovernment organization, is a prime example how to provide a hand-up, not a handout. They require vets have an honorable or general discharge and proof of good citizenship. Those with a dishonorable discharge need not apply. Vets pay a small amount making it less like charity. Vets have to follow rules regarding drug usage and behavior; either don't use drugs or get help for drug addiction. Put Sheltons Veteran's Village on your Christmas list.

Gov. Jay Inslee and President Joe Biden have no such restrictions; criminals and rule-breakers are mixed in with the homeless elderly, people with mental issues and runaway kids. Government should individualize the help; child runaways have different needs than the physically handicapped. Help the drug users help themselves to kick their habit, but they must agree to fight their drug addiction and to stop selling or buying drugs.The latest "government help" is word manipulation; change the words from homelessness to houselessness as if changing words will change the conditions. Most homeless want a hand-up, not a handout; most local governments want to help but are handcuffed by Biden/Inslee who throw money without conditions to people without rules. This rewards the dishonest, punishes the honest, gives free rides to the worthless, provides no help to the needy and taxes the taxpayer.

Ardean Anvik, Shelton

Christian nationalists

Editor, the Journal,

R.E. Graham inadequately interpolated Donna Holliday's letter. His ad hominem critique of refuting her reasonings by destroying her character was uncalled for. R.E., have you always stepped over a proverbial dollar to pick up a dime? Holliday is right. Christian nationalists are bent on forcing laws to make this country a dystopian "Handmaiden Tale" theocracy, from authoritarian unpresidential ex-President Donald Trump holding an upside-down Bible in front of a church to the newly installed speaker of the House Mike Johnson holding prayer meetings on the House floor. Others in power are not swayed by our godless secular Constitution, dismissing it as inconsequential, and many are abiding by the persistent influence of the evangelical Christians' biblical worldview.

Johnson said, "... if you want to know what guides me, read the Bible."

I have read the Bible and the God depicted within is arguably the most unpleasant character in all of fiction: Bible God is jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. Go ahead English professor, critique my grammar while ignoring the accusations. The Bible is certainly not a book I'd live my moral life by.

To R.E., ignoring the First Amendment's Establishment Clause is a quest you may someday regret when a non-Christian religion is someday in control. Holliday is pleading to keep state and church separate as our Founding Fathers intended. It's a "win-win" situation whereby the church conducts its religious faith without government interference and vice versa.

FYI, oddly, there are three "10 Commandments." Exodus 34 is wildly different, containing commandments like "Thou shalt not seethe (boil) a kid in its mother's milk." So R.E, which one should our courtrooms display? Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5 or Exodus 34?

Darrell Barker, Shelton