Letters to the Editor 12-25
December 24, 2008
By Administrator
Religious debate in Olympia
I am extremely proud of Christine Gregoire for standing up for the rights of everyone; even the most openly discriminated-against minority in the country (yes folks, I’m talking about atheists — that bizarre fringe group who have the audacity to employ rational thought in the face of magical claims).
Attacks against these sorts of displays usually have a couple traits in common. First, they miss the point. The purpose of the sign is not to “suck the joy” out of anything, but rather to make it clear that government sponsorship of any belief system is unacceptable; a fact that should be blatantly obvious to anyone with at least an elementary-level U.S. history education. The offensive language of the sign is not merely a cheap shot at religion; it serves to illustrate the point that, as hard as it may be for you to believe, Christian symbols are every bit as offensive to some people. The Freedom From Religion Foundation repeats their point ad nauseam that they don’t want any such sign displayed, religious or irreligious.
Second, these attacks always show a characteristic persecution complex. We’re taking your rights? Your vote doesn’t count? The fact that you have a holiday display in a governmental setting shows that your vote indeed counts, and the fact that atheists have a sign shows that your rights are precisely what they should be: the same as everyone else’s.
Mike Vargas,
Snoqualmie
Our right to free speech is a wonderful thing of which I am both supportive and proud. However, recent “poison letters” to the editor in regards to Dave Reichert and Chris Gregoire/the Capitol were simply rude and offensive.
I am a registered active Democrat, but Dave Reichert received my vote for the 8th congressional representative position primarily based on his active support for our environment and his deep caring for the impoverished and disenfranchised citizens of Washington state. Congressman Reichert has voted against party lines for the betterment of our environment on both local and global levels. And when many people called for an end to the “wasteful spending” of taxpayer funds to catch the Greenriver killer because “only prostitutes” were being murdered, Dave would not, could not, did not stop until the killer was caught. Reichert knows his constituents are vastly diverse and he acts accordingly. If you disagree with him, tell him, he is listening.
Now onto the hullaballoo about the atheists and the displays at the state capitol. The majority of Washingtonians are Christians. I believe that’s true, so I looked in the Bible and the Constitution for where it directs us to shove our beliefs, or lack thereof, on others. I didn’t find it, because it is not there. What I did find in the Bible was that, according to Jesus, as told by his disciple Matthew, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
In the U.S. Constitution, I found “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.”
Together, these texts tell me to be who I am, believe what I want to believe, speak what I want to speak, but to unconditionally love others that are different and I sure try to do so.
So please do exercise your right to free speech and religion, but know that when all you write or spew are words of hate and mistrust that you are not gaining favor or support from this neighbor. However, I do forgive you whether you would like me to or not.
Sincerely,
Diane Lindstrand
North Bend
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