This is Viewpoints for Saturday, August 26, 2017

Keep this history

Though I was born in Boston and mainly educated in New England, I believe the Confederate monuments should be left where they are. Don’t change the names of any streets. They are part of our nation’s history and are not doing anyone any harm that I know of. Without them, my Yankee puzzle is incomplete.

I like the Confederate statue on Cotton Avenue which I have seen many times. I had a college course as an undergraduate on our Civil War and I like to read biographies on Ulysses Grant, Robert E. Lee and General Sherman, et al.

Our Civil War and its history is vital in our total understanding of all of our nation’s history. Without this knowledge I could only see an incomplete picture and not really understand the history of this part of America today. What a shame that would be.

Hit the road, Jack

Dr. Cummings seems to draw a very definitive line in the sand between dogmatic Christians and those who are solely interested in the teaching of Jesus as it relates to helping our fellow man (as if one cannot be both). He contrasts this with Rotarians, who welcome anyone and everyone, under the banner “Service above Self.” Of course, “Service above Self” could be considered the dogma of Rotarians.

If I were to join the local Rotary Club and come in with an arrogant, self-serving attitude, I doubt I would be very welcome by the club members. In fact, I may even expect to find some senior Rotarians visiting my house, pointing out the error of my ways and gently trying to teach me the way of the Rotarians. And if I didn’t change my ways, who knows, they may ask me not to come back.

A ‘flexible document’?

You may remember that Alexander Hamilton was one of the Founding Fathers, one of the writers of the Constitution, and our first secretary of the Treasury. A book “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow is the basis for the current Broadway hit musical “Alexander Hamilton” which is done in rap, by the way, with a multi-racial cast.

It seems to me that our Founding Fathers had so much to say which is pertinent to many of the struggles and conversations we are having today. The book is well-documented, but I will reference only the pages in Chernow’s book; if you are interested in more information about sources, I suggest you go to the bibliography.

p. 212 By 1786, George Washington owned more than 200 slaves. He refused to break up families and swore not to buy another slave. “There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition” of slavery. Washington emancipated his slaves in his will and even set aside money to assist the freed slaves and their children.

p.213 Background: Hamilton grew up in The British West Indies, illegitimate and poor. The slavery conditions there made a huge impact on him. Quoting now: This (Hamilton) fierce defender of private property — this man for whom contracts were to be sacred covenants — expressly denied the sanctity of any agreement that stripped people of their freedom.

Hamilton was one of the men writing our Constitution. When the men had signed it, and were ready to present it to the states, Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison wrote a series of essays called the Federalist Papers to explain their reasoning and intentions. These were prolific, as well as brilliant. Choosing from a few comments there:

p. 256 In politics “the means ought to be proportioned to the end...There ought to be no limitation of a power destined to effect a purpose.” He wanted the Constitution to be a flexible document: “There ought to be a capacity to provide for future contingencies.”

My comment: the Constitution does not specifically provide for, say, a federal highway system, or for building nuclear bombs. However, these have been seen to be necessary, and no one has complained that the Founding Fathers did not mention them in the Constitution. Those are “future contingencies.”

It seems to me that the purpose in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, “to provide for the public welfare” includes the need for an educated and healthy population. I want my neighbors to be educated enough to hold a job, figure out how to pay their bills and pay taxes, and be able to assess the various points of view in deciding the direction of our country from here. General welfare should include health: healthy people can go to work, pay taxes and provide for their children.

I do realize the meaning and implementation of this clause has been fought over in courts, but certainly “general welfare” should include health and education. Nowhere does it say that the federal government should refrain from providing for health and education.

Not just a victim

I would like to point out something regarding the attack of the dogs (pets?) on the mother of those two low-life’s that were convicted of “exploitation and intimidation of an elderly person, cruelty to animals and reckless conduct.” This was a case tried in Jones County recently.

These low-life’s were given 20 years to serve, but this “victim” was not charged with concealing this horrible cruelty to animals?

This woman (victim?) was 71 years old and lived in the house with these dogs, seeing every day the torture, starvation and abject cruelty that was meted out to these dogs, and yet she did not use her phone to call a neighbor, or the authorities to report these horrendous conditions she saw every day? She was attacked and mauled by these tortured and starved dogs. Apparently, she did not see any need to feed them, all the while stuffing her face.

I say she should have been stitched up in a prison hospital and thrown into the same cells as her sorry son and daughter-in-law. I have no sympathy for anyone who chooses to ignore or add to torturing animals who are at our mercy.

Until our laws are made stronger as a felony to charge these kinds of crimes, nothing will change, and innocent animals will continue to suffer from these sadistic people who deserve stiff prison sentences, including those who do nothing when they see cruelty happening.

Bravo to Superior Court Judge Amanda Perry and Assistant District Attorney Dawn Baskin for their unabashed meting out justice sorely needed. I hope this sends a strong message to all animal abusers that we finally have a judge and assistant D.A who are not afraid to stand up and make animal abusers go to jail.

Gullible Christians

The Aug 20 column (In praise of women) Bill Cummings said the male-dominated Christian church (and especially the Catholic Church branch) deliberately subordinated the role of women in the world. Cumming knowns the Catholic Church isn’t a branch of anything. Ridiculous.

He also knows Catholics are taught at a very early age that women are to be treated with great respect and reverence for they have been blessed by God to create life. The loving touch and voice of a mother after birth reassures a child that everything is going to be OK. She prepares (with her husband) the child physically, mentally and spiritually to be victorious over life’s temptations and how to be God worthy. For Cummings to even suggest a woman trade her motherly responsibilities for earthly treasures is unconscionable.

He knows Catholic women of ever nationality become celibate in order to serve (without reservation) the physically and spiritual needs of God’s children. They’re in slums (Mother Teresa); in refugee camps around the world; in troubled neighborhoods and walk evil infested streets; they’re in classrooms, nursing homes, women shelters, orphanages, hospitals and alongside other Catholic women. They are, without doubt, the catalyst of the Catholic Church.

Jesus chose men to be his disciples; empowered men to create the Eucharist and burdened men not women with the task of establishing his church for obvious reasons.

This bitter vindictive ex-priest shamelessly brags about laughing in the middle of his columns as he bamboozles gullible readers with razzle-dazzle-forked-tongued interpretations of scriptures. Cummings unrelenting lambasting of Christianity, particular the Catholic Church, would be laughable if it wasn’t for the demoralizing effect it has on gullible Christians.

Think

On May 18, 1951, at an Armed Forces Day dinner in Washington, D.C., with the Korean War at a stalemate and controversy over his firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur still raging, President Harry S. Truman made a speech that is still pertinent today, 66 years later. He reminded his audience that even as “we sit here tonight there are men fighting and dying to reach that peace for which we have been striving since World War II. You must quit your bickering here at home, you must quit playing petty politics. We are fighting for time, for us. There is always emphasis on the casualties. but did it ever occur to you that they will be one small drop in the bucket from one of those horrible bombs of which we talk so much.

“Think. Think. Think, what a responsibility your president faces. If you would think, and think clearly, you would get behind me and help win this peace. It is up to you.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Saturday, August 26, 2017."