Letters to the editor

Clarifying source of information

Dear editor:

I read John “Doc” Crawford’s letter of Sunday, Feb. 9, with interest. I must confess that I did not check with the Department of Interior for my information. I got my information from the Act of Congress, H. R. 1424, Section 601, “Secure rural schools and community self- determination program, act of 2000 ( 16 USC 500 Note; Public Law 106) “Section 2. Purposes. The purposes of this act are — “( 1) To stabilize and transition payments to counties to provide funding for schools and roads that supplement other available funds.” I believe his quote mentions schools and roads. As for fire fighting, police protection, and search and rescue, that is covered in the act also.

“Title III — County Funds” “Section 302 Use. ( a) Authorize Uses.— A participating county … shall use county funds, in accordance with this title, only — ( 1) to carry out activities under the Firewise Communities program … ( 2) to reimburse the participating county for search and rescue and other emergency services, including firefighting, that are — ( A) performed on Federal land after the date under which the use was approved under subsection ( b); ( B) paid for by the participating county; …” the act includes other restrictions to long to include here.

Section 6906, Funding. “For each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012 — ( 1) each county or other eligible unit of local government shall be entitled to payment under this chapter; ( aren’t school districts local governments?) and ( 2) sums shall be made available to the Secretary of the Interior for obligations or expenditures in accordance with this chapter.”

Budget Scorekeeping. “The section in this title regarding Payments in Lieu of Taxes shall be treated in the baseline for purposes of section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control act of 1985 … as if Payment in Lieu of Taxes ( 14- 1114- 0- 1- 806) were an account designated as Appropriated Entitlements and Mandatories by Fiscal Year 1997 in the joint explanatory statement of the committee of conference accompanying Conference Report 105- 217.” More information about how the PILT money is distributed to the school districts may be found at the Garland County Treasurer’s Office.

As for “quibble” about the name of the land, I suggest he ask the Department of Interior to send him a copy of the title to the forest land made to the federal government, or advise where the title can be found.

I believe it was Joseph Gobbel, Adolf Hitler’s information ministry, who is said to have stated: If a lie is big enough and repeated often enough, people will believe it. I have never found information that would cause me to believe that the public land is federal land. The title to the public land is easy to find, as it is in the name of The United States of America. I found a copy of that land title years ago.

Wilburn Castleberry Garland County resident

Letter writer responds to Edds’ rebuke

Dear editor: Response to Mr. Edds rebuke to me. Mr. Edds, you read right over the part you needed to read. First off, there is no eternal hell. The only thing eternal is God’s own life, which He imparts to the predestinated by filling them with the Holy Spirit. The devil and his followers and those rejected at The Judgment and given a certain amount of punishment will be in torment until they’re finished with their time and then hell will be destroyed.

Also forever is a space of time, but the earth, after it’s cleaned off and burned over, will be inhabited by the elect. For 1,000 years millennium we will reign on the earth with the Lord. Paul said: If this body be destroyed, we have one already waiting in heaven for us. The Lord said, but the tree which was in the midst of the garden, ye shall not eat these of, neither touch it lest ye die. Adam was told to replenish the earth quite some time before Eve came on the scene.

We are to be like Christ and able to create by the spoken word. As far as a woman bearing children by two different men at the same time, that was proved years ago. Also, the serpent, as I wrote, was a handsome being ( the missing link of creation) and he had sex with Eve, and she went and told Adam how pleasant it was. He then went in to her and they then realized they were naked and they tried to hide and cover up their sin. That’s when the Lord asked them what they were doing hiding and Eve confessed and said the serpent defiled me. So the Lord had a meeting and cursed the serpent, took off his arms and legs and told him he’d crawl on his belly and the dust of the earth would be his meat. Then he told Eve, her desire would be to her husband, then He cursed the ground for Adam’s sin, and said it would bring forth thorns and thistles because of his sin. That’s why a woman is to be subservient to her husband, and he works by the sweat of his brow to till the soil.

First of all, you must be born again before you can even understand the Kingdom of God. Plus the scripture is written in such a way that it’s hid from the devil’s bunch, preachers included, only to be revealed to those who are simple enough to believe the things He reveals to us, and baptizes with the Holy Spirit so we can be like Him.

Please fee free to call me at 623- 4797 during the day or 760- 4888 at night. We can get together and talk these things over. The things that I write are the truth, but they must be revealed by the Holy Spirit. Bob White Hot Springs

More on debate between science and creationism

Dear editor:

I have noted that many persons support the fundamentalist view of life and take the Bible as literal truth. I noted with interest that debate between science and creationism. The debate had one essential moment. When both were asked the question — “What would change your minds?” — Ken Ham said, “Nothing” I am a Christian. Bill Nye

said “Evidence.” The difference is between a belief system based on a scientifically inaccurate book that rejects evidence and a belief system that welcomes evidence and makes adjustments accordingly.

For anyone to claim that the Bible is the most reliable source is to ignore our advancements throughout recorded history. The comments of Bob White and Clyde Edds illustrate a level of absurdity beyond belief. Talking serpents, serpent seed, sinful sex, genitals and trees. Both have entered Neverland. For Mr. Lilly to take the position that most scientists believe that a supreme intelligence created everything is to totally misstate the facts. I quote Dr. Tyson, “I want to put on the table not why 85 percent of the National Academy of Sciences reject God, but why the remaining 15 percent of National Academy do not.”

I would also like to ask Mr. Lilly and those who take his position why they are so afraid of death? Every new day brings hope, I enjoy learning new things and learning more about this magnificent universe. I would encourage anyone to get their head around the quantum computer concept, and the fact that “nothing is almost everything and has properties.” It is a challenge and a reason to live. I have had the good fortune to love and be loved and that is enough for me. Life has been an eventful journey and I have no reason to fear death. The future and the past are unimportant, life only takes place in the present moment. Also, I would respond to the concept of Mr. Bauer that heaven is a parallel universe. There is absolutely no evidence to support this view or the existence of heaven.

It is clear that there remains a distinct division between those who hold a creationist view and those of us who are strong advocates of scientific study, such as Mr. Nye. We must ensure that our educational institutions must teach the most advanced view. To quote Dr. Tyson, “I don’t want students who could make the next major breakthrough in renewable energy sources or space travel to have been taught that anything they don’t understand, and that nobody yet understands, is divinely constructed and, therefore, beyond their intellectual capacity. The day that happens, Americans will just sit in awe of what we don’t understand, while we watch the rest of the world boldly go where no mortal has gone before.” Mike Nunn Hot Springs

Stop ‘ grotesque obsession’ with sex lives of others

Dear editor:

I find myself in agreement with Republicans on one issue — abortion. It is not a procedure that anyone could be happy about. But what is worse than abortion is a woman not having the right to control her own life by aborting a fetus, if necessary. Worse yet is not having cheap, reliable contraception available to prevent pregnancy, thus avoiding the necessity of abortion. Worst of all is demanding that she does not engage in sexual activity so the issue does not arise.

Some religious wingnuts … are pushing that case. Our sex drive is the most innate, powerful force in our lives, experienced by everyone who was not terrorized into frigidity by inept parenting, is not something that any can say “I can’t be bothered.” I pity those few that can resist. The purpose of this God- given, irresistible force is that we do jump each others bones without regard for the results; a child to support for the next 20 years. If our sex drive was less potent so we could stop to consider that result, we wouldn’t do it, so wouldn’t even be here to argue the point.

To force an unwanted birth is a vicious, lifelong cruelty. An unwanted child, poorly loved, fed, clothed, medicated, educated, unacceptable to their peers, will cost society dearly. Poor work ethic, drunkenness, drugs, joblessness, spousal and child abuse, increasing criminal activity until they pick up a gun and start shooting. They will be a lifelong prison inmate at a cost of $ 45,000 a year. Plus all the pain and suffering of everyone around him which could so easily be prevented by reliable contraception.

We could then enjoy God’s wondrous gift and not get all psychotic on each other. We could save a fortune on mental health care. A no- brainer, right? To anyone but a Republican. They attempt hundreds of bills every year to interfere in our private lives. The House of Representatives is trying to pass a bill mandating IRS approval for a woman wanting an abortion. They try to justify it by claiming it would create jobs. And please do not claim the pro- life bushwa. You tried to hire John McCain, who would have us at war in half the Mideast countries. Remember his bomb, bomb Iran campaign song? Remember his audience cheering?

Our problem is a bad economy. Stop this grotesque obsession with our sex lives. Get your heads out from under our women’s skirts and pass the infrastructure repair bill that Obama proposed.

Faye Wieker Hot Springs Village

County has much to offer new companies

Dear editor:

Hot Springs is an ideal location to attract manufacturing and hi- tech industries, but in 10 years as a resident, I have seen nothing that justifies the $ 100,000 the city gives nor the $ 100,000 the county gives to the economic development group, corporation or whatever every year. It matters little since it all goes to the Chamber of Commerce. There has never been a return on investment study performed and published for the many years of tax contributions to economic development. Were the money given for economic development working with the state and federal programs used to employ someone who has the experience, contacts and entrepreneurial and innovative attitude required to promote Hot Springs and Garland County, we would see manufacturing and hi- tech jobs coming to our area.

I suppose we will see an influx of people from Chicago soon and maybe a business or two since as of today, Chicago has had 31 days of snow. Credit for this possible influx cannot be attributed to the economic development group or the Chamber of Commerce. Mother Nature gets the credit and at no expense to local citizens. I might add that the local community college and Henderson State need to add more high- tech classes if we really wish to attract hi- tech companies. Each school, the city and county should be exploring opportunities to be business incubators for new high- tech endeavors.

There are foreign companies that wish to have a presence in the U. S., companies with offshore operations wanting to relocate back home, entrepreneurs looking for a home to build their companies and companies wishing to relocate within the states for various reasons. Hot Springs and Garland County have much to offer but few innovators who know how to attract them. It took the governor to attract 500 jobs for a steel mill in eastern Arkansas. We might ask the governor to help us out in Garland County since we lack the ability to do it on our own. Chuck Lilly Hot Springs