Letters to the EditorWednesday, July 2, 2008
Proclaiming faith Forget the controversy over license tags with religious overtones. There is a simple, inexpensive way to proclaim your faith — or lack of it — on your own personal vehicle. Unlike the proposed state license tag, this is a method that respects everyone (the Golden Rule) because it is available to anybody who wants to use a vehicle to proclaim any religious message, however simple or sophisticated. Best of all, it exercises those fine American values of freedom of speech and of religion, while it cleverly sidesteps the pesky issue of separation of church and state. And you don't even have to deal with the DMV. I refer, of course, to the bumper sticker. Get one. Get several. Stick 'em on your car for all to see. That's faith and democracy in action. And it works. GEORGE BLACK 'I Believe' tags Shame on the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Without the "I Believe" license plates, how will anyone know who the Christians are? BLAKE MONSON Illegal drivers The recent article regarding a hit-and-run death is sad. However, all one has to do is go to the intersection of Ashley Phosphate and Stall roads and see dozens of unlicensed illegals driving on our roads. Most don't have insurance, either. Law-abiding American citizens don't have the luxury of not having a driver's license or auto insurance. We have to suffer the consequences if we are involved in an accident with these drivers. If they are stopped by law enforcement they just give a name and post bond. They don't even show up for court and they just continue driving. If you think this is not so, just go to the Magistrates Court in North Charleston and see for yourself. The answer might be to impound cars, as is done for other illegal acts. TOM BOTCHIE Do something I saw on the news recently that US Airways is going to charge $2 for drinks, starting in August. That means my trip to New York in July will be the last on which I can get a free cup of coffee. For some reason, this really hit me hard because it's just another example of how bad things are getting in this country and the world. Prices are going up every day. For most of us, it is getting harder to make ends meet. This is the greatest country in the history of the world, yet we seem to lack the drive to develop alternative energy for the long run and develop the resources we have here and offshore. We have to do something soon. A report from BP says that there is only 47 years of oil left in the Mideast. Are we going to wait until then to do something? I am sorry to say that I am glad I am on the far side of 50. I feel sorry for young people growing up now. For the first time, we will give the next generation a world that will not be better than the one we had. I am pleading with both major political parties to work for the good of the country and the people, to stop the petty arguing and to work as if the country's future depends on a new energy program — because it does. Stop taking a week off for July Fourth and a month for Thanksgiving. Roll up your collective sleeves and work. If you don't, I am afraid we are going the way of the Roman empire. I hope I don't live to see that. SID BUSCH Nuclear best A Post and Courier article titled "Utility moves on power plant plans" states that Santee Cooper is stockpiling $146 million in building materials for a coal-fired power plant to be built near Pamplico. I have two questions: 1) Is the site for this coal-fired plant near Pamplico suitable for a nuclear power plant? 2) Can the $146 million of building materials ordered and en route be used to construct a nuclear power plant? It is encouraging to read about the urgent effort to build new power plants. But in the long run, nuclear plants are a better choice for decreasing our dependency on Mideast oil and protecting our environment. If we cannot agree on which type power plant is best, we should go all out and build both as soon as possible. Such an all-out effort will revitalize our domestic steel industry and put a lot of people to work building the new power plants. ROBERT P. ALLEN Start drilling Let's forget about the presidential election for a moment. We need to take a hard look at Congress and what it is doing — or not doing — to relieve the energy problem. In case Congress hasn't noticed, high gasoline prices are wrecking this nation. At a time when Congress should be trying to do everything possible to lower the price of gasoline to improve the economy, it has been proposing price increases through the Warner-Lieberman bill and throwing up more obstacles to prevent increased production and obstruct exploration. We are the richest nation on Earth with large oil reserves. Yet, it is illegal to drill along the Atlantic or Pacific coasts. Congress won't allow us to drill in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and we cannot drill in areas of Alaska. It is also illegal to mine shale oil. All of these constraints are put on us by Congress while Cuba is planning to drill offshore, 70 miles from Key West, Fla. Something is wrong and the American people should not stand for it. I urge citizens to contact their senators and representatives to demand that these shenanigans stop and that Congress should act immediately to lower gasoline prices. We should have the right to drill proven energy sources to reduce our dependency on foreign supplies. Elected officials in Washington who don't agree should be voted out of office in November. Get on the Internet and go to americansolutions.com and sign the petition requesting that we drill here, drill now and pay less. Our future as a nation depends on it. PENNELL M. CLAMP Promises, taxes I get sick of the candidates telling the people all the wonderful things that they are going to do for us. They are going to give us medical care, give us money and all sorts of things. Do you know what we will get? It will be more taxes to pay for all these wonderful things. Do you think Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain drive to the nearest gas station and pay for gasoline from their own pockets? The windmills might hurt a bird, the oil towers might hurt an animal in Alaska, or an oil rig in the ocean might spoil the view, but I think if foreign oil suppliers know we are serious about getting our own oil, they might lower prices. And even if they don't, in years to come, we will have our own. CHARLES H. SCACE IRS waste Can someone tell me why I received a first-class letter from the Internal Revenue Service telling me how my stimulus payment has been calculated and if I have questions, I should contact the IRS? Perhaps a number of trees and many man-hours and postage fees could have been saved if this letter had just come with the check. NANCY DAVIDONIS |
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