Published: February 26, 2007 01:59 pm            

2/25/07 Letters to the editor

Thanks from the Estep family



Dear Editor:



We, the Mark Estep family, would like to offer our most sincere thanks to all of the many friends and community members who have been by our side since the devastating tornado struck our home Dec. 29. The immediate response was unbelievable and so overwhelming.

The night of the storm, even while the thunder clapped and the lightning still lit up the sky, friends came out to check on us and to help us retrieve and salvage what we could. When there weren’t even words that could be spoken, hugs said it all, and sometimes that was all that was needed.

The cleanup effort on Sunday was the most amazing sight that any of us have ever laid eyes upon. We knew we had a few friends that we could count on to help us out and to move a few things around, but we had no idea that God would send us hundreds of working hands and able bodies. It was truly a miracle, and something that will never be forgotten.

Thank you to everyone who sifted through rubble, picked through mounds of stuff, helped move animals and tear down walls. Even though the days that followed were not easy, the love that abounded from our gracious friends was plentiful. We were never without, and for that we are very thankful. A very special thank you to those who opened their home to us for all those weeks.

We had so many friends who made sure we were continually surrounded by warmth and love, and for that we are forever blessed. A small letter in our newspaper does not seem quite adequate for all the gratefulness and love we have in our hearts for each and every one of you. Please know that we appreciate all the love and kindness shown immensely.

Thank you to all who have helped since with meals, gift cards, and most of all, your prayers. We are truly blessed to be a part of this community.



Mark, Lory, Trevin, Brandy and Haley Estep





TEA audit not over



Dear Editor:



In the recent article, “TEA audit under way in CISD,” your paper used a statement that I believe gives your readers a false impression. The statement, “but there is no evidence of wrong doing on the part of the district” by a Texas Education Agency representative is both true and false.

As the liaison between the TEA and the local watchdog group, Ace$$ Cleburne, I speak with my TEA contacts almost weekly as information pertinent to the investigation/audit is being shared with the proper state or federal agency. The evidence of whether CISD has or has not misused or mismanaged Title 1 funds as alleged has yet to be determined.

I spoke with both state and federal auditors Linda Fredlund and Mary Gonzalez and both assured me that the statement, “no evidence of wrong doing,” is a standard statement given by the TEA because of misquotes by reporters so many times in the past. Gonzalez, who is in the lead federal auditors office, said even if Mr. Medina had found evidence of wrong doing, he would have not said so on Channel 8 News because this is an ongoing investigation. It is not over.

The TEA is sending their team of auditors back to CISD on Monday for round two of records inspections.

In layman’s terms, the fat lady hasn’t sung yet and no one, CISD nor Ace$$ Cleburne, should begin to count their chickens. The jury is still out.

Once the investigation/audit is finished, a preliminary report will be written and the district will be given a chance to respond to the findings of the TEA. After the district responds a final report will be written by the TEA and sent to the district and to myself. It is this final report that will determine whether the district is guilty or innocent of the allegations made by Ace$$ Cleburne.

The final report will be made available to the public for personal inspection.



Harold Gentry

Cleburne





Thanks from Giddens family



Dear Editor:



Roy and I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all of our friends who have stood by us and helped us during the trial of our son, David.

We are especially grateful to Sheriff Bob Alford and Chief Deputy Tom Craig for being so wonderful to us. Your compassion as well as your professionalism was a source of strength.

Our struggles are not over yet. We will be appealing David’s conviction. Our son has always been a good man, a loving father and husband. He did nothing to his precious infant son except care for him tenderly and lovingly.

Unfortunately, David has joined the many innocent people unjustly convicted who are now imprisoned, and some have even been executed.

Our American justice system has become the American Vengeance system. It has got to change.

Sincerely,



Judith Giddens

Cleburne





CISD on a slippery slope



Dear Editor:



It has come to my attention that the Cleburne ISD school board has embarked on another slippery slope. They are going to allow current fourth-grade parents a choice as to which school their child attends. On the surface this may seem like a simple decision, however has the board considered the following issues:

F What are the demographics and how many fourth-grade students do the new boundaries affect?

F What if there are siblings in lower grades, say third grade. Will they get a choice? Remember, this was an issue in the closing of Cooke ECC.

F Is the board prepared to open or close a fifth-grade class at a school if their choices cause the class size to exceed state limits or be under the minimum size? Under current policy no teacher can change grades until fall (by the way there are already three exceptions to this rule currently with the new assignments).

F If we are supporting “neighborhood schools” why are we allowing exceptions (again another argument that was used to close Cooke Early Childhood Center?

I understand the Cooke decision is “water under the bridge,” however, I was hoping for some consistency in the decision-making policies and at this point I do not see any.

My brother had to change high schools as a result of boundary changes and my sister had to change junior high schools as a result of the same boundary changes. My parents went to the board and asked for an exception and did not get one. My siblings both did quite well for themselves with the change, a clear demonstration of “consistency” in policy.



Harold Darling

Cleburne





Pray for good candidates in Rio Vista



Dear Editor:



I am requesting that all Christians pray for our county. Pray that our children can be taught to make correct choices about drugs and alcohol. We all want God’s blessings, so let us all be willing to teach, act and work really hard to live the way God wants us to live.

The city of Rio Vista has an election coming up in May for two new city councilmen and mayor. We need Christian people to run who are interested in this city as a whole, someone who is interested in the future city and county affairs and has voted and took interest in the past. We need a mayor and city councilmen who have been interested enough in the city and county to be a registered voter and voted on past issues.

I believe these people should be property owners in the area they are making decisions, so they have a personal monetary interest in what is happening.

Christians band together, pray and talk about this with friends, neighbors and relatives. God cannot bless a town, a county, a state or a nation that refuses to follow His rules.

Pray that someone will run who has the guts to protect all our children, our grandchildren, our elders and willing to act in all the people’s best interests. These positions should not be filled by people who are only interested in padding their own wallets.

Courage is contagious. When a brave man or woman takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened. “Stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13.

May God be able to bless us,



Marquitta Fowler

Rio Vista





Zacharias is on the right track



Dear Editor:



Recently, I read several books. This may surprise some of my more intellectual friends. One or two of the books were interesting-sounding publications that I gave as presents at Christmas time and then borrowed them back for my reading pleasure. Next time, I should buy them early enough to allow for reading before giving them.

Do not consider me as a book reviewer, as I often forget much of what I read, but one of these books was written in a way that made a lot of sense. The author of this book, Ravi Zacharias, was born in India and came to this country to further his education and live while teaching in the religious departments of several universities. He is a Christian and has explored and experienced several religions in worldwide travels.

His life experiences and studies have convinced him that the United States has been great because it has been good, but doubts that it will be great if it doesn’t remain good. He also knows that the U.S. is, by far, the best place in the world in which to live and he became a citizen the legal way.

Although most of us, as citizens, agree with him that this country is great, that agreement is by default and not by experience. By luck of having been born here, this is what we know. It may take a foreign born to really appreciate what a fundamentally glorious and wonderful place that our forefathers willed and bequeathed to us to love and protect forever more.

The author of this book, “Light in the Shadow of Jihad,” Zacharias points out the influence of radical Islam around the world and what its evil, unbending and very dehumanizing doctrines may bring with its habitation anywhere in this world. He allows that, theoretically, all religions can live side by side if each follows its own supposedly true doctrines.

Some Muslim groups change their doctrine as it fits their agenda. He also addresses the difficulty of separation or recognition of “good Muslims” from “evil Muslims” and their ability to function independent of their clerics who seem to call the shots. Terrible problems are existing today in European countries that have not controlled the Muslim immigration. Any infighting amongst Christian denominations amounts to a “spit wad” tussel compared to the violence that Muslim sects perform on each other and on those who reveal differing doctrines.

Love, forgiveness and grace are interpreted quite differently, if at all, than the Christian way. To be suspicious of all Muslims here and abroad may not be proper, but until I hear them “loud and clear” denounce and separate themselves from the “evil ones,” I will not feel comfortable with them. While they want to live here, they don’t very willingly comply with our laws and traditions but want us to comply with theirs.

We must retain the ways that have worked in this country at all costs! Islamic or Sharia law is the basis of Muslim country governments and is what these folks are used to, as dictatorial and inhumane as it is. It would surely be a calamity for it to be observed here, even by local clusters. If you study this a little, you will appreciate the separation of church and state clause as it was meant to be.

Historically, peaceful longevity in countries without a forgiving religion in their formation has not been observed, so quotes Dr. Zacharias. He states that morality cannot be maintained without religion, but in some religions, the traditions and customs have altered the morality definition to suit those in power. Be kind but be alert. God blessed America; let’s protect it.



Monte Swatzell

Cleburne





A victory plan in Iraq



Dear Editor:



President Bush has a clear plan for victory in Iraq that begins with training Iraqi forces so they can defend their country and fight the terrorists.

We are making tremendous progress towards this objective. Withdrawing from Iraq, as Democrats in Washington propose, would send a dangerous signal to our enemies that we cut and run when the going gets tough. President Bush is offering a clear strategy to win, not a political quick fix.

Stop the Democrats and slow bleeding of the U.S. Armed Forces and not funding.

This is not a good message to send the terrorists for our government to pull the rug out from under our own servicemen. There would be more deaths of servicemen instead of fewer. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are wrong.

Sincerely,



Theresa Williamson

Cleburne

        

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