Published: June 03, 2007 05:01 pm            

6/03/07 Letters to the Editor

Your help is needed

Dear Editor:



Your assistance is needed in reaching the United Nations to help implement actions to assist us in bringing peace to Darfur.

Although it was delayed for far too long (nearly five months ago) the White House’s announcement of Plan B sanctions against Sudan is a step forward for the people of Darfur.

President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice must make engaging America’s allies a top priority to ensure the passage of a strong resolution at the UN Security Council that includes:

F Tough sanctions against a full list of individuals complicit in the genocide.

F An explanation of the Darfur arms embargo to include the Sudanese regime in Khartoum.

F The authorization of a no-fly zone over Darfur, with specific enforcement mechanisms.

F International economic sanctions mirroring those just announced by the United States of America.

It would please me immensely and many others to have your assistance in reaching as many people as we can with this message and securing assistance at the United Nations for these matters discussed herein.

Thank you sincerely,



Tina J. Dean

Cleburne



Thanks from Linkenhoger campaign

Dear Editor:



Thank you for the opportunity to express my sentiments regarding the recent school board election. Overall, it was a very gratifying experience, and I sincerely appreciate all those who supported Teresa Blackwell’s and my effort to bring a new voice to the business of Cleburne ISD. There were many longtime friends, acquaintances and a lot of people we’d never met who prayed, worked and contributed money, as well as other forms of support, to try to bring about needed changes. To all those we know and many I’m sure we haven’t met, thank you for all your efforts.

Finally, there is the disappointment of losing and of such a small turnout. With the obvious problems our district faces and less than 9 percent of the voters participating, our city needs a wake-up call. A 55 percent to 45 percent victory is hardly a mandate, so hopefully, our school board will reach out and listen to a broader constituency as the challenges arise and plans are made for the future of CISD. I encourage all in the district to become more aware of the issues and remember, we have a school board election every year.

Yours truly,



Pat Linkenhoger

Cleburne



Cry out

Dear Editor:



If a terrorist car bomber had pulled into that trailer park in Parker County, Texas, and caused that loss of life, we would all cry out.

Supporting our troops is fine. We need to support our neighbors.

No Child Left Behind is a good program. An entire family has been lost.

Why? Our counties, state and nation are rich in natural resources, but this family fell through the cracks.

Our political leaders will respond to this loss if we all — cry out!



Jerry Willis

Grandview



Thanks from Buena Vista Senior Community

Dear Editor:



We at Buena Vista Senior Community have recently had several fundraising events to raise funds for Relay For Life and cancer research. We had a cornbread and beans supper and breakfast and just had a carnival and also a bake sale.

We would like to thank all who donated their time and money to this worthy cause. We also would like to give several special thanks to Elaine Cortz, Barbara and Bill Moody, Albertsons, Johns Manville, Cleburne Police Department, Dale Abbott, Cleburne Fire Department and all the businesses who let us put up our fliers. We also want to thank all of you who came out to make our carnival a huge success. And a huge thank you to Mike Hartman and his wife for their donation, time and music. It was great. Thanks also goes out to our office personnel for their participation and to all of you who baked cakes, pies, etc. for the bake sale and cake walk. Thanks also to the Cleburne Fire Department for the use of their dunk booth.

Sincerely,



Peggy Arlyss Reed

Buena Vista residents and Golden Age Team Members



Migration thoughts

Dear Editor:



Surely, I am not the only frustrated citizen concerning illegal immigration! On TV and in the newspapers and in other periodicals, most indications are that the common citizen is in favor of putting a halt on immigration as it is now allowed. I don’t know that “allowed” is the proper term but I am not aware of any huge nationwide effort to disallow the flow nor dam the stream. Lots of fencing and occasional roundups with publicity that stirs up sympathy, jailing of border patrolmen for catching alien smugglers, but the bait is still put out fresh daily. The bait being jobs, perks of enormous attractiveness including free health care and education, and no real penalty for illegalness. This new bill doesn’t offer much real help that I can see. In fact if it were not so sad, it would be laughable. Just give them the whole hog. Our country is being sold down the river! Congress has sold out, it seems. Remember this at election time, those of you who vote!

These people are making enough money to eat well, drive well, dress well and still send billions back to their home nations. Why don’t we allow them the same right that most of us have, the right to pay money for food, transportation, education, health care, insurance and taxes and the wonderful right and privilege to speak English, our native tongue. Add all of the perks to this cheap labor and realize that you and I are paying these subsidies! They are well paid. Why should they have more rights than we, as citizens, do and still not use the right to pay their way?

I like President Bush, but I would like to say to him, “Come on, George, your latest misleadimg proclamation, ‘This bill is not an amnesty bill,’ is not just misleading. It sounds like you have been away from Texas too long or have been taken over by foreign lobbyists or maybe it is still the ‘big business cartel.’”

No doubt your job is very stressful, and I appreciate you sticking by your guns, but you need to get real about the immigrant catastrophe and fix what can be fixed. Hopefully you still have time to do that. While on the subject, Mr. President, there are many other nationalities slipping through or being helped over the gate into this country without us being aware of their allegiance to the U.S. Couldn’t there be some bad guys in these groups? I mean real bad types? I certainly hope your hired help has mentioned this to you and that you are already working on it. I figure that you have some hired guys to help you since you’re not getting much from others.”



Monte Swatzell

Cleburne

        

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