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Letters, 7/7: Second language

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Monday, Jul 07, 2008 - 12:31:25 am CDT

Recently at a bar a woman asked if I had been to college and what I studied. I told her I have my bachelor’s degree in Spanish.

And then I heard “that” comment, again. She said to me, “It infuriates me that people speak anything but English in this country.” She told me it should be required to speak English, we should not teach Spanish, and that crime and violence exist mostly because of Mexican immigration.

I don’t know the statistics on crime and violence as it relates to Mexican immigration, but I do know that my best friend who lives in Luxembourg was required to speak four languages fluently by high school graduation and then had to choose a fifth, just for fun.

In this country, most of us learn a second language just for fun. I did desire to be fluent in Spanish. I have been to Mexico four times and love the ability to experience that connection with native Spanish-speaking people. I have seen the many benefits of learning a second language: social, educational, vocational, just to name a few.

I am not asking all to share my passion for a second language. I see the need for immigrants to learn English for survival and for integrating in our communities. However, I have met refugees and elderly who did not come here by choice exactly, some for safety and some for financial survival, who may not have the resources to take an English course immediately.

Instead of pointing fingers at our non-English-speaking neighbors, I propose we strive to offer affordable, if not free, courses in English to teach basic skills, such as how to communicate at the doctor’s office.

So, I want to say now to the woman at the bar, are you really sure our violence and crime are caused by non-English-speaking immigrants? Or could it be the underlying racism of American citizens toward these newcomers and our lack of desire to broaden our minds and focus on a real solution: better communication and decreased ignorance on our part. But then again, I was at a bar!

Erin Kinney, Lincoln

Time to ‘speak softly’

First they said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq — none were found. Then they said we had to free Iraq from a terrible dictator, Saddam Hussein. Then we bombed the hell out of Iraq, declared “mission accomplished” and got rid of the dictator.

Then we decided that we were going to turn Iraq into a democracy so that we could somehow democratize the whole region, but democracy will not work in a society that is almost totally controlled by Islam. The reason democracy works in the United States is that we have separation of church and state and that we tolerate all religions equally.

We might as well be on a crusade to establish Christianity in the Middle East as to try to bring democracy. The only democracy in the Middle East is Israel, and the goal of Islamic terrorism is to get rid of Israel. The best we can hope for in the Middle East is to keep Israel strong militarily and try to use diplomacy rather than pre-emptive wars to bring peace to the Middle East. In other words, “speak softly, but carry a big stick.”

The United States has the big stick to destroy any country, but our leaders chose war instead of diplomacy, and now we are paying the price of that decision in terms of lost lives, the total destruction of a country that had already been defeated in the first Gulf War by the United States, and the enormous cost that is destroying our economy.

It is time to bring our soldiers home. We can find better ways to spend the billions we are spending on this war. Diplomacy is not appeasement, and we need to get rid of leaders who prefer war over diplomacy. Talk is cheap, but war is expensive.

Robert D. Thomson, Lincoln

Elsewhere in Scripture

I am writing this in response to Pastor Andy Hergenreder’s letter on June 23 regarding his views on homosexuality. I disagree with his premise that one cannot be homosexual and Christian. My reasons are many. I will highlight two.

First, I take exception to his use of Scripture for this purpose. Within close proximity to the “a man shall not lie with a man as with a woman” passage, Leviticus 18:22, are statements such as the following:

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien.” (Leviticus 19:9-10)

“You shall not let your animals breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two different materials.” (Leviticus 19:19)

Clearly these passages do not carry equal weight with those who use Scripture as justification for defending a specific position on contemporary social issues. It is irresponsible for those of us who love Scripture to use it that way.

Secondly, to suggest that one cannot be gay and Christian is to suggest that any one of us can see into the soul of another. Only God can judge in matters of the soul. When I wear my silk/cotton blend jacket to church and call myself a Christian, you will likely not dispute my claim. How is it, then, that you can dispute someone’s claim to be homosexual and Christian? The logic is the same.

Jesus, as far as we know, never spoke about homosexuality. What he did say was, “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16) He spent most of his ministry healing, being with people the rest of his society thought were unworthy and spreading the news of the Kingdom of God.

Rather than worry about who is in or who is out, let’s spend our time and talents helping that vision come to fruition.

The Rev. Nancy Erickson, Lincoln

More wells isn’t the answer

A letter in the June 29 Lincoln Journal Star implied that drilling for petroleum will solve our energy problems.

This is a serious misunderstanding. Petroleum reserves are a poor indicator of our energy future. The rate of petroleum production is the appropriate indicator. Our country has many years of petroleum reserves; we simply can't extract it fast enough to supply demand.

We consume roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day, of which we import two-thirds. Drilling could supply us with at most 2 million additional barrels per day, which wouldn't even replace decreasing production capacity.

Worldwide, the rate of petroleum discovery peaked a few decades ago. A small number of large fields supply half the world's petroleum. As their production decreases, smaller fields simply can't replace them.

Countries with profligate energy consumption face bleak futures. Small cars, electric cars, public transport, alternative fuels and altered urban planning are in our near future. Our politicians and news media haven't prepared us for this.

Les Lane, Lincoln

Take a shot at crime

The Supreme Court’s recent decision to lift the ban on handguns in Washington, D.C., is, to paraphrase Leon Satterfield, the court’s attempt to salvage clarity from our confusion. Writing for the minority, Justice Breyer’s opinion that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with individual defense and everything to do with a “well regulated militia” (outdated though that may be) is correct.

A common refrain is “the Second Amendment gives me the right to own a gun.” Well, no, it does not. Through misunderstanding and guile, the Second Amendment has, ironically, become part of the problem. It has become an expedient and disingenuous crutch for those who are looking for a solution before adequately defining the problem.

Yes, we should use whatever lawful means we have at our disposal to protect ourselves, our family and our property. The immediate circumstance may be breaking and entering or robbery, but the actual problem is the poverty, drug addiction, mental illness, greed, etc., that compel a person to do these things.

Extinguishing the symptom will not eradicate the illness. Don’t hide behind the Second Amendment as a substitute for courageous and innovative problem solving. We cannot shoot our way to a cure.

Larry McClung, Lincoln


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UpInSmoke wrote on July 7, 2008 3:56 am:
" Well Mr. McClung, It's pretty obvious that the Majority of the supreme court dissagree's with your view of the second amendment, And as an honorably discharged U.S. Naval vet, so do I. Gun control should be strictly enforced when it comes to criminal's & the mentally impaired. As a law abiding citizen of the United States, The second amendment allow's a person to defend themselves. That was the intent of the second amendment. I'll agree that drug addiction, poverty & greed are probably responsible for the majority of all crime, However I dont see how keeping a pistol out of a law abbiding citizens hands is going to cure that, If anything, It will help to make the problem worse if a drug addicted criminal know's that he can break into your house & physically assault you or even worse, looking for whatever he can steal for cash because he know's there's a 99% chance you can't shoot him. If someone was to break into my house while I was home, I'd use what ever means available to defend myself, that includes a gun. When that drug addicted criminal's drug addicted criminal friends find out that their drug addict buddy got himself shot breaking into somebody's house, I'll be willing to bet that his friends will be alot less likely to try doing it themselves! "

 to Nancy wrote on July 7, 2008 6:40 am:
" the bottom line is that homosexuality is a sin. with that said all sin is equal so homosexuality is no different than adultery or premarital sex or cusing or divorce (the list could go on and on) yet you don't see anyone getting crazy about any of these. so yes you can be a homosexual christian but you can't be a christian that is actively having premarital sex or is constantly commiting adultery and expect that god will let you into heaven. if you have trouble cusing you need to fight the desire to say those words it's not easy to fight sin, sin is fun. so you can't expect to be an actively live in sin(whatever sin that may be) and not expect some sort of judgement by god. because when all is said and done what i think doesn't matter god is the judge of how everyone lives and we will be held accountable for our actions. i think your right we need to spend less time pointing fingers and more time working on our own relationship with god. "

 Zoomie wrote on July 7, 2008 6:50 am:
" Erin, those like the woman you met are, IMHO, willfully ignorant and seek to scapegoat illegal immigrants for all of our woes. First and foremost, this demand they instantly speak English. Seemingly forgotten is the fact that many past generations of immigrants (legal or otherwise) never learned to speak English. Indeed, through the 1930's there were over 600 DAILY newspapers published across the U.S. ALL IN GERMAN! If you add in the Swedish, Yiddish, Spanish, and other language dailys, there were over 1,000 daily newspapers published in the U.S. in foreign languages! In fact, many immigrants either never learned English or never learned more than a few words. But their children were bilingual, and their grandchildren often spoke only English. This is still true today with Hispanic illegals, with the 1st generation speaking little English, while the 2nd and 3rd generations are more American than anything else. But recognizing this fact wouldn't allow as easily for the scapegoating of illegals as the source of all our problems, so we willfully forget our own history. "

 mitchy_v wrote on July 7, 2008 7:14 am:
" How about we do something about the criminals instead of blaming the guns.
Too many get off with a slap on the wrist. "

 Hank wrote on July 7, 2008 8:11 am:
" Robert, your argument is not quite consistent. You say separation of church and state are required for democracy to thrive, and you then claim Israel is the only democracy in the region. But Israel does not practice a separation between church and state either. Israel openly seeks to maintain a "Jewish state" and its flag consists of the symbol of Judaism. At this point, the existence of Israel is a given, and the country, like all countries, deserves protection from foreign aggression. Robert, I agree with much of what you write, but you greatly simplify the reality of Israel and the Middle east. Israel's aggressive theft of territory and its continued oppression of Palestinians in the name of creating a "Jewish state" is a (perhaps "the") major contributor to conflict in the region. I am not sure we should offer Israel an unconditional support that continually undermines our ability to conduct serious diplomacy in the region. Oppression is oppression, and theft is theft, no matter who carries it out. It is so convenient to blame Islam as being anti-democratic, but if you do a serious reading of history, it is not at all obvious that Islam has been the greater oppressor in the region. We will never progress unless we recognize the complexity of the situation and abandon the myths that seem to shape U.S. policy and public opinion. "

 sam wrote on July 7, 2008 8:24 am:
" Larry: Please read the Federal Militia Act where it defines militia. Even more important read Nebraska State Statute 55-106 which defines militia for Nebraska. "All able bodied citizen's and able bodied foriegn born residents" While numerous cities and even some states have tried to have tool control (guns) they must have crime control. Yes we do need to do something about the crime and causes, but tool control is not and has never been the solution. Pencils don't cause misspelling, cars do not cause drunk driving, food does not cause overeating. There has to be the tie in of human actions. When we make it easier to be a felon with rights that go way beyond the rights of victims, we contribute to the crime in our communities. "

 Outside the Box wrote on July 7, 2008 8:37 am:
" I too recently had a situation where somebody said "people coming over here should learn 'our' language."

While I understand the idea that foreign residents should try to assimilate to the language and customs of their country, I always find this arrogance amusing. I doubt that when our forefathers sailed to this country the Native Americans were speaking the Queen's English. "

 Kenny wrote on July 7, 2008 9:17 am:
" If anyone has questions regarding immigrants, crime, poverty, communication, etc., go visit Lexington, NE. Talk to people about how the town used to be and how it is now. All you have to do is just drive around. Graffiti is bad, houses in disrepair, and the trailer parks look like ghettos. It is bad and to say otherwise is naive. There is some good eats though! "

 Lindsay wrote on July 7, 2008 9:30 am:
" I think Kenny, you can blame the meatpacking plants in part for the conditions in Lexington. Perhaps if they paid a decent wage people would be able to keep their homes in repair and good childcare be available to them so they aren't running wild in the streets. But I agree with the food...it's nice to have some variety to the typical small town bar fare! "

 Grundle wrote on July 7, 2008 9:51 am:
" Mr. Thompson states, "...we tolerate all religions equally." Really? Since when? I sure haven't seen it lately...the constant extreme intolerance of Christianity on the LJS comment boards is evidence that the secular left believes they already are tolerant, and it's up to the rest of us to become tolerant. They will not tolerate any less. "

 What wrote on July 7, 2008 9:52 am:
" Best Nancy Erickson read 1 Corinthians 6:9. "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdon of God? Do not be DECEIVED: Neither
the sexually IMMORAL nor idolators nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor
HOMOSEXUAL offenders nor theives nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will INHERIT the kingdom of God." This my friends goes along with the "sermon"? at First Plymouth U.C.C. Sunday
which was against my life time religious teaching and study of the Bible. You can't pick and choose what makes you feel good from parts of
the Bible. You believe or you don't believe. "

 Nina wrote on July 7, 2008 9:53 am:
" The issues prompting both Robert Thomson's and Nancy Erickson's letters are both "better than thou" issues that should have no need of defending or denouncing if we would follow the Biblical advice to remove all our own imperfections first. When someone tells me immirgrants should learn the language of the land I agree, but add that it is a moot issue when you look at history. When I grew up, the community I lived in had scores of grandparents who spoke German to each other. Their children (my friends' parents) understood some German, but only spoke a little. My friends spoke exclusively English. So it will be with any ethnic group of immigrants to the US. Finally, I apologize to a rigid person by saying that indeed we should all learn the language of the land, but my ancestors never learned Lakota, so in turn, no one taught it to me!
I like to keep in mind that whether or not a person is gay is but a small part of that individual. He/she could most certainly be Christian (or another faith), be any occupation, any type of personality, any special interests, etc. Gay people are friends, neighbors, family members, etc. and deserving of the same outreach of love, consideration and helpfulness as that all good people extend to each other. "

 Dave wrote on July 7, 2008 10:39 am:
" Erin-- I think anyone coming into the U.S. to live or to work should be required to learn English. Just a simple test when applying for residency or work visa. Political and emergency refugees should be given English lessons as part of their relocation. It is a matter of practicality. People who cannot communicate can hardly be citizens in what is supposed to be a participatory democracy. I expect no less from myself- if I were going to Germay or Mexico or China to work I would learn the language.

Rev. Erickson-- Right on. Thanks for standing up to the bullies who claim to speak for Christ.

Larry-- I agree that the meaning of the second amendment has been contorted over the centuries into what it is today, and the NRA makes its living distorting the meaning. And I agree with your central point: The only reason gun control is even an issue is that we are neglecting and causing all these other problems in our society, central to which is poverty. "

 CS wrote on July 7, 2008 11:02 am:
" Can you blame us? Christians, which are about 80% of the majority of claimed religious denominations in the US, have little to fear. You won't lose your monopoly on people's minds anytime soon. They louder Christians lament and protest over things they have no control over, the more intolerant and foolish they look. Should Christians be tolerant? Well, yes, if they follow the New Testament (those Christian books in the Bible, near the end, as opposed to the Old Testament, which are primarily Jewish). Will they? Well, that's up to them. I don't fear the monsters under your beds, so really it means little to me, except when you crutch your hatred of others and the actions stemming from that with some sort of religious BS about how 'they' aren't Christian and 'they' are sinners, and other religo-babble. "

 Native Polish Parents wrote on July 7, 2008 11:13 am:
" The difference between immigrants of the 1800's and early 1900's is that they went through the proper paperwork and went through lines like the laws stated. There are millions of people still waiting in those lines and going through the route legally to become citizens and work hard by learning english, etc. My father and mother came over in 1944 from Poland and are first generation, speaking English and my father owns a large factory that produces parts for Yukons, suburbans and other SUV's just outside of Chicago. I have many other relatives that moved over during the 1940's and acquired their full citizenship in the late 1980's. They waited an extensive time and continuously went through the proper paperwork each year to stay over here and at times had to go back for a few years. I am tired of various other people thinking they can just "cut in line" ahead of millions of others because they hop a fence, or build a raft to get here illegally and don't fully educate themselves on the culture, language and economy. As my father stated, it takes 3rd graders only a year to learn german, italian or English in Poland when he lived there. And he continues to wonder why it is so hard for people to do it today.

It may not need to be a national requirement to learn proper English. But English is the language of money and often prosperity/acceptance comes along with that. So spend some of your next minimum wage paycheck on a $20 english learning book/tape so you can do as my father did and feel accepted and become productive. "

 ron wrote on July 7, 2008 11:17 am:
" kenny, did you ask people of Lexington what it was like before? empty house, empty storefronts, a town that was dying. go to any town in Nebraska and you will see the conditions you describwe, if you are looking for them, As far as asking pople in Lexington about any of this, there has been resistence to any non-white (ie: Latino) since the first one came to town. "

 LC wrote on July 7, 2008 11:27 am:
" To Nancy - " the bottom line is that homosexuality is a sin..." No it isn't. It WAS considered immoral by ancient Jewish law by the same people who thought the world was flat and who allowed one's daughter to be sold into sexual slavery. They also wrote that you should stone a woman to death on her father's doorstep if it was discovered on her wedding night that she was not a virgin. You CANNOT pick and choose your "sins" from scripture you consider sacred. If you do not abide every last, little detailed law - "inspired by the Holy Spirit" - you will not see the kingdom of Heaven. Period. So if the author of "To Nancy" fails even one of Leviticus' rules, including the wearing of "mixed materials", then he/she is hellbound according to his/her own chosen belief system. If you disregard ANY of the written word as archaic or unimportant, you simply do not have the faith required by God to make the trip. The bottom line is that wearing a garment of mixed materials is a sin. It comes from the Bible. It is the inspired word of God. Take it or leave it, but do one or the other. Otherwise you are simply using scripture to justify your pre-existing bigotry, instead of adopting an opinion soley on the word of God. As for myself, an "omniscient" deity who condemns his own creation, KNOWING beforehand that they would engage in homosexual behavior, falls under the classification of "demon", not "god". If homosexuality is indeed a sin, and god did not know it would be part of his creation, then he is not omniscient. If he still created man anyway, knowing a significant number of us would be automatically consigned to eternal torture, then he is not loving or forgiving. That's the problem with this outdated religion, isn't it? You can drive great, big trucks through the holes of inconsistency. When you point fingers, you're stuck with the explanations. Sorry. "

 Sorry Grundle wrote on July 7, 2008 11:34 am:
" Christianity is not under assault. What is; is your desire to shove your biblical beliefs onto everyone by passing laws against everything you deem a sin. How about you try and keep your biblical beliefs between you, your minister, your church and your god. Possibly then what you perceive as an assault on Christianity will stop. "

 What wrote on July 7, 2008 11:44 am:
" Question for what. You either believe or you don't. My question, do you believe it's an abomination to wear garments of mixed fabric, and, do you do so? Also do you think when your neighbor woman commits adultery it is up to you to stone her to death? Just curious if you either believe or you don't. "

 Would Jesus Discriminate wrote on July 7, 2008 11:55 am:
" Honestly, do you think he would? If so, then wouldn't that go against his message of love and forgiveness for all? "

 Lindsay wrote on July 7, 2008 12:12 pm:
" "As my father stated, it takes 3rd graders only a year to learn german, italian or English in Poland when he lived there." - I agree, let's teach our 3rd graders more foreign languages. But have you tried learning a foreign language as an adult? It's a lot more difficult...that is why our schools need to start learning more languages at a younger age as opposed to high school. Younger minds are geared towards learning grammer, context etc.

However, learning English is not an easy task. My husband, who moved here from the United Kingdom, grew up speaking English of course but he even has a hard time understanding some American terms and phrases. I could hardly begin imagining how difficult it is for someone who is older and has little to no exposure to the language. "

 Guns wrote on July 7, 2008 12:45 pm:
" According to the second amendment and the recent supreme court ruling, all people have the right to bear arms. That means you cannot keep criminals and the mentally ill from having them because they are citizens.

I'm waiting to see some felon who was denied the right to purchase a firearm take it to court because they will win based on what the activist judges on the supreme court just decided.

Some great day when the supreme court ruled on it wasn't it? "

 Grundle wrote on July 7, 2008 12:48 pm:
" 'Sorry Grundle', you are far, far off base regarding my comment. I'm not talking about legislation, I'm talking about people who truly display disdain for Christians they don't even know. Do I advocate for Bible-based laws? No. Do I shove my religion down the throats of others? Hardly. I realize it's very easy for you to make those assumptions and post them up here, despite the fact that you don't know me at all. I support one's right to vote with their conscience...and if your conscience tells you to vote either for or against laws that have religious roots, then that should be any person's right. I think it's a whole lot smarter to do that than to vote for someone based on fame, wealth, party affiliation, or some other factor that is unrelated to political expertise. The lack of tolerance is displayed through denigration of the beliefs of others...referring to religion as mythology, fairy tales, or making statements that basically say that we must believe and follow all of the Bible, or none of it. Reasonable and respectful debate has gone out the window...the folks who proclaim a desire to live and let live are willing to do anything but that. "

 MID wrote on July 7, 2008 12:54 pm:
" I am sure that you think you are clever with your “Tool Control” comment. I will admit that a gun is a tool, but its intended use is Killing. I think that one could say that it is the only “tool” that’s sole purpose is to kill (with the exception of bombs ect.). Comparing guns to cars and pencils just serves to undermine your own cause. I am so sick of the pro-gun crowd using foolish rhetoric and nonsensical comparisons to push their agenda. The bottom line is “well regulated” is a synonym for controlled, so I don’t understand where the disconnect is between the 2nd amendment and the pro-gun lobby. There is no doubt that guns were intended to be controlled. Now, if you would like to debate to what extent that control should be, that would be a logical debate, but to say that any gun-control law is infringing on your 2nd amendment rights is foolish, and only makes any argument you make after that seem inconsequential. "

 Scott wrote on July 7, 2008 12:55 pm:
" Ha Ha!!!! I couldn't even read past, "The reason democracy works in the United States is that we have separation of church and state and that we tolerate all religions equally." The credibility of the letter was shot after that statement. "

 Rock on Erin wrote on July 7, 2008 1:13 pm:
" I too was a Spanish major at UNL and I too hear the same question from time to time. What I would like to know is "How can they learn English if no one knows how to teach them?"

Native Polish Parents, do you know what it's like to "live" on minimum wage? I made a little over $7 an hour when I was in college a couple years ago and spending an extra $20 would mean not buying milk for the cereal that was usually all 3 meals of the day for me! Maybe you should try living on that wage for a month before you go tell others how to spend the money they probably need for bills and food. "

 Its okay Erin... wrote on July 7, 2008 1:42 pm:
" My husband majored in English, and you wouldn't believe how many people have told him he wasted his time and money on a "worthless degree." "

 Raymel wrote on July 7, 2008 1:58 pm:
" Very well said Nance. "

 Don wrote on July 7, 2008 2:02 pm:
" Jesus loves all and forgives all if they ask Him to. To be a Christian and get into heaven, all one has to do is believe in Jesus, and that He died for the sins of all. Once that happens, we recieve everlasting life. Once a person becomes a Christian, then God deals with whatever sin is in a persons life, whether it is adultery, homosexuality, etc. Once can certainly be a Christian and a homosexual. That person will get to heaven because they have everlasting life, but they will not receive any rewards in heaven because the sin was not dealt with in this life. We receive everlasting life without any works of any kind. Otherwise noone would be going to heaven, because none of our works is worthy enough to receive everlasting life. "

 peb wrote on July 7, 2008 2:45 pm:
" Grundle, as far as I know, there are no religions that are not allowed to believe as they choose or meet as they choose. The "intolerance" arises when religions want their beliefs forced on us by legislating laws and adding them to the constitution. "

 Citizen wrote on July 7, 2008 3:04 pm:
" The Founders when deciding upon your rights as a citizen determined that:"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Understanding that the citizen needed protection from enemies both foriegn and domestic, the Founders ensured that the people would have the means to again protect themselves from an oppresive government if this experiment in Liberty even came to question.
"...to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them." (George Mason, 3 Elliot, Debates at 380)
"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." (James Madison, The Federalist Papers #46 at 243-244)
"Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American... The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state government, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people" (Tench Coxe, Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788)
The Constitution shall never be construed....to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms" (Samuel Adams, Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 86-87)
The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed." (Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers at 184-8)
The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- (Thomas Jefferson)
The Founders understood, what many today refuse to in thier drive to "trust" the government with thier lives. Once if ever we lose the right to defend ourselves from those wishing to enslave us be it foriegn or domestic, we lose the right of being a free citizen. And when the 2nd Admendment to the Constitution becomes "obsolete", rest assured the same individuals will then determine that the 1st Admendment too is obsolete and the people will have no means to raise that "militia" to defend themselves from the oppresive government they no have ensured.
In the Declaration of Independence We listed 28 grievances against King George III. There are 11 of these same griervances that apply to our own Government today.
"An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject" unknown. "

 Just a reminder wrote on July 7, 2008 3:35 pm:
" It's a book. Among many books. Men wrote it. Thousands of years ago. By men who thought that every species of animal lived within walking distance from Noah's house. Or that snakes and donkeys spoke. They also referred to unicorns and manticores. It's a book. Fiction. "

 Minute Man wrote on July 7, 2008 3:39 pm:
" 1770, The King's "well regulated Militia", kept thier arms in the town armory, under lock and key, only to be issued to those the King or his Officers trusted to ensure the preservation of the King's Colony. Till the day at a bridge in Concord a few citizen soldiers stood against the King's Army and announced that the King's oppression was over, and with him the many citizen soldiers with thier personal arms formed into organized and regulated militia company's, and what followed won our Rights as citizens in the Face of that government. Today is no differant if the need arises the comman citizen has now and forever needs the ability to stand in the face of another oppresive government, and announce to that government that he will resist tyranny wherever it is found. That alone has kept this Nation free and has kept us from being invaded by those who disarm thier own people and can not understand why we do not do the same to make thier control of the people that much easier.
That is why American's have the Right ot Keep and Bear Arms. "

 HRH The Prince of Wales wrote on July 7, 2008 3:43 pm:
" To What:

It is good to see that you are attempting to quote the Bible. I see you use that big bad word HOMOSEXUAL. Please tell me where in the Bible you got that from? As a Gay Christian, I have read the Bible, and no where is the word HOMOSEXUAL used in the Bible, you know why? The word HOMOSEXUAL was not termed until the 1800's, thousands of years after the Bible was written. If you are going to quote the bible, please get your words correct. "

 sam wrote on July 7, 2008 3:47 pm:
" guns: you obviously have not read the Supreme Court ruling on D.C vs Heller, in which the majority stated that reasonable regulations such as those prohibiting convicted felons or those mentally deficient from possessing firearms. As usual we have a few people that listent to the liberal talking heads and never read what the actual law or interpretation actually said. "

 Think About it wrote on July 7, 2008 3:50 pm:
" "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Yet Congress has made law establishing the public policy of the establishment of a "Religion of No Religion" as the official state religion, which must be practiced in the public forum. The diety within this new "Religion of No Religion" is the government themselves so the definition of an organized religion is met in the official state "Religion of No Religion". Congress has also prohibited the "free exercise thereof" by outlawing the public expression of religious belief other than the established state "religion of no religion". No where in the Constitution do you find the words "seperation of church and state", nor the idea thereof. Yet the government ensures that the "religion of no religion" is enshrined within thier official government decesion making. Think about it. "

 Sam wrote on July 7, 2008 5:18 pm:
" "Guns", you really need to go back and read the Supreme Court decision in detail becasue it's painfully obvious that you don't understand it. The majority opinion of the court said that although citizens have the right to own firearms, the government can enact reasonable restrictions short of an outright ban in the furtherance of a compelling public interest such as safety. In fact, the Court noted that the banning of assault weapons or prohibitions against the ownership of firearms by felons or mental patients would likely be upheld.

While I don't agree with the decision, especially in view of the fact that the Court seemingly ignored that language in the Second Amendment about "a well regulated militia", it's the law of the land and likely won't be overturned until activist judges like Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito are replaced with judges who will decide cases based on political considerations. "

 God wrote on July 7, 2008 5:53 pm:
" You would all be better off putting your Bibles on the shelf next to the other fiction. Instead of going to church on Sunday morning, set aside two hours per week at the city mission. Instead of putting money into a plate for a new steeple, padded benches or some other stupid thing, donate it to a worthy charity.

Stop quoting verses, help each other out and leave happy, consenting adults alone. Listen to yourselves bicker at each other over Corinthians and Leviticus and what Jesus would do.

You have a team of people orbiting the Earth right now in spite of all this nonsense. Just think what you could accomplish if you stopped combing through the words of dead ancestors and their translators with a microscope.

Concentrate on staying married, raise your kids better and leave homosexuals alone.

I'm getting sick of listening to you. "

 To LC wrote on July 7, 2008 6:07 pm:
" you have completely missed the point where did i ever pick and choose my sins when i said all sins are equal? and god gave us free will to do what we want. he knew people would sin he gives us that choice. every person including myself should go to hell. i said that people who don't try to change and live without sin are in trouble. and god is loving and forgive but he is also the judge and will punish. if you don't want to believe that is fine but know what your talking about before you spread the hate "

 Consider this wrote on July 7, 2008 8:00 pm:
" I think that the constution is clearer on the right to bear arms than what it is on the assumed right of having an abortion. "

 LexNative wrote on July 7, 2008 8:02 pm:
" Take it from a Lexington native, the community has changed dramatically. It's unfortunate but it does perpetuate the stereotype. Lindsay - the problem is not the pay that is offered. Look for IBP/Tyson's job postings...they're some of the best paid positions in town. "

 Aaa wrote on July 7, 2008 8:55 pm:
" the King James Version does not use the word homosexual but says adultery,
fornacation, etc, but the New International Version translates it to
homosexual. Same if you read the King James Version, most things say "he"
but means both he or she. Alot of words have been construed to mean the
same thing. Look way back when, instead of calling someone a homosexual or gay, they were called odd. They never heard the word gay years ago.
But we were put here for God's purpose and he gave us a Will to choose
and if we refuse to "Trust and Obey Him" and refuse to seek His Will and
study His word, we will pay the consequences if we don't Repent. Its all
in the Bible in black and white. Sure He knew many would choose their
own Will and He warns the price we must pay. "

 Chuck Zellers wrote on July 7, 2008 9:11 pm:
" The Larry McClungs of the liberal world are at it again. The Supreme Court has settled this issue. Yes the Second Amendment does give us the right....the court ruling says so!
I suggest spending more time focused on the symptoms of a society in trouble, not with guns but drug addiction, greed, etc. as you pointed out. "

 Re Robert Thompson wrote on July 7, 2008 9:15 pm:
" Well said. The middle east has been at war with each other since the beginning of time. The u.s. is not going to change that fact. This whole thing was a grab at the oil under iraq and georgies plans to invade iran are the same. As soon as the fool and his puppet, meaning cheney the fool and puppet bush are gone the world will be a better place. "

 Lindsay wrote on July 8, 2008 6:45 am:
" I hear ya lexnative, as I'm from Crete which could be Lexington's sister city in many ways. If you move up a bit in the company you don't make bad money, but it's still not a whole lot (but decent paying jobs have always been a problem in rural areas), especially in proportion to what the company brings in. "

 Moses wrote on July 8, 2008 9:27 am:
" Read God's post again. He happens to be right. If you think Moses parted the Red Sea, you must prefer fictional readings. "

 MarkyMark wrote on July 8, 2008 10:18 am:
" I am also a supporter of the 2nd amendment. I have a hard time though, when listening to people who find the 2nd amendment sacred, yet choose to ignore the remainder of the Constitution. Is this like the Bible, where righteous people pick and choose what they want to believe? "

 LC wrote on July 8, 2008 10:36 am:
" "To Nancy" Now you've missed my point. Whenever I hear someone say that this is a sin or that is a sin, there is instant judgement and hypocrisy. I know you wear clothes of mixed material - everyone does without a thought - the point is it is forbidden by Christianity and yet you think nothing of it. This is the common failure of Christians everywhere. Choose something you hate and find a Bible verse for justification. Ignore the verses that you feel are unimportant. Pick and choose your sins. Neither you nor I are going to hell or deserve to. This is an ancient myth used to frighten people into subservience. There is no hell or heaven and you cannot give the slightest evidence that there is. You were taught to believe before the age of reasoning and you still carry the fear. Basic psychology. As a former Christian who went to church every Sunday for 18 years I know what I'm talking about. Religion is a manmade, social construct. There were dozens of gods before the biblical one and several after. My grievance comes from stating religious opinions as fact - "the bottom line is that homosexuality is a sin". This is condescending, judgemental and self-righteous no matter how you look at it. Homosexuality is as valid as any sexual orientation, unless you decide that it is beneath you. A religion that teaches that people are just bad sinners and need saving wastes entire lifetimes. Waking every day to guilt and fear of damnation is no way to live. If you have been both a believer and a nonbeliever, then you can make a valid observation of these things. Otherwise your adherence to scripture is hopelessly skewed to first-century superstitions. OK, I'm done wasting my time now. Have a nice day. "

 Tammy wrote on July 8, 2008 12:31 pm:
" You said it "God"!!! "

 English as a first language wrote on July 8, 2008 1:00 pm:
" I don't believe that being born here should exempt one from the requirement that one be able to speak and write English correctly to be a citizen. Judging by some of the people who write on this forum and who speak about this issue on a daily basis, I believe that Latinos aren't necessarily the first population group we should look to when questioning English skills. If anything, it is even more unacceptable and unpatriotic to be born here, have access to our schools and our libraries, and still not learn the language well enough to write a sentence using correct grammar.

I propose that citizenship should be something EVERYONE must test for in the U.S. If you cannot understand how to correctly match a plural noun to the appropriate verb ("They are" vs. "They is"), then why should you get to vote in the presidential election and decide the future of this country? "

 Open Thine Eyes wrote on July 8, 2008 2:42 pm:
" "Just A Reminder'...I feel sorry for you if you think that the Bible is just fiction. "

 To God .... wrote on July 8, 2008 2:51 pm:
" You are 100% correct. In fact i want to write a "book" and bury it the dirt in an indestructable box and have someone dig it up and say it is the word of "God". The God that exists hates nobody and only wants every person to live their life to the fullest without causing harm on one another. Do you honestly think a God would create people so they have to live strictly by his rules our whole lives? Is he a slave driver? God would never want you to live your life fearful of him. "

 J wrote on July 8, 2008 3:11 pm:
" Maybe there is a god. Great post "God." "

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Lincoln Journal Star Editorial Board