Published: April 28, 2009 09:01 am      

4/5/2009 Letters to the Editor

Wake up Cleburne



The appearance of C-PAC on local TV last week was all I could take of one person trying to dictate her desires and wishes to the Cleburne ISD.

C-PAC (an anonymous organization?) in Cleburne is attempting to dictate what books can or cannot be used in our high school senior class.

These are 17- to 18-year-old high school students who are working at a one-year college level. The material they study is sanctioned by all colleges.

Yes, parents have a right to be able to read and approve or disapprove whether their children can or cannot read books recommended by the teachers.

C-PAC now wants to censor books to be used in the curriculum and are being very vocal and aggressive in their efforts.

They published a handout setting forth their desires to eliminate the book, “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett, using excerpted passages out of context, from being used by the school at all.

Again, they have committed an illegal act by putting online excerpts from Follett’s copyrighted book without his permission. This is two unlawful acts.

A list of the names of those on the school board, their home and office telephone numbers and e-mail addresses was distributed to be used by the populace of Cleburne in an effort to influence them.

It is well-known that every organization, including C-PAC, has a leader, president, spokesperson, etc. No name, telephone number, etc. of this person has been revealed to the general public.

My investigation into the “organization” shows it to be founded, run and overseen by one person — Maureen Benke — who has taken it upon herself to tell the people of Cleburne how to act and what they can and cannot do. Who does she think she is?

The Cleburne telephone directory lists Benke’s telephone number.

Well, let’s fight fire with fire.

After I revealed Benke’s first unlawful act through a letter in the Times Review, I have been thanked by everyone I meet for taking action against C-PAC and Benke.

Also, an e-mail has been sent to Ken Follett advising him of the excerpts being taken from his book and printed.

I have been asked by numerous persons to do something.

OK, I will!

If you disapprove the actions of C-PAC and Benke, please send me a card or mail an empty envelope with your name, address, etc. on it to 803 Prairie Ave., Cleburne, TX 76033.

I plan to attend all school board meetings in the future to ensure that all of Cleburne has a say in this matter, not just the people of C-PAC.

For the record, I was born in Cleburne in 1927 and attended Cleburne High School Class of ’45.

I left school in 1944 to enlist in the U.S. Navy and served for five years on submarines, leaving the Navy to serve in the Army for 21 years. I am a retired member of the Federal Agents Association with 35 years in law enforcement.



Joe B. Ballew, Capt.,

U.S. Army, Ret.

Cleburne



A challenge to excellence



I am a newcomer to Cleburne, having chosen this city above all others in this nation for retirement near my Texas children.

I have become disillusioned with my new home as I have observed the controversy over the “Pillars” book, which is used for high school English students.

I have seen neighbor pitted against neighbor, parents against school administration, and I’ve learned among other things that my home schooling friends are considered Nazis and that I am stupid because I prefer selecting books for teenagers from The College Board’s 101 Great Books for College Bound Readers.

Should anyone be interested, the The College Board prepares the SAT and writes the AP literature tests used by many college-bound seniors. You may see the list of books these experts call “great” by visiting www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills.

Scroll down to Academics and look for the heading 101 Great Books.

Sure. Some of these books contain steamy parts. Some have offensive language. Some are painful to read because of the tragedies they describe.

However, none would be characterized as “porn” or “smut,” and all have survived the test of time. “The Pillars of the Earth” is not listed among the “greats.”

Now, add to this insight hat of a brilliant English professor at Texas A&M. You will find D.G. Myers’ blog at dgmyers.blogspot.com/2009/02/ap-english-and-literary-knowledge.html.

If you really want to be amazed, visit www.stjohnscollege.edu, the Web site for St. John’s College — one in Santa Fe and one in Annapolis — and choose one of the undergraduate reading list links under Academic Program.

These colleges use as textbooks the original writings of the greatest of all authors. Notice the heading on their home page: “The Following Teachers Will Return to St. John’s Next Year . . . Homer, Euclid, Chaucer, Einstein, DuBois, Virgil, Augustine, Aristotle, Washington, Woolf, Plato, Tocqueville, Austen, Newton, Cervantes, Darwin, Mozart, Galileo, Tolstoy, Descartes, Freud, and more.”

I didn’t find Follett listed at all.

Finally, I would like to challenge the CISD administration, school board, faculty, and parents as well, to usher in a new decade of excellence in preparing our children for the best of higher education.

Forget the self-proclaimed “entertainment fiction” — Follett — and go for the great literature our students will more likely be tested on in college entrance exams.



Alice Jensen

Cleburne



Thank you for your support



In His Name Circle, King’s Daughters and Sons, would like to thank all who attended our fundraiser, “An Evening of Desserts and Games,” on March 23.

We also would like to thank the following businesses for their generous donations Accents, Allure Skin Aesthetic Center, Applebee’s, Benny Joe’s Pasta and Pizza, Blue Marlin Oyster Bar and Grill, Dan and Barbara Boulware, Buffalo Creek BBQ, Card and Party Factory, The Castle Collection, Vance and Camilla Castles, Christi’s at the mall, Cleburne Pin Center Lanes, Colonial Savings, Cotton Patch Cafe, Dairy Queen No. 2, Domino’s Pizza, First Financial Bank, Grand Buffet Restaurant, Ruth Ann Hill, Pam Hirsch, Huddle House, Jeff England Motor Company, Leach Bros. Pit BBQ, The Look Salon, Betty Mahaney, Merle Norman, Virginia Morgan, On the Rocks — Stone Creations, Pastafina, Pat Downing, Peterson’s, Plaza Theatre Company, Prudential Texas Properties, Randy Rogers Band, Royce’s Pharmacy, Susannah’s, West End Grill, Mary Ann Wheatley and Cheryl Wilson.



Deb Matthews, president

In His Name Circle



Thank you Cleburne and Johnson County



The Johnson County Master Gardeners had a big plant sale on March 28 in the Hulen park.

I’m sure you can remember that Saturday was bitterly cold with high winds. There was nothing we could do but have our sale — the plants were being delivered.

Well, we are very happy to say everyone came and bought all our plants. It was wonderful.

Thank you again for being so willing to come and help us have a wonderful, if very cold, successful sale.



Elaine Bell, president

The Johnson County

Master Gardeners



Tastes have become perverted



Congratulations to Misty Schultz for peeling back the rationalizations used for reading “The Pillars of the Earth” and exposing them to the light of the Bible.

Satan works hard to desensitize us to the seriousness of sexual sin. This desensitization encourages us to find some redeeming value in reading about rape, fornication, adultery, etc.

Most of us would not go to an X-rated movie or view pornographic videos, yet when it come to reading about these things we try to justify it by saying that they are couched in good “classic” literature such as “The Pillars of the Earth.”

The devil seems to specialize in taking something inherently good and slipping in something bad, and we seem to swallow it whole — the good and the bad.

Our taste has become perverted to the point that the bad tastes good. How sad for us and our children.



Janet Pauly

Keene



C-PAC errors



All the controversy swirling around C-PAC reminds me of George Elliot, a fellow college student.

George’s parents shielded him from every temptation and made sure he led a pious and pure life.

At age 18 they sent innocent George off to the big city where he entered the university. There, absent parental “control” George discovered freedom in the form of sleeping in, skipping classes, beer, and co-eds.

He flunked out because his parents failed to teach him responsibility — instead they took it away from him.

There is a lesson there for C-PAC — whoever they are.

C-PAC appears to be a noisy minority of four. Cleburne demographics from 2000 show there were about 3,600 households with children under 18.

The 12.2 percent population growth would make that about 4,000 in 2007. C-PAC claims to represent 1,300 of those households, or 32 percent. Their claim is absurd!

Elected by Cleburne citizens, the board of trustees has Cleburne ISD responsibility. A noisy minority does not.



Dr. David R. Reinhartsen

Cleburne



Animals made Rodeo Day thrilling



Coleman kindergarten teachers would like to say a big thank you to Tommy and Diane Webb for bringing the animals to our Rodeo Day on March 27. The children were thrilled.

We appreciate your taking the time and trouble to bring so many animals for the children to see and touch.

You talked to them about each animal, and they learned so many things. The animals were their favorite part of the day. Thank you again.



Pam McCollister

Lisa Waits

Leslie Porter

Sarah Searles