Comments by fantasywriter
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Posted on December 12 at 9:28 p.m.
Trucks-- I understand and agree that we need to "have a heart!" I am glad the gazette offers this forum so we, as a community, can have these safe, anonymous discussions;-)
Posted on December 12 at 11:49 a.m.
To Trucks and Boats: "If you know a couple of elderly ladies that can’t afford certain staples help them out."
Obviously, you can afford to have unlimited people in your home or buy toilet paper, etc for the needy, however I cannot. I can barely afford the dollar toilet paper myself, and ALL my fully employed (as I am), college educated (as I am) acquaintances are in the same boat. We work at "good" jobs, but with the cost of gas, food, and our own mortgages, we are all barely making ends meet (and no, we do not have credit card debts, take vacations, smoke or gamble--most of us can't even afford health insurance for our families). We barely make ends meet and we're thankful we can do that much. If only we COULD simply buy things for those we know in need!!
Posted on December 11 at 3:24 p.m.
To Tmac: "Who in this community is not getting the help they need?" I know two elderly people (both on SSI--i.e., disabled) who were refused aid for housing needs at the Salvation Army due to a shortage of funds. I know three younger families who have been turned down, respectively, for utility and food assistance due to an agency's shortage of funds and supplies. I can name at least nine people who cannot get to Dr.'s appointments, or afford their $3 per prescription co-pays and cannot get help from local agencies due to limited funding. The food stamp budget is so limited that one of the disabled women I mentioned above, who draws a $640 pension as her only income (which must cover rent, food, utilities, transportation and personal items, like toilet paper), receives $10 per month food assistance. This woman often goes without prescriptions because she cannot afford her co-pays. This woman neither drinks, smokes nor gambles. This is only the tip of the iceberg. I KNOW the refugees do not contribute to this problem since this is a COMMON scenario across the nation. I just mention it here because desperation, combined with social unrest can contribute to all the problems Emporia is experiencing right now. People in Emporia, as in so many other cities, are desperate. We just don't need the hate added to the mix.
Posted on December 11 at 11:23 a.m.
Tracy, you make an excellent point. These people are victims, not culprits. Emporians are understandably nervous about the impact of such a large group on a community which is already over-burdened with poor and desperate people of all races. Emporians obviously had no say over the placement of refugees in our community, but we do have say in what happens once they're here. Sure, social welfare funds are shrinking and crime rates are rising, but hate and resistance simply exacerbate the problem. Confronted with a warring community, people are unlikely to be charitably motivated and, desperate people given little but hate are more likely to engage in criminal activity. We are in a situation we can't undo, however, we can change our response to the situation. Each person, whether they value human rights, or whether they simply value their own personal safety and property, should realize it is time to stand together as a whole community--Somali, African American, Hispanic, Native American, Oriental and Caucasian. We are Emporia.
This is a great season to make a new beginning for a new and better community.
Posted on December 7 at 11:28 a.m.
One of the greatest things about this country has been separation of Church and State. However, when one religious group's ideals start becoming state policy, that separation is broken down allowing religion in general to begin controlling government. I am sure that is fine for Christians WHILE that religion happens to be Christianity, but what about when the fastest growing religion in the world, Islam, is the leading religion? If religion is allowed to decide policy, ANY policy, then someday some OTHER religion can decide policy. The point is, allowing one religion, even Christianity to order government, sets precedence for allowing ANY religion to control government. Even a little thing, like naming a celebration managed by the city a Christian name, sanctions religiously controlled government. I have never understood why Christians could forget the past that brought America's founding fathers to the conclusion religious freedom could only be guaranteed by complete separation of Church and State. Of course, if Christians allow themselves to be duped by power hungry politicians, who use the guise of Christianity to further their own ends, then perhaps they will only have themselves to blame when some other religions controls their government, and they are TRULY the refugees as Emporia's Muslims are now.
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Posted on December 16 at 11:32 a.m.
What a horrible tragedy! Whether or not this young man was hunting has nothing to do with his death. He could have been out in the field bird watching or taking a morning walk. However, the person who fired the fatal shot was doing something other posters have indicated is common in this area. Perhaps Aasimsaied posted the gun control rant because he is just as outraged as we all are that people in our community are driving around shooting from their cars!
May the family of this child be blessed with divine peace.
On Americus man killed