Reading program support

Editor,

The Logan Area Public Library received a grant in the amount of $750 from the Pyles & Turner Foundation, Inc. to assist with the 2013 Summer Reading Program. The staff and Board of Directors would like to thank the Foundation for their support.

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Coach Nisbet

Editor,

All of my coaches have died and with the recent passing of George Nisbet part of me died too. I was blessed to play for four great coaches — Todd and Jimmie Joe Willis, Bob Lonker and George Nisbet.

Coaches thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and play on your team. I shall always remember you for all the lessons of football but more importantly the lessons about life. To each of you I must confess. I loved you all so very dearly. My life was blessed by all of you.

Rest in peace Coach Nisbet. I hope in some way I touched some young man’s life as all of you touched mine. Block for me because I want to play on God’s team. I know you will be coaching there.

Doug McElwain

Baton Rouge, La.

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Factual errors

Editor,

During more than 40 years as a journalist, I’ve written only two letters to the editor — both to the Logan Banner. When I was a reporter at the Banner, letters to the editor were an almost sacred trust. Apparently that has changed. The Dec. 23, 2012 letter by Gary Lee Corns was quite a disservice to the Banner and to its readers. It contains a number of factual errors.

The editors have a responsibility to ensure that opinions are based on facts. Mr. Corns has the right to express his opinions, but they should be based on facts. Mr. Corns challenges the rights of children to safety simply because the phrase doesn’t appear in the U.S. Constitution. “There is no such thing,” he writes. His declaration doesn’t make it so. Read the Federalist Papers where there are more than 30 of references to public safety and the government’s duty to provide it to all citizens including children.

The federalist Papers is a series of 85 essay written by John Jay, the first chief justice of the supreme court; James Madison, the fourth president and chief author of the Bill of Rights; and Alexander Hamilton, the first constitutional lawyer in the U.S. If three of the founding fathers wrote about the right of safety in essays about the Constitution, I believe it is impossible to argue the right of safety for children or anyone else does not exist.

Mr. Corns also rails about “the right to affordable health care.” I believe Chief Justice Roberts covered that in his recent majority opinion upholding most of the affordable health care act. The phrase in the Constitution “promote the general welfare” grants the government far ranging authority.

Sure, the Second Amendment grants the right to bear arms, but that does not prevent the government from regulating guns to promote the general welfare. It’s been cited in Supreme Court opinions time and time again. The government has the authority to regulate interstate commerce and from that authority, the government can regulate guns, safety, health care and much more.

Both the Banner and Mr. Corns erred when they speculated about silence of elected officials about the Sandy Hook shootings. Silence often represents a fear to speak out. Or a fear of criticism for making ridiculous statements in public. It speaks for itself: The West Virginia congressional delegation received more than $14.8 million in campaign donations through Dec. 26, 2012, about $12 per registered voter. They are beholden to a wide range of lobbyists, supporters and political action committees. I don’t pretend to have the solution to gun violence. But mis-statements of facts won’t solve the problem. Biased studies and misguided analysis of statistics won’t help either.

Citizens must not fear an open debate about any issue in society or the constitution. It is a revered and powerful document that citizens grant power to the government, not the other way around. Only one amendment of the constitution has been overturned by another. I doubt if the Second Amendment is in danger as Mr. Corns would have us believe.

And on the subject of the First Amendment, Thomas Jefferson famously said: “No government ought to be without censors and where the press is free none ever will. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It keeps the waters pure.”

Emery Jeffreys

Orange City, Fla.

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The massacre children

Editor,

Since the network media have piled “up words w/o knowledge”, like the “miserable comforters” of Job from the Bible, I decided to seek for some truths out of the only source of wisdom, God’s Word in reference to the massacre of 20 children in Newtown, Conn. I realize, all too well, that it could be a school near me that is targeted next, and it could be my granddaughter’s school.

One of my first thoughts was that God told us “My thoughts are not your thoughts nor my ways are not yours. My ways are higher than yours.” Yet, we think that we know more than Him.

Secondly, when satan and one third of his angels (demons) rebelled against God, they were cast down to this earth to “go to and from seeking whom they may devour”. Adam Lanza was a welcoming dwelling place; he’s the killer of the Sandyhook students. But, he isn’t the only one who allows the devil to abide in them.

Thirdly, God said, “you have cast My Laws behind your back”. We only want Him at christenings, baptisms, weddings, funerals and disasters. And, He allows us that freedom. We continue to “play church” if we “play” at all. Our mouths acknowledge Him, but our hearts are where? — “far from Me”, He said. He lets us have our way, but Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.

Last of all, and there are many more scriptures that apply to horrific crimes like Newtown. We give God, maybe 2 hours a week and a Day of Prayer in May. In II Chronicles 7:14, the National Day of Prayer verse, it says… “If My people who are called by My Name’ (are we?), “would humble themselves” (can you see that happening?), “and pray”, and “seek My Face” (we have turned our backs on Him, and vice versa), “and turn from their wicked ways” (I’d love to see that!), “then, would I hear from heaven, forgive their sins (we don’t even know the definition of sin’!), and heal their land.”

This land is soaked with the blood of over 50 million fetuses and ready to vomit us up. His creation is groaning to be delivered from the mess we’ve made since The Garden. If you think these words are harsh, you need to read what God has done and will do if we do not repent and follow Him. He is loving, merciful, full of grace, but He is a God that eventually requires justice for wrongdoing.

Sincerely,

Sharon Hill

Chapmanville