Letters to the editor: 11/28/02

Garrett to be commended for providing housing

To the Editor:

Let me start off by saying that it is evidently better for you to get something done in this town if you are a family member or best friend of Sylva's clerk or a town board member.

It is sad that we as Americans have nothing better to complain about than what we don't like because it is ugly or is not satisfying to the community and think that we have the power to change something just because we think it is ugly, degrading to the community, or that we just don't like it. I can think of things in this county that need to be addressed other than this, like poverty, high property taxes and crime.

Let me say thank you to Wayne Smith and Jack Garrett for taking it upon themselves to offer families the opportunity to have a home. They are more considerate of others by putting their own money on the line to make sure that they can put a smile on someone's face by selling or renting a home to another whether it is made of tin, brick or wood. It is not often in this county that you can come across someone who thinks of someone other themselves, Mr. Thompson.

There are more decent modular homes and double-wide mobile homes that are a whole lot better looking than some homes in this area. Why did you not let News 13 show your home on TV? Is it because the landscaping at the new homes is going to look better than your own?

My family lives in a single-wide mobile home because the price of homes built in this area and the price of land; it is all we can afford. We would like to have a bigger home with enough space for each member in my family, but we can't.

Take a look at your own residence and property surroundings and list things that do not fit in with your idea of the types of homes you want in the area, and then maybe you will need to contradict what you are complaining about.

Not all mobile/modular homes are trailer trash. I believe that when someone is going to complain about housing and how someone is living, then that person needs to fork out some money to help the family afford something to their satisfaction or pay to have the home built themselves with no strings attached.

Sincerely,

Robin J. Henry

Sylva

Women, equality and the church

To the Editor:

First some personal background. I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church, specifically Buff Creek. In 1990, I became a member of the Christian Reformed Church of Escondido, Calif. I made this transition over several years, having found this church to be most faithful to the reformed faith tradition.

When I joined the CRC, the issue of women holding pastoral office was the number one issue facing the church. After much hemming and hawing, the church Synod finally ruled that the office of pastor was limited to men. The primary Biblical doctrine cited was the Headship Principle, beginning in Genesis and running throughout Holy Scripture.

Simply put, the Almighty has placed the male in a position of primacy in specific areas, such as the family and the church. To cut to the chase, the CRC continued to have battles between the liberal churches and the conservative ones over this issue.

Finally, the conservative churches went their own way and formed a new United Reformed Church. And the liberal churches continued to ordain women as pastors.

A recent letter to The Herald on this issue talked about Baptist doctrine. There is no such thing. There is Biblical doctrine and that is all. The Holy Scriptures are our rule of faith and practice. This issue has nothing to do with the equality of women. It has everything to do with what the Lord God has established in His word.

Every one who professes to be a Christian must take a position on this issue. For you who are tired of fighting, may I remind you that we are to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, as Jude says.

A favorite tactic of the liberals on this issue is to quote the verse that we are all one in Christ. It is true that we are all one in Christ, but this verse has nothing to do with the office of pastor. Maybe Christ could have helped us out by calling a woman as a disciple. But He did not.

I commend the Tuckasiege Baptist Association for standing for the truth of scripture. This issue is very important to the church. All the church, not just Baptists or Reformed, but the entire visible and invisible Body of Christ. Those churches that have ordained women to the office of pastor are in direct violation of the Holy Scriptures. This is a sobering thought, is it not?

In closing, let us continue to agree to disagree agreeably, remembering that the truth of God does not change.

James L. Fisher

Sylva

School bus driver's attention prevents disaster

To the Editor:

On this day, as Hooper put her hand on the door lever, she saw a car traveling at a very high rate of speed start fishtailing as it rounded the curve. Because other cars had already stopped behind the bus and in the passing lane, the driver of this car chose to endanger the life of a child by leaving the road and driving between the guardrail.

Jessica's grandmother sat in horror as she saw the car coming, thinking that Jessica had been let off the bus, which, thanks to Hooper's attention to the situation, she had not.

I shudder to think what the scene would have been if Hooper had not been paying attention. I thank God that we have Hooper as a bus driver for our route because it is obvious she is watching out for the safety of our children.

Our bus stop and the one just before ours are two of the most dangerous stops in the county because of a blind curve and a blind hill. It is almost a daily occurrence that drivers run on past the stopped bus and that Hooper has to wait until someone finally stops before she opens the door.

But this is the first time we've had a driver who chose to risk the life of a child by driving in the child's path instead of going over the bank.

Pat Sluder

Sylva

'No room at the inn'

To the Editor:

Shirley S. Pressley

Cullowhee

Open the door to WMU

To the Editor:

Mr. Hooper was known for his active interest in all mission programs within the association. He was always available to help churches with organization, especially Bible School. Back then one didn't hear of fighting and bickering and stopping people from using the Baptist office.

Other men I remember are Walter Middleton, Al Lowry and John Reid. All of these men, as directors of missions, had a vision to keep organization in the churches and reach out to others through mission programs. Mission work has always been a big part of our Baptist fellowship in Jackson County.

What a sad day it is in the lives of Christians when "believers in Christ" in our association are telling WMU ladies they are barred from using the TBA building. This building, in case we have forgotten, was paid for by all the churches in the association.

My mother has been active in the WMU for 43 years. This recent news has been devastating to her and all the other ladies she has worked with for so many years.

Why has all this happened? It appears more emphasis is being placed on causing disharmony and disunity among our brothers and sisters in Christ than trying to seek and save those who are lost and going to Hell.

We cannot win anyone to Christ by feuding and closing our doors. All churches are autonomous and should have the right to be independent and not excluded for their difference of opinions. No one should be able to tell a church what to do or say.

I believe a time has come for "new guidance" within the TBA, a new guidance to lead us in Christian ways and fellowship. The Bible says in Proverbs 6:19, "that there are six things the Lord hates, and one is a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."

Debbie Keener Hage

Member

Scotts Creek

Baptist Church

'Birdell' a triumph

To the Editor:

I know how real the acting was by watching the range of emotions my wife experienced as she watched Birdell bring the stories she heard from her parents, and her grandmother specifically, to life. She almost cried at times and laughed with sheer joy at others. This was real to her.

"Birdell" is a wonderfully written play, and no one could act it out better than Ms. Westall. "Birdell" ranks with the best plays I have ever seen.

Congratulations to Gary and Elizabeth for a job well done and for providing a most entertaining evening out.

Hugh Moon

Sylva

Accident victim tells her story

To the Editor:

Let's not forget the nightmares and newly-embedded fears for all. Or that my daughter is lucky not to need skin grafts, though she may be scarred for life.

As in my statement to Trooper McLeod, my children and I took the center lane of the parking lot between both rows of parked vehicles to avoid crossing behind vehicles or out in the road. We proceeded to the clearing of the parking area still within the lines of the parking lot where we came to a complete stop like I always teach my children and they never cross without holding my hand.

I understood this to be a single-file traffic system. We waited for the first car to stop and child to begin exiting. I then gave my son, who was on the left, the order to get ready to go across to the sidewalk. He took a step to the left, still holding my hand. As I began to turn my head to the right to tell my daughter the same, I was already being struck.

To say that I walked out into the path of the car is absurd; my feet were planted. There was no change of my peripheral vision even catching a glimpse of the oncoming vehicle.

I bounced my stomach off the hood. The force threw my son to the left, free of the vehicle. My right leg took most of the impact of the car, knee to hip. My daughter's left foot was caught under the front driver's side tire, and she was drug four feet on her ankle.

The baby gave us a scare by not moving when I arrived at Harris Regional Hospital. Fortunately, after hours of monitoring we were all released.

The reason I parked in the smaller parking lot is because I choose to see my child into the school safely, as I'm sure plenty of decent parents do. However, I am five and a half months pregnant, and I've got reoccurring back problems. Pregnancy for me is hard, especially with a ruptured disc in my lower back. Some mornings walking is difficult, especially the bigger I get.

Everyone says be glad it wasn't worse, that it was an accident. Well, I understand that the teacher pulled over to the far right and then pulled back out and around the line of stopped traffic, cutting off the parking area where we stood. Personally, I can't say; she was out of sight.

To me that's irresponsible. Does that excuse it or make it OK to happen again? No. Until it's their children, they can never understand the anger and fear that something like this could cause. And then be so easily dismissed only for them to turn around and make it seem as though it were the victim's fault. Typical.

I take pride in being a mother, more than most. Some may say I'm too strict. Opinions vary however. It's managed to keep my children safe this long.

Deborah A. Woolverton

Sylva

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