Published: April 13, 2009 07:13 am      

4/12 Letters to the Editor

Could better reading be found?



Dear Editor:



The challenges of appropriateness and intrinsic literary value of “The Pillars of the Earth” as reading for a high school advanced placement English class at Cleburne High School are valid and timely.

The questioned passages are definitely not something most parents or teachers would encourage teenagers to read, study or discuss in a classroom environment.

The point has been made that students in these advanced classes are more mature than the average student, and they can “handle” this kind of graphic description of sexual violence.

Perhaps semantics is the problem with this definition of “mature.”

“The Pillars of the Earth” is for mature readers in the same way X-rated movies are for mature audiences — sensationalism and sexual explicitness, not literary content.

This book does not appeal to higher or more analytical thinking skills. On the contrary, it probably exploits the reader’s baser nature.

If a student wants to read the book on his own, or if his parent wants him to have this knowledge, the student is free to read the book by going to the school library or buying the book at Barnes & Noble.

But just as no teacher would be allowed to show an X-rated movie in class, she should not be allowed to assign a book containing X-rated content. However, that is not the only reason for my objection to the book as curriculum.

As a high school English teacher of 30 years with 15 years teaching early admissions classes for college credit, I had never heard of “The Pillars of the Earth,” nor had I ever seen it on any of the numerous lists of recommended or required reading for college students.

Additionally, I know of no other school district that uses this book as a definitive source of information on the medieval period of England’s history or literature.

Because success at the college or university level is the goal for advanced placement classes, reading works of popular fiction does not provide the insight and discipline that study of scholarly academic literature does.

The author himself even admitted on page 7 of the preface of the book.

“The book won no prizes — it was not even nominated. A few critics adored it, but most were unimpressed.”

And on page 9, he wrote, “Publishers, agents, critics and people who give out literary prizes generally overlooked this book.”

Wouldn’t our educational goals be better served by exposing these mature students to the proven classics of literature that have been read and discussed by educated people for many years?

Our children deserve the best of literature that is available: Chaucer, Malory, Beowulf, The Pearl Poet, Piers Plowman — all these are worthy of our students’ time, provide better information and are contained on most advanced placement reading lists.

Plus, their content is not objectionable. They are literature!



Jean Davlin

Cleburne









God trumps it



Dear Editor:



The news we hear these days exposes so much deceit — lying — such as the AIG stunt, which was a premeditated plot.

Predictably, those top dogs gave — stole — themselves a bonus, which coined a new, or maybe not so new, phrase: The ultimate sucker is the taxpayer.

The liquor industry has been milking the taxpayers for years.

The March 10 Times-Review exposed yet another consequence of alcohol — $75,000 in damage to the Child Advocacy Center by a DWI driver. How ironic!

The CAC is a sanctuary where children go to escape the trauma of this problematic, and mind altering dope.

So our local economy now suffers to the tune of $75,000.

Satan, the evil one, the destroyer, and father of lies has used his most excellent weapon to deal a crushing blow to the needs of the children in our community.

This economical slaughter is outrageous.

Will the liquor industry pay for the damages to the CAC or foot the bill for the extra costs associated with this incident? Nope!

Are the liquor proponents going to put their money where their mouths are? Nope!

Will the industry or the proponents aid the driver in restoring a shattered life? Nope!

Ahh, the ultimate sucker — the taxpayer.

Proponents claim this dope will put money in the city coffers, and the tax monies are just what we need.

How radical. Dope peddling — what a career choice.

It was an act of God that the word coffin was not used in this letter instead of coffers.

Satan is so mundane, same old lies, same old tricks. Nothing new with that old predatory spirit!

And the young driver affected by this is of no more concern to that predatory industry than kicking a shoe out of the way, clearing the path for the next victim.

This predatory industry targets our youth and delivers no restitution and has no resurrection powers.

The spiritual, emotional, mental, physical, social, economical and financial devastation of this dope makes it a horrendous megamoral issue.

Manufacturing and peddling alcohol is not an act of love.

We need a “study” on the love of money and the pitfalls thereof.

Alcohol is the No. 1 drug of choice in the U.S.

Dope is what it is. Alcohol is dope. Alcohol is the big lie.

Who said that dope is not a moral or Christian issue nor is money? That was stated in the March 10 paper also.

Who said that?

What mockery, what gall, what arrogance in the face of God.

One can only conclude they are either incompetent or ignorant of God’s way set forth in his word. The loving Father God, the great I Am, is the authority who established moral standards for our happiness and safety.

Freethinkers who assess themselves to be smarter than God are blind guides.

What an embarrassment to the city and Christian community.

The proponents’ debate is with God, not man.

God is sharp, has a great imagination, and a wonderful sense of humor.

They lay down a card, God trumps it. He holds a full house.

God knows the trick before they spring it, the lie before they speak it, and he can see through their wool.

Scattered throughout God’s word are moral laws and teachings on love, mone, and oppression — profit over people.

Listen up people, don’t kick a pebble loose from the dirt or lift a rock, a liar might come crawling out. Alcohol is the big lie.

Love does no harm to others. Romans 13:10. That says it all.



Rebecca Schisler

Cleburne











Walden supports Maxfield and Neely



Dear Editor:



Citizens of Joshua, please join me in voting to keep the present city council members intact, by voting for Butch Maxfield and Bob Neely.

For the past two years we, the present city council, have kept your taxes very low, started Joshua’s first park and recreation area in the city of Joshua.

Also, we have explored ways of getting a paid fire department and getting the tax increment financing district actually started to bring the Joshua station to life and attract new businesses into Joshua.

The main objective of the present city council has been the welfare, safety, growth and prosperity of the city of Joshua.

Butch Maxfield has proven to be a very excellent city council member, citizen of Joshua for 23 years, and friend of Joshua.

Maxfield brings to the council many years of business experience and knowledge in decision making. His expertise has helped the council make good decisions for all of the citizens of the city of Joshua.

As part of the city council Maxfield has always been for what is best for the city of Joshua and its citizens. Never for his own personal agenda.

Bob Neely has spent many years in service of the city of Joshua on the city council and through other civic orginizations in Joshua.

Please vote for Butch Maxfield, Place 4, and Bob Neely, Place 6. Thank you.



Glen Walden

Mayor pro tem, Joshua









Roll out the barrel and uncork the jug



Dear Editor:



Elgible and interested voters will soon decide whether Cleburne stores can sell beer and wine.

Let’s hope there will be a good voting turn out, which is not always the case here, even in controversial matters.

Personally, I can live with it either way, although I would rather this proposition not pass.

I believe these items are easily available within short distances in several directions.

I’m used to Cleburne being somewhat unique in several categories and see benefits in it remaining that way.

One needs to consider all the information published concerning the possible “vast” economic benefits that will be derived from these sales taxes and the “so-called negative characterization” given this relatively dry city from some retailers and restaurants wishing to come to Cleburne if and when it becomes a wet town.

On the other hand, by counting the number of eating establishments already here, one would think that no more are really needed now and that very few of us eat at home as it is.

Good food is properly served at the existing places, and alcoholic drinks are presently available at several of them.

Grocery consumers may already be buying all the food they can eat without the presence of wine and beer drawing them into the stores.

Some claim the changes that supposedly will take place will be spectacular both in quality and in financial numbers.

It sounds like these city tax-income changes could be on par with the gas well production and royalty benefits, according to some proponents of alcohol sale.

Those changes seem to have, temporarily at least, sputtered somewhat, although both beneficial and detrimental changes have occurred from that presence.

If I felt assured that JC Penney and similar retail stores would return to Cleburne, I might re-evaluate the whole picture, but I can’t see the potential for alcoholic sales affecting that possibility.

I hate to be a sorehead and am for, and ultimately proud of, most Cleburne projects, but many rosy chamber of commerce projections sound better than the overall end results.

Promises of more overall business for everyone, more incoming bright people, and more good jobs usually result also in higher property evaluations and taxes, more criminal activities, more traffic problems, more street damage with slow repair, more illegal immigrants, and more precious water usage.

The city management might like all the sales tax income possible regardless of the source, but should we be concerned and interested as to how it is spent as some are concerning the gas royalty money?

My suggestion is for each of us to evaluate this proposition carefully from a personal and a civic point of view and then show up to vote.

Whatever the outcome, we shall have acted on what is best for Cleburne and for each of us and shall be fellow citizens who made a difference and, assuredly, can still be friendly towards one and other.



Monte Swatzell

Cleburne









Parents should be involved with children



Dear Editor:



I have followed the accounts of the issue over “The Pillars of the Earth,” listening to both sides.

Hats off to Pete Kendall for fair reporting!

Everyday I hear teachers express concerns about the lack of parental support for their children’s education. And now we have parents who are involved in their children’s education, and teachers and others are offended.

Cleburne should be thankful for a group of parents who have taken the time to find out what their children are studying.

We should be thankful that they did speak up! Do we have to agree with them? No!

But we should respect them and instead of attacking the persons by labeling them Nazis — or other mudslinging — simply, and politely, disagree with the issue.

Our schools desperately need the parents to be involved in their children’s education. Let’s encourage them even if we disagree.



Terri White

Cleburne









A mostly true story



Dear Editor:



Your old Chevy has over 200,000 on it, but it still cranks and runs. All four doors open and close. You even got a sticker on the windshield last year without having to bribe the inspector.

You get to a red light, you look around, you watch the light turn green, you nail it. The Harley man in the next lane leaves; Your Chevy just shutters.

While on the freeway, you have to drive in the granny lane to keep from getting hit. It’s time for a trade.

The local new car dealer has a choice, sport or convertible.

The dealer says “We need to move these units now.”

He’s giving a decent trade-in price, plus a discount on the new unit and says,”Buy one, and if you aren’t thrilled with it, then exchange it for the other — no charge.” You sign the papers, take the keys, and drive off the lot delighted.

You don’t even look back to see if they take the old Chevy to the car crusher or send it to Mexico.

Life can be like that. If you know and love Jesus, your new vehicle won’t need a rearview mirror. It won’t be restricted by time or space.

The new vehicle will be heavenly. Some people are dying to have one. I’m in no hurry, just hoping for another happy birthday.



Jerry Willis

Grandview









Seconding the sentiments



Dear Editor:



I wish to second the sentiments offered by Josh Taylor in his letter to the editor that appeared in Wednesday’s edition of the Cleburne Times-Review.

His articulate presentation of the issues involved with judging “appropriateness” of reading material were well reasoned and and objective.

Education is, or should be, about presenting information that can be discussed in an open and guided classroom forum, giving the students the opportunity to make informed decisions as a result.

It’s a shame that Mrs. Shelton’s son (see Pete Kendall’s commentary from the same paper) will not have that opportunity, but then again, why should we try to prepare him or other students to think independently?

He’ll have to be content with watching any of the myriad television show on network television with similar material without the opportunity to discuss any broader issues that arise.



Greg Taylor (no relation)

Fort Worth







Seems like the adults were immature



Dear Editor:



I spoke at the board meeting Monday night.

I was shocked to see the parents showing such immaturity as making manure brownies and reading a rape scene as if it was a prose.

As “immature” students not ready to read such shocking content, I would think it would be the students in support of the book showing all the immaturity.

I am proud to have represented Mrs. Bell by speaking in favor of the book.

To take out the rape scene read at the meeting would be to obliterate the most important character in the book.

The character became important because of this incident that happened to her. Without such a scene, which most students read over without going into epileptic shock, there would be no story plot,

The book has sexual content, not surprising considering the teacher made it abundantly clear, but it is by no means the focus of the book.

These advanced students should be able to handle such content and look for the deeper meaning. If they cannot, they do not belong in these classes.

Mrs. Bell did not make less any of the content we might expect from reading but did offer the second novel. She gave each student a sheet explaining this to take home to their parents.

If by chance this wasn’t done, it’s that particular student not mature enough to read the novel.

I hope the parents opposing the book soon realize their error.

By trying to ban this book, they open up possibilities to ban anything because of discomfort or opposition.

Will they then ban my lunch because it has grape jelly instead of strawberry? Or will they ban me because I’m open-minded and that offends them?

This book teaches much in the area of moral character. It shouldn’t be banned because a few parents still wish to control what their children might learn dealing with sex, violence, or bad language.

The ironic part of such an opposition is that these issues are everywhere: TV, magazines and the Internet.

Support this book for the curriculum and allow individual students to decide for themselves if it is inappropriate.

Let the student, not the parent, learn from such a great piece of work. The lessons and character of this book offer much for students about to face college life. Immaturity is not a problern with Mrs. Bell’s students. She is a wonderful teacher who helps formulate and enhance all her students to prepare them for the greatest maturity change they will ever face.

I can only thank her for such.



Brooke Sartin

Cleburne High School









Change and hope? Maybe not



Dear Editor:



After barely three weeks in office, our new president is setting records at a breakneck pace. He has single handedly broken the record for appointing arguably one of the most corrupt cabinets in modem history. He has accomplished this largely by appointing a gaggle of Clinton retreads and other inside the beltway cronies. Change?

The vetting process was evidently not up to speed as we saw one appointee after another recuse him/herself from service after allegations of tax cheating and inappropriate conflicts of interest came under scrutiny in the press and media.

Our president has also evidently turned over the responsibility of crafting a stimulus plan that will “save us from certain economic doom and gloom” to none other than the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her bank of free spending liberals who are attempting to cram every liberal spending bill that has been denied them over the past 20 years into the current offering that does little to stimulate anything other than their own special interest social programs.

By the way, our own Chet Edwards has gleefully endorsed this “porkulus” monstrosity.

The cost to the taxpayers — they are spending your money by the way — will be well north of $1 trillion, after interest and inflation are figured in. Our children and grandchildren will be picking up the tab for this one. Hope?

This is the result of electing someone to high office based solely on emotion and feel-good campaign slogans without a thorough analysis of his/her past beliefs and practices as an indicator of how they will govern in the future. I sincerely hope that all of the independents, moderates, and “squishy” Republicans who helped put this president in office are pleased with their choice. It is going to be an expensive one.

Yes, we are beginning to see the promises of the “immaculate” campaign come to fruition before our very eyes, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.

As my granddfather used to say, ”You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

The reality of the Obama campaign promise should more appropriately be no change and no hope.



Johnnie Ricketts

Alvarado









What will excite a vote?



Dear Editor:



What will excite the citizens of Cleburne enough to turn out to vote?

Maybe a dry-wet or racy book ballot in conjunction with political office voting would be worth consideration.

It seems that this week has brought forth some exhuberant discussions concerning alcohol availability within our city and literary disagreement in public schools.

Some city leaders seem to be very excited about bringing easily available and perhaps highly profitable forms of alcohol sales to retailers and eating establishments.

These leaders believe we are losing revenue because of our archaic codes, and they state that even more palatable eating establishments would show up here were it not for our prohibitionary stance on liquor sales.

It is claimed that these eating joints would like to come here and share the wealth with our other culinary and grocer merchants.

It is asked, why can’t we be like other towns getting in on the gravy?

Our uniqueness is unpopular to some. Even talk of safer streets accompanying local alcohol sales has been heard.

Does this mean that those who go elsewhere to buy their hooch are drinking it on the way back to Cleburne and having resulting accidents here?

It is hard to extract the whole truth from what one hears. Some feel that easy availability leads to over consumption of such potions.

If the city would promise under oath that all tax revenue gained from this potential money flood from alcohol sales would be used for nothing but old street repairs and maintenance, wouldn’t that written vow lessen the opposition to such a move?

Or surely, this money, like the gas money has done, would lower property taxes, right?

Worthy factors to consider.

The other current hair raiser is the controversy concerning a certain book assigned to presenior CHS students by a teacher who claims that only once since 1999 has anyone contested this book assignment.

This is a 1,000 page book that some say is a well-woven tale and, according to this same teacher, is the only book ever assigned by her that was read completely by those students to whom it was assigned.

Could it be that the teenagers’ high level of hormones was stimulated by certain passages bringing about the interest to finish the book?

I was afforded copies of several pages of the book and must say that it is not a Mother Goose type literary gem but accentuates very explicit sexual activity and female debasing and abuse without a blush from the author.

Today’s children may be able “to handle” such, but this doesn’t mean that one has to go along with the trends in society if they drastically differ from one’s own moral codes.

Our children’s teachers should honor these convictions rather than take the Dr.Spock attitude that “I am the teacher, and I know better than you what is best for your kids,” or “In my hands they will be prepared to deal with the world,” or “The freedom of speech amendment protects this book however perverted one may think it is,” when the theme of “I’ll help your kids prepare to better the world” might have a place.

Since this paper printed an editorial criticizing those who were “misled” into fussing about this book and actually praised the author and his work, I would suggest to and even challenge this paper to print those pages containing the questionable written scenes from this book so the readers can judge what children are encouraged to read in high school.

Maybe I am too dang old to appreciate some novel writers, but I have read enough to realize that any writers who need porno or profane wording to sell their books have very poor use of the English language.

This is sad because it categorizes much of our literary material to be as common as pig tracks.

In colloquial language usage, common often means lowly, odorous and undesirable.



Monte Swatzell

Cleburne