GILBERT: Vote of no confidence
I think the four Gilbert Town Council members who voted to put Prop. 406 on the ballot should resign. They were not able to put forth a convincing case for 406 being the best alternative. I was especially upset to hear about significant cash reserves that could easily close this gap and the recent history of recording surpluses after crying wolf over deficits. I am sure many of our fellow citizens have had to dip into their savings accounts to bridge their living expenses during these difficult economic times. I for one, have no confidence that they will resolve the issue without living up to their threat to impact public safety while another reasonable alternative exists.
I think we need to adopt some English-style governing... a no confidence vote of the people should result in forming a new government.
Dave Patenaude, Gilbert
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RELIGION: Get religion out of politics
I am an 83-year-old veteran who retired from the military in 1971. The old saying that you shouldn’t discuss politics and religion is accepted by too many Americans in this 21st century.
I feel strongly feel that this country has a long way to go before we realize the freedoms we so loudly espouse. U.S. history, for me, is a big case of “we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.” There has been a lack of freedom since the beginning of our history. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights was written by well-meaning men who, because of religious beliefs, didn’t consider African Americans and Native Americans as human beings.
Honesty and integrity are lacking in this country. Many, including at least one president, fathered children from their female slaves. Various religious sects have disavowed one another from the beginning. Catholics were feared and mistreated until Kennedy was elected. We took land belonging to Native Americans and Mexico. The only people who realized the American dream, until about 60 years ago, were white protestant males.
We need to get religion out of politics. Religious faith has been, and still is, killing more people than most serious epidemics. We need to start, here and around the world, an educational system that teaches that “big bang” and evolution are real. When mankind accepts the fact that the supernatural start of this universe and mankind is not the God of the Torah, the Koran, the Bible or the Book of Mormon, we may be on the way to peace. It is going to happen. Unfortunately it will take generations and millions more will die for their faith before it does.
Larry J. Kluth, Mesa
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IMMIGRATION: Follow the law
In response to John Chiazza’s comments from Sunday, May 16th: Nowhere in his commentary did I see where he issued a challenge to the federal government to up hold the law of the land. I did not see where he challenged illegal immigrants for entering the United States illegally. He did not challenge illegals for sponging off our taxes in the form of welfare, food stamps, housing, clogging emergency rooms, etc., etc. Oh, lets not forget social security fraud. Let’s not forget criminal activity.
I support “legal immigration.”
Federal law already requires non-citizens of all nationalities to carry their green cards or relevant paperwork to prove their status of being in the country legally. The fact that the feds choose to violate the constitution by not following the law doesn’t excuse or give a free pass to illegals.
Other countries do not tolerate illegal immigration. Why should America?
Ray Lindquist, Mesa
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HEALTH CARE: We make the choice
Rumbling beneath the surface in the United States, if you listen for it, you’ll hear people complaining that what is important is the freedom of choice. It is the attempted framing of the debate for health care, but will be attempted in other areas. “We don’t want the government making my decisions for me,” for example.
This argument is baseless. We don’t complain that libraries don’t have the availability of books we want. Schools teach the needed courses. Police persons do their work appropriately.
On the other hand, private enterprise leads to limited choices: GM, Ford or Chrysler; Coke or Pepsi; McDonalds or Burger King; the cable or the dish television; Bank of America or Chase, etc. as they consolidate. Then, the choices they offer us are what is most profitable to, not us, but them.
The argument for who makes the choices is a code word for privatization. The people pursuing this movement want everything privatized. “We” need to make the choices. However, government officials making choices are elected by the people and are accountable to us, not an oligopoly of rich investors. In the long run we should pursue social democratic control of products leading to what the people want.
Furthermore, they say they don’t want to be forced into paying for anything, regardless of what it is. At the base of society is compassion or considerateness. As long as our society leads to suffering at the bottom we need people to help, even if it is led by the government. All sources are needed, like it or not.
Tim Mavrides, Mesa
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Accuracy posted at 10:13 am on Tue, May 25, 2010.
The Texas State Board of Education has approved a new social studies curriculum, which means millions of school children in Texas will study history from a more conservative viewpoint and understand the country's conservative influences and Christian roots.
The new curriculum will also include investigation into why the Founding Fathers protected religious freedoms in the U.S. and guaranteed it could be exercised freely.
Outspoken political conservatives and the majority of the board wanted the standards to reflect their beliefs that the Founding Fathers did not want "separation of church and state," and that international bodies such as the United Nations threaten U.S. sovereignty.
Students will also be taught that "separation of church and state" IS NOT in the U.S. Constitution.
Texas is a large consumer of textbooks, and if the board's conservative curriculum changes will stand, it will have a national impact.
samkat posted at 8:32 pm on Mon, May 24, 2010.
Accuracy: Unfortunately, I side with irons and Mr. Kluth. Science should be taught in the schools and religion in the churches. Otherwise, we end up with a westernized version of the fundamental Islamics who would implement their brand of justice. Come to think of it, don't we have a full complement of "morality police" running our state legislature at the present time.
Accuracy posted at 11:20 am on Mon, May 24, 2010.
Buried in the 19th Century? That's the Point…….Educational system that teaches that "big bang" is real, and the Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, is the teaching of the 19th Century.
And that is why there is so much resistance to teaching intelligent design in the scientific community in public schools.
There are today, a number of scientists who are uncovering support for intelligent design. And there is a growing list of top scientists who (whether or not they believe in God) are willing to admit the compelling evidence of an intelligent designer is a scientifically valid theory that deserves equal treatment in education.
Irons1 posted at 6:52 am on Mon, May 24, 2010.
Accuracy, you are not very accurate. Godless Charles Darwin? Maybe because God had very little to do with it. The schools teach science not religion. Schools shouldn't have anything to do with teaching religion, that is something left to parents on parental time. Who's version of creationism would anyone teach anyway? Hinduism? Buddhism? Which? Sorry you are way off base and have your head firmly buried in the 19th Century
Accuracy posted at 5:00 pm on Sun, May 23, 2010.
Larry J. Kluth, of Mesa wrote: "We need to start, here and around the world, an educational system that teaches that "big bang" and evolution are real. When mankind accepts the fact that the supernatural start of this universe and mankind is not the God of the Torah, the Koran, the Bible or the Book of Mormon, we may be on the way to peace."
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Look again Kluth, for many years teachers in public schools have been shoving godless Charles Darwin's evolution theory and the implausible “big bang” theory down the throats of classroom students.
Teaching only Darwinian macro-evolution in the schools.
While, education today should let both sides (theories of evolution and intelligent design) make their best case in schools. Compare the evidence, for better education, and let the scientific method do its work.