Published: April 27, 2009 03:41 pm      

4/26/2009 Letters to the Editor

Our economy struggling for survival



Our economy struggles for survival because of “get rich quick” schemers.

Remember Madoff, Allen Stanford, AIG, Freddie and Fannie? These predators have fallen into the hole they dug for their victims. Perceiving someone else’s money as your own turns you into a beggar. A few million wasn’t enough, Allen Stanford begged, “more” — half a billion, he “needed” more. Billions wasn’t enough. Couvetness brought failure to many financial firms, industry and businesses.

Ignoring the aforesaid failures, alcohol proponents collected their signatures riding on the shirt tail of the get rich quick scheme. Alas, the oppressor knocks at our door. The alcohol industry “needs” more. It “begs” for human sacrifice as the means to an end. Sounds familiar! Proponents have presented myriads of argument attempting to persuade us on this issue. One argument is of historical significance. The “snowball effect” was experienced by Noah. Conformity is a lie older than dirt. Its like rolling a snowball.

False teachers will lead you astray and as sin increases, love will grow cold. — Matthew 24:12

Conformity feeds on human beings. Lets get the picture: Love is present. Evil rolls along and influences us - we become setf’ish” - love becomes cool — we embrace sin, which increases evil, which influences others and love grows colder. God’s way is further abandoned as others embrace sin. This mammoth human ball consumes others as they abandon love — sin becomes rampant and love is overtaken by evil. A mammoth human ball rolls along devouring any willing participates. In Noah’s day, the population ended in eternal tragedy. He and his family were saved, alone. Conformity is a serious matter! Read Proverbs 28:10. God has said to avoid the sin of others! Proponents have claimed that evil is everywhere, everybody else does it. That’s infantile and weak. Stand on that lie and you’ll be without a response when a child says, “everybody else does it, I can too.”

Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in destruction. — Proverbs 14:12

Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will. — Romans 12:2

Woe upon the world for all its evil. Temptation to do wrong will corne, but woe to the one who does the tempting. — Matthew 18:7

Cleburne IS our islandl Our choices can influence and harm others. We must be very careful not to embrace evil or mislead others. See whats happening now _ the alcohol proponents have come “rolling” in, leading us away from what’s right because of the influence of other towns! Cleburne is now living proof of conformity! Will we jump into the wallow with other towns?

The cover of the 2008 Cleburne Chamber of Commerce profile has stated Where family and community come first. What a pleasant “island” thought. There are some who live in this manner — Jesus, the Christ, first — others, second — self, last. Others live for me, myself, I.

Drinking alcohol is a personal choice, an entirely different issue than peddling alcohol, which perpetuates conformity, a disasterous example for youth. Do you really care? Please continue buying your drink outside Cleburne. Why stoop to the level of other towns? Leave the charge on their head and the blood on their hands. I prefer a higher level, a higher calling, a city set apart, whose light shines in the darkness. Read Matthew 5:13-16.

We can remain an island, we’re up to the challenge. Read Philippians 4:13.

Jesus, the Christ, denounced conformity. Don’t conform, vote no on proposition 1 and 2.



Robert Whitehead

Cleburne



Reconsider technology use



A recent article in the Cleburne Times Review revealed that some new technology is about to be installed in the county court house.

It appears to me it is some kind of closed circuit TV.

It would be in good order for the courthouse to make good use of the system if it will further advance their needs.

But to allow the attorneys to use the system paid for by the taxpayer is something of a questionable pursuit. These folks could afford their own system without missing a buck.

To encourage their business with taxpayer equipment is out of the question.

Let’s reconsider this very undesirable promotion.



E. G. Frey

Cleburne



Just the facts



Much has been said about the benefits of passing propositions 1 and 2 however, the data just doesn’t add up.

Here are the facts according to the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

They report, “The human and economic consequences of alcohol problems are staggering on a national scale. They are the third leading cause of preventable death in America, they destroy millions of families, they rob millions of young people of their futures, and they drain $186 billion from our economy every year. Yet few people know how much alcohol problems cost at the community or company level.”

According to their findings based on national statistics, if Cleburne has a workforce of 15,000 the following would be true: There would probably be 1,390 problem drinkers in our workforce and 1,864 family members who are problem drinkers. There would probably be 478 excessive lost work days per month because of sickness and injury, which would cost industry $799,828. They also estimate the alcohol-related health care cost to be $5,886,203.

The information goes on but I think we get the idea.

Proponents of the proposition suggest that making alcohol sales more available would reduce folks on the road thus making it safer, again this doesn’t hold up to the data.

Consider the following: The number of alcohol outlets is related to violent assaults. An American Journal of Public Health report showed that each additional alcohol outlet was associated with 3.4 additional assaults per year.

Also, the Journal of Public Health Policy reports that alcohol outlet density has been shown to be the single most important environmental factor explaining why violent crime rates are higher in certain areas of the city than in others.

These are the facts. Vote “no” on propositions 1 and 2; it is the best thing to do for our community now and for future generations.



Mike Mizell

Cleburne



Alcohol proponents making bizarre claim



In the Feb. 8 Cleburne Times-Review, the alcohol proponents presented a rather bizarre claim, a lie, I think.

The proponents claim that if you buy alcohol in Cleburne it is not nearly as dangerous as the intoxicating beer or liquor bought outside Cleburne.

Is this true? That does not make sense to me. Does that make sense to you?

The Cleburne beer or wine will not have the same intoxicating, problematic qualities as the liquor sold outside Cleburne. Is that possible?

Does the liquor industry know that location affects the quality of their dope?

Or will they be producing a diluted, lower quality brew for Cleburne?

That’s not good, the consumer wants the full effect.

Should we investigate the liquor industry? Is this an advertising gimmick?

If it is, it will fail because the user wants the most bang for their buck.

Bottom line, does location of sales have anything to do with the dangerous, problematic, intoxicating, mind-altering quality of the breweries’ dope?

Who has made this claim and why?

Just when you think you’ve heard it all, out of the devils’ bag comes a lie that trumps them all.

If that claim is true you will be better off buying the quality brew sold in the towns around us.

It’s interesting that our vote comes in the Easter season. Let love be your claim. 1 Corinthians 14:1.



Rebecca Schisler

Cleburne



Reason to join Confederate Veterans



Because April is Confederate History Month, I wonder how many people realize that our town is named after the Stonewall of the West: Civil War Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne.

I would bet that less than a third of the people you asked to tell you that.

That is why I want to share with my fellow readers about the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

SCV is a group of men who have a Confederate veteran in their history tree.

We exist as an organization to honor and preserve the memory and true history of our Confederate ancestors.

We also seek to educate those around us concerning the true history of the South and our heritage.

I joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans because I had a Confederate veteran in my family tree, I wanted to be more involved in my community, I care about history and making sure the truth is told, I wanted to honor the service of I.P. Lynch to the South, and I wanted to be part of a group that honors the dead by cleaning headstones, replacing them and maintaining local and rural cemeteries.

If you love the South and Civil War history, come by our area during Springfest and consider becoming part of us.

For information call 1-800-MYSOUTH.



Michael L. Simons

Terry’s Texas Rangers SCV Camp No. 1937



Thanks from R2R support



On behalf of Cleburne’s American Legion Auxiliary Unit 50, I would like to thank everyone who worked to make the Wounded Warriors’ Road 2 Recovery visit to Cleburne a tremendous success.

It involved so many organizations and individuals it is impossible to mention every person who contributed to the effort. The participants in Road to Recovery were very impressed with Texas hospitality and Johnson County’s reception to their visit.

Thanks go to Lisa Magers and the Cleburne ISD; Johnson County Judge Roger Harmon and Commissioners Court and office personnel; Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford, Capt, Gilbert and officers; Cleburne City Council; Cleburne Police Chief Terry Powell and officers; Cleburne Fire Chief Clint Ishmael and his emergency personnel; Cleburne Mayor Ted Reynolds, City Manager Chester Nolan and administrative personnel; Smith Middle School Administration, faculty and students; Smith Middle School band and choir; Ellis Brannam – Signs of Success; Cleburne Times Review; Johnson County Eagle News; Bob Force, photographer extraordinaire; Cleburne Lions Club; Cleburne Rotary; Patrick’s Cleburne Floral; MAP Tax Service; Rocky Alberti, Keene police chief; Town Hall Estates in Keene; Barbara Kundert, American Legion Auxiliary Department of Texas vice president; American Legion Auxiliary, Post and Riders; Ken Peters Sr.; Barbara Robinson; Pam Smith; Mike Carter and Lindsey Blackwell; Mike Kahn; Don Diamond; Johnson County Probation Office; C.E. DeLario, Cleburne American Legion Post 50; The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 50; and for their attendance, President George W. Bush; U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards; and state Rep. Rob Orr.

Thank you, Cleburne, for fulfilling the trust I had in our community when I learned we were honored with having been selected as one of their overnight stops.

Your patriotism is unsurpassed, and our community should stand proud and get ready — we hope they’ll be back next year, when we can make it bigger and better for our wounded warriors.



Marty Peters

II Division President

American Legion Auxiliary



Snake oil salesmen and other pests



In the early days of the Old West, so-called medicine men traveled from town to town putting on their medicine shows, trying to sell their “snake oil” medicine, which was good for anything that ailed you, from a fever to rheumatism to the gout.

Because most of the medications were about 85 percent alcohol, I guess they would ease you until nature had time to take care of the problem.

Today we have modern laboratories with scientists working with the most modern equipment developing medications for every type disease imaginable. We no longer need to rely on one cure-all for whatever ails you.

We have doctors who specialize in every field of medicine there is. Whatever ails you, you have a specialist you can go to for that particular ailment.

Now, every night when I turn the TV on there is another drug company trying to sell me another medication for some known or imaginary ailment.

It sure reminds me of the old medicine shows and the hawkers trying to sell their snake oil.

Do the drug companies no longer trust the doctors to prescribe the medication that they feel is best for their patients?

The drug companies would have you believe that you can’t eat, sleep or walk without taking one of their new miracle drugs.

It’s no wonder we have so many young people on drugs today.

Times change and yet they remain the same, so they say.

There are other things about the Old West that still hold true today, just carried out in a different way.

Remember what were called “bushwhackers” in the Westerns?

They were the ones who were afraid to face you and hid out and shot at you from the back.

Well, we still have plenty of them today.

I am sure that you have been bushwhacked many times.

The phone rings, you pick up the receiver and say, “Hello.”

A recording on the other end says: “Are you paying too much for ... ?” You’ve just been bushwhacked!

The cowards will not talk to you in person, therefore I figure they do not think much of what they are trying to sell.

If they do not think enough of their product to tell me about it in person, then why should I even consider purchasing it?

To me telephone solicitors who use the recorded sales messages are the lowest scum of the earth.

Now, I’ll get off my soap box.



John Watson

Cleburne



Prom a big success



Earlier this year I was asked to be the food chairman for the 2009 Cleburne High School prom. I wanted it to be a success, both for the students who went to the prom and the adults who helped organize it and chaperoned.

Well, the prom was a big, big success — more than 600 students attended.

The refreshments were also a success, and I want to thank the following businesses for their donations.

Without them, the prom refreshments would not have been so great: Black Tie Bakery, Chicken Express, CiCi’s Pizza, H-E-B, Kroger, Lemon Sisters Bakery, Pastafina Italian Restaurant, Sam’s Club and West End Grill.

In addition, one individual, Myra Maldonado, made 500 chocolate-covered strawberries!

Thanks again to everyone for your generosity.



Mary C. Hicks

Food Chairman, 2009

Cleburne High School Prom