Published: May 04, 2009 08:28 am      

5/3/2009 Letters to the Editor

The devil’s bag of tricks



Voting day has arrived.

Alcohol proponents have made their arguments in efforts to push their agenda.

They promised no bars, just alcohol sales in grocery stores and convenience stores.

I have counted 29 street-corner stores and one on Woodard across from Wren House.

That would be 30 stores selling alcohol in this small town. No wonder we wouldn’t need bars!

The high school is sandwiched between two stores, one at the corner of West Kilpatrick and North Nolan River Road, and at West Henderson and Nolan River Road.

There is a store at South Nolan River Road and Country Club Road, where Gerard Elementary and Smith Middle School are located, right at the front door of the schools.

Also the store on Woodard is within walking distance of Wheat Middle School and the high school.

Will pharmacies be allowed to sell? That’s contradictory, but who knows what surprises are in the devil’s bag of tricks?

We don’t need stores who throw temper tantrums. We don’t need a QuikTrip in Cleburne.

If they can’t sell their products off the shelves in the big cities, they sure can’t in this small town.

If they can only “exist” if alcohol is sold, then they aren’t a convenience store, they’re a beer store.

If the other items on the shelves are just a front for peddling alcohol, then we don’t need the thugs in town anyway.

If they are brat enough to say, “If you don’t let us peddle dope then we won’t play with you,” then send them home.

Drinking responsibly isn’t the issue.

Peddling really broadens the issue, exposes motives, and deepens the consequence.

Someone needs to step up to the plate for future generations.

That’s why Cleburne is still “clean” now: The past generations have done it for us.

If the alcohol proponents knew all that is in God’s word concerning this issue, they would be angry.

If the vote passes there will be 29 street corner predators. I think we should reject the proponents stimulus package.

May I suggest a foolproof package? “If my people will humble themselves and pray, and search for me and tum from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The loving Father is very capable and deeply concerned about our welfare.

God is wealthy, and he does provide for his creation.

He wants to help us. Are we willing to scrap our evil ideas and ask his help?

If we do ask, what is our purpose? Is it need or greed or self interest?

What about the monies from restaurant bars, lottery sales, the oil and gas business? Is that not enough? Is human sacrifice enough?

If you love others as you love yourself you will not want to harm them. You will not want to do anything God says is wrong.

All 10 commandments are wrapped up in this one: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to anyone. Love satifies all of God’s requirements. The law of love is all you need.

If the vote passes the liquor cartels will have a feeding frenzy. The alcohol industry is still euphoric from Christmas and spring break profits.

Why do teens think is OK to drink? “Grown-ups” have given it thumbs up by literal example.

I hope we won’t taint Mr. Franks joyful phrase with this shameful one: Moonshine, Cleburne, Moonshine.

Read Proverbs 24:19, 20. Don’t be jealous of Rio Vista, Granbury, etc., and their dirty money.

I encourage you to keep the liquor cartels out of Cleburne. Vote no to propositions 1 and 2.

An old adage comes to mind: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.



Ora Whitehead

Cleburne



Pickup raffle appreciation



The Cleburne Lions Club wishes to thank the following merchants of Cleburne for donated door prizes distributed to ticket holders during the annual Pickup Raffle. This is the club’s primary fund raising project to enable the purchase of vision examinations and eyeglasses for local needy school children.

Grateful thanks to Applebee’s Grill & Bar, Albertson’s Food & Drug, Bennett Printing & Office Supply, Blue Marlin Oyster Bar & Grill, Brazos River Boat Storage, Chaf-In Restaurant, Chamber of Commerce, Chicken Express, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Ci Ci’s Pizza, Cotton Patch Cafe, Cleburne Fitness Center, Colonial Savings, Doc Holliday’s Discount Boots, Dugger Brothers, Expert Tire, Family Nutrition Center, First Financial Bank, Golden Corral, Goodyear Tire Center, Grand Buffet, H.E.B. Food Stores, Jeff England Motor Co., Joe’s Pizza & Pasta, Johnson County Relay for Life, The Kitchen Place at Rowlette Hardware, Kroger Retail Store, La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, Leach Bros. Pit Bar B-Q, Lemon Sisters Cafe & Bakery, Liberty Ford, Lone Star Car Wash, LYNCO Heating & Air Conditioning, Mann Farm and Ranch, McDonald’s, Member’s Credit Union, The Palms Salon & Day Spa, Peterson’s Smokehouse Cafe, Pinnacle Bank, Pinnacle Choice Air Conditioning & Heating, Plaza Theatre Company, Pulido’s Mexican Restaurant, Rick’s Automotive, Sears Retail Store, Staples, Susannah’s Home Style Cooking, Texas Hair Cutters, Texas State Optical, Turn Back Time Photo Studio, Tutle & Tutle Trucking, Vacuum West, Walgreen Drug Store, Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart Pharmacy.



Janice Edwards

Cleburne Lions Club

president



You can’t stand against God



The vote on liquor sales is here. The pros and cons are still being presented, and everyone has his or her opinion.

A thought comes to mind.

No one, reguardless of how shrewd or well advised they are, can stand against the Lord. Proverbs 21:30 makes one ask, “How does my opinion stand up to God’s great love and intellect?”

Any way, we have walked this way before, and the vote failed, but here we go again, which brings a thought to mind: As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly— Proverbs 26:11.

I think we need to review the good things we will have from alcohol sales.

First we “get” no-fault insurance. Everybody else is doing it.

Second we get dirty, stained money.

From the foulest, darkest parts of Mexico, Columbia and points beyond all the way to the luxury suites of the wealthiest executives of the liquor cartels in the U.S., the battle cry remains the same: money, dope for dollars.

There’s a catchy slogan that should get the kids’ attention, not that rows of liquor on the shelves in neighborhood grocery stores won’t do the same.

Thirdly, we “get” degradation. Profit over people.

Fourth, we “get” economical plunder. Taxpayers beware.

Fifth, we “get’ to influence our children and sacrifice our grandchildren and future generations. We ain’t come a long ways baby and getting more depraved as time marches on.

Sixth, we “get” to conform. Welcome to the pig wallow. Won’t we be proud of ourselves? Weak but proud.

Daniel Webster said, “Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens.” Got courage?

Seventh, we “get” a scam. Buy your beer inside Cleburne; its a safer product.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

Eighth, we “get’ to maintain our trophy status.

Texas leads the nation in alcohol-related traffic deaths in the U.S.

By all means let’s maintain our trophy status and strive to break our own record.

Shine, Cleburne, shine. Do your part for Texas. Thanks for the neat phrase Mr. Franks.

Ninth, we “get’ to have a merrier Christmas.

December is the deadliest month of the year for alcohol related traffic deaths. Too many people drunked up, as they say, using the birth of Jesus, the Christ, as an excuse to party.

Oh well, let’s have our fun, me, myself, and I. We’ll bury the dead after Christmas.

Tenth, we “get” the charge on our heads and blood on our hands.

When you step over the line of individual choice to imbibe and use others as a means to an end, you’ve got a whole new ball game, and harsh judgment.

Eleventh, we “get” a promise: No bars. When pigs fly! Satan stops at nothing. Evil begets evil, always has, always will.

Well that’s all the good I could think of except, “I have loved you very deeply, says the Lord.” Malachi 1:3.

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.” John 13:34.

If you have any trepidation concerning alcohol sales please vote no.

Once you’ve cast your vote it can’t be expunged. let love be your aim. 1 Corinthians 14:1.

Thomas Jefferson said, “The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of mankind.”



Rebecca Schisler

Cleburne



Just expressing an opinion



I am writing this letter for the sole purpose of expressing my opinion on propositions 1 and 2 regarding the sale of alcohol.

This is only my opinion, and I hope I am not taken to task over the right to express this opinion by opponents of these two propositions.

Remember, this is just my opinion. I’m not trying to start a word war with anyone who doesn’t share my line of thought.

That being said, here goes.

I have lived in Cleburne my whole life. That’s coming up on 85 years.

I’ve seen a lot of things change. Some for the good, some not so good.

I believe with any change there are pros and cons, and these propositions are no different.

I have read a lot of the letters both for and against these propositions, and each make valid points.

I agree that alcohol related problems are a major worry for any community.

What I have to take issue with is the fact that opponents of the propositions seem to believe that not being able to buy alcohol at the local retailers is going to stop someone from drinking.

In my opinion I just don’t see that as a deterrent.

Now I know someone will probably roll out statistics that say otherwise, but it has been my experience that you can find someone to come up with statistics to support both sides of anything.

I try and be realistic and look at it from what I would do. I drink beer. Two a day at the most. My wife does also.

We have all our adult life. We are now residing in a local nursing home, but until we moved here we would make our usual trip to Rio Vista to purchase our beer.

And many years ago we would drive to Fort Worth to obtain beer. Driving out of Cleburne to purchase beer was never a deterrent.

It was inconvenient, but it did not stop us.

And realistically, I don’t think it would very many people.

I also don’t believe that if the sale of beer was made legal locally, that you would have a massive amount of people come out of the woodwork and start drinking because they don’t have to drive 10 minutes to Rio Vista to purchase it.

If a person wants to drink, 10 minutes is not going to stop them.

That is just my opinion. And we all know what people say about opinions.

But thank God this is America, and for the time being we can still voice them. I will be voting yes for these propositions.

And yes, we still have our two beers a day. Physician ordered, I might add, thanks to our son who makes the trip to Rio Vista for us.



Bill Schick

Cleburne



Differences are similar



I’ve been so distracted about national and world cultural and political differences that I didn’t realize that what is true around the country is also partially true right here in Cleburne and Johnson County.

We have had huge disturbances and disagreements concerning that dern book, Rio Vista liquor laws, CISD financial controversy, CISD board member campaigns, upcoming voting on Cleburne city councilmen, and the city beer and wine retail sale allowance.

Maybe the involvement is a good sign!

Our world and national operations seem to be in a big mess. At least, the media reports these things as truths and from what I can see, I don’t doubt it.

I think our Congress is full of malcontents, each with his own agenda, shooting for his moon regardless of the consequences. Each member trying to take advantage of any leverage available while jockeying with the machinery that has advantaged this country through its time.

Apparently some believe, “Bill of Rights and Constituition be damned, if they don’t suit the fruits and nuts of this country”!

What stable minds surface are definitely in the minority and can only whistle in the wind of “change.”

Many of these addicts for perks have never turned a tap in the outside world but only live to be elected while doing whatever and whomever it takes to accomplish that goal.

Those elected and appointed officials know how to work that system, as it has become sorry, and know how to stomp and cry and lie to their own advantage but in the end will embrace and forgive each other since all of the histrionics are for the viewing public.

Then they will vote themselves more perks and a raise and adjourn for the “holidays” or for more investigative trips abroad at taxpayers expense.

They will send enough pork back home to impress us dumb bunnies who will re-elect them because of their “merit.”

Look at us in the local scene. We take sides on many issues, such as the “dern book,” and call each other bad names such as bookburners and unappreciative illiterates or even porno lovers.

We are not seasoned boneheads like our congressmen, so can we forget and forgive as easily as they do, or will some of us be unable to forget the sordid name calling between friends and neighbors?

Let’s hope so as we are going to be here together for a long while.

Life is too short to let a dern book, money or alcohol availability come between us.

May we learn or remember from this episode that friendships are much more valuable than trivial pursuits, or hastily uttered opinions, or even seriously thought-out ones.

Obedience and enforcement of the laws of this land, and appreciating and respecting the Constitution and Bill of Rights as gifts to us from many who thought and fought and died for them. should be priorities for each of us as citizens, including our office holders.

Most of us haven’t done much to earn these precious works of art, but we can pledge to see that they are not taken away.

The best ways to do this are studying the issues and the personalities and then voting in every election.

Mistakes may be made that might be corrected at the next balloting.

Be as persistent as those whose purposes you oppose.

Some might say that people get so involved and upset over these controversies they could lose their religion, but if their religion is based on love and forgiveness, they will correlate their hearts and minds and make the right decisions and thank him for the blessing of American citizenship, which now is itself in danger of being permanently diluted.



Monte Swatzell

Cleburne