The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 325, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 30, 2005 Page: 4 of 22
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Baytown Sun and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sterling Municipal Library.
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. ■
I
OPINION
f/
THE BAYTOW N SUN
Sunday, October 30.2005
4A
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FEMA still
under fire
&
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7l
ri
£
David Bloom
Managing Editor
Jane Howard Lee
retired Reporter
Danielle Lynch
News Editor
Angie Pagel, Classified Mgr.
angie.pagel@baytownsun.com
CIRCULATION
Janie Halter, Circulation Mgr.
janie.halter@baytownsun.com
Wendy Breunig
Crosby
Evan Trant
Baytown
R
ei
202-224-2934
713-572-3337
Fax: 202-228-2856
Fax: 713-572-3777
cornyn.senate.gov/
contact/index.html
Ted Poe,
Dist. 2 Rep.
202-225-6565
281-446-0242
www.house.gov/
poe
Ron Paul,
Dist. 14 Rep.
202-225-2831
979-230-0000
www.house.gov/
paul
Gene Green,
Dist. 29 Rep.
202-225-1688
713-330-0761
www.house.gov/
green
FRED HARTMAN
Publisher Emeritus
1950-1074
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HOW TO REACH US
Wanda Garner Cash, Publisher
wgcash@baytownsun.com
Sandy Denson, Business Mgr.
sandy.denson@baytownsun.com
NEWSROOM
David Bloom, Managing Editor
david.bloom@baytownsun.com
Doyle Barlow, Sports Editor
doyle.barlow@baytownsun.com
Clarissa Silva, Design Editor
clarissa.silva@baytownsun.com
Danielle Lynch, News Editor
danielle.lynch@baytownsun.com
ADVERTISING
at least two wives: one to work outside the
Kenya — a program that helps to
educate young girls about the dan-
gers of HIV infection. Using soccer,
skills, strengthens confidence,
Qfyt Baptoton &un
1301 Memorial Drive, P.0. Box 90
Baytown, Texas 77522
Main: (281) 422-8302
Newsroom: (281) 425-8016
Retail: (281)425-8036
Classified: (281)425-8008
Circulation: (281) 425-8048
Fax:(281)427-1880 -
E-mail: sunnews@baytownsun.com
Web site: www.baytownsun.com
Ballot Language
"The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the
union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of
this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage."
s
EDITORIAL BOARD
Wanda Garner Cash
Editor/Publisher
Jim Finley
retired Managing Editor
Doyle Barlow
Sports Editor
Thanks for the
season Astros
The Astros world series was by far
one of the classics and best of all
time. Most series are lopsided with
one team winning by a huge margin
and the other team doing the same in
games following. Check the record
on other series.
This series was very exciting as all
games were not decided until the 9th
inning or beyond in extra innings.
One hit would either tie or win the
game. Thanks Astros for a very
exciting series. The Astros could
have easily won all four games.
Fred Mumm
Baytown
-ANPIU
8CT F.fMA’t
NoTReArt'foS
w Fiffleu.
WRITE TO US
The Sun welcomes letters of up
to 300 words and guest columns of
up to 500 words. Guest columns
should include a photo of the
writer. We publish only original
material addressed to The Baytown
Sun bearing the writer’s signature.
An address and phone number not
for publication should be included.
All letters and guest columns are
subject to editing, and the Sun
reserves the right to refuse to pub-
lish any submission.
Send signed letters to: Wanda
Garner Cash or David Bloom, The
Baytown Sun, P.O. Box 90,
Baytown, 77522; fax them to (281)
427-1880 or e-mail sunnews@bay-
townsun.com.
Items featured on this page are
the views of the persons identified
with each submission and do not
necessarily reflect the views of The
Baytown Sun or its advertisers.
Today's editorial was written by David
Bloom, managing editor of The Bay town Sun,
on behalf of the newspaper’s editorial board.
Government officials
Federal
George W. Bush,
President
202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2326
president®
whitehouse.gov
Dick Cheney,
Vice President
- 202-456-2324
Fax: 202-456-2461
. vice-president©
whitehouse.gov
Kay Bailey
Hutchison,
Senator
202-224-5922
713-653-3456
Fax: 202-224-0776
Fax: 713-209-3459
hutchison.senate.
gov/e-mail.htm
John Cornyn,
Senator
PRODUCTION
Wayne Oxedine, Production Mgr.
wayne.oxedine@baytownsun.com
MISS YOUR PAPER?
You should receive your Baytown
Sun by 6 a.m. Monday through
Saturday and by 8 a.m. Sunday. If
you dO not receive your paper on
time, call (281) 425-8048 by 10 a.m.
to ensure redelivery.
school financing problem yet again.
Substandard schools are a proven danger to
Texas children.
I have been in a relationship for almost
four years with a wonderful woman, and
things just keep getting better. I treat my
relationship as the most precious thing I
have, because it is.
JlW
HOMOSEXUAL
Or
Report rising
death toll in Iraq
We have passed a sorry and tragic
milestone: the United States has sus-
tained 2,000 casualties in Iraq. To
keep the war in the forefront of the
news of the day and on the mind of
your readers, 1 urge you to publish
the names of our military personnel
who have given the ultimate sacri-
fice.
An organization of veterans of the
war in Iraq and Afghanistan is urging
newspapers across the United States
to publish the names of U.S. casual- '
ties on Page One each day.
1 stand with the members of the
nation’s first and largest Iraq and
Afghanistan veteran’s organization,
Operation Truth, in this request.
Publishing daily casualty reports on
Page One will serve to both properly
honor the sacrifice of America’s ser-
vice members, and also more effec-
tively inform the public that
American Troops continue to die in
Iraq on a daily basis.
Americans are more disconnected
from this war than any previous con-
flict in this country’s history. As the
first prolonged conflict fought with
an all-volunteer military, this war has
not directly affected the vast majori- ,
ty of Americans. But for the families
of these 2000 casualties, life has
been irrevocably altered.
In your continuing coverage of the
Iraq War, I hope you will give the
war and related issues greater priori-
ty. A medium-sized daily such as The
Baytown Sun can have a significant
impact in helping readers sta focused
on events half a world away.
The American public deserves pro-
active investigation of critical issues
such as body armor shortages or the
stop-loss policy, instead relying on
Troops’organizations such as
Operation Truth to bring such prob-
lems to light.
On behalf of veterans and their
families, I urge you to consider their
request.
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W ■ urricanes Katrina and Rita left the
Federal Emergency Management
A A Agency with mucho egg on its face.
News out of Anahuac this past week about
continued FEMA shortcomings deserve a
few more Grade AAs lobbed from
Memorial Drive.
Well-deserved jeers came from a standing-
room-only crowd at Chambers County
Courthouse left angrier by FEMA answers
to “where’s the money to cover hurricane-
related expenses?”
The answer was most unpopular: your
check is not in the mail — fanning the furor
in Chambers County.
And they should be outraged. The county
judge said all Chambers County residents
would receive $2,000 in expedited assis-
tance from FEMA. The judge got the word
from President Bush himself.
A state lawmaker also thought FEMA
would start cutting checks soon. Even a
spokesman from FEMA said to expect the
cash.
Despite all that, FEMA workers were rou-
tinely denying the claims of many
Chambers County residents because the
workers had not yet been told Rita victims
were eligible for funds.
FEMA workers used rules for Katrina vic-
tims to wrongly deny Rita victims.
Moreover, many workers did not understand
the requirements themselves, and to a lesser
extent, Harris County ZIP codes for
Chambers County residents proved a chal-
lenge.
Sadly, our own incidents of bureaucratic
oversight have been commonplace.
In Louisiana, hurricane victims were
wrongly denied financial help from FEMA
while thousands have received $2,000
checks even though they should not have
qualified. Hurricane recovery checks have
been sent to wrong addresses.
The list of grievances against FEMA is
legion and growing.
If nothing else, Texans in this area ought
to have learned a few facts of life from hur-
ricanes Katrina and Rita. One is that hurri-
canes are powerful forces that can cause
great damage to anything in their path.
Another is that the federal agency that is
supposed to have the resources and the
expertise to handle this sort of an emer-
gency remains overwhelmed by the task —
from top to bottom.
Federal officials should address it.
Marriage is an established legal union
between one man and one woman. By
clearly defining marriage as a legal uhion
between one man and one woman, this
proposition would leave nothing up to
chance for future interpretations which
would seek to usurp the historical defini-
tion and practice of marriage.
Opponents of Proposition Two claim
Proposition Two is purely discriminatory. If
you look at the facts, you’ll discover it’s an
argument to distinguish between what is
false and true. It’s not about discrimination.
The root issue of the opponent’s debate is
homosexuality. The only way to appropri-
ately address this debate is by discovering
what is right. In determining the difference
between right and wrong, there must be an
accepted standard of truth as the basis for
determination. For generations the Bible
has been utilized as the accepted standard
of truth. 1 have chosen to accept the Bible
as my standard of truth. Homosexuality is
contrary to established biblical truth. The
Bible determines the homosexual or les-
bian lifestyle is an abomination. The gay
and lesbian lifestyle stands contrary to the
accepted standard of truth established by
God. Opponents of Proposition Two are
demanding that I accept and embrace the
legitimization of a formal legal union
between a homosexual or lesbian couple.
This demand is contrary to God’s standard
of truth. By the way, the Bible defends and
supports marriage between one man and
one woman. No Christian can in good con-
scious support gay marriage since it is con-
j trary to His truth. Creating any opportunity
which leaves any door open to potentially
legitimize and legalize homosexual or les-
bian unions is wrong and offensive.
Nothing good can be gained from the
legalization of homosexual unions. No
matter how you slice it, the gay and lesbian
sub-culture has been nothing but a subver-
sive and destructive force in the American
| culture.
Every attempt to oppose Proposition Two
is based on biased and deceptive rational-
No threat
Gay marriage is already illegal in this
state, but apparently it isn’t illegal enough
for some people, so they want to include it
in the state constitution. This amendment
is not going to stop gay people from form-
ing long-term, loving relationships or from
raising children in a same-sex household,
with two parents. It may, however, discour-
age employers from offering domestic-part-
ner benefits, make it next to impossible for
surviving spouses to inherit communal
property, and may eliminate common-law
status for heterosexual couples.
Allowing same-sex couples to marry does
not threaten heterosexual marriage; hetero-
sexual couples seem to be doing a fine job
of threatening their own marriages. And, as
for biblically-authorized families; didn’t
most of the old-testament patriarchs have
multiple wives? Perhaps the modem family
would stay together better if every man had
home and one to take care of the children
fulltime, ' . . .. .. _ ... . ......
The only thing this amendment really educate young girls about the dan-
does is distract the voting public from the gers of HIV infection. Using soccer,
fact that the Texas legislature didn’t fix the ^*s Pr°gram teaches important life
’ 1 ” • skills, strengthens confidence,
encourages leadership, enhances
decision making skills, and increases
the overall knowledge about
HIV/AIDS.
J Last summer, one of Sterling’s own
Key Clubbers, Amanda Thain, took a
trip to Africa to help out with the
Kick HIV/AIDS out of Kenya pro-
gram. While there, she was a role
m model for 14-16 year old girls and
helped to show them the importance
of getting an education and the bene-
fits of keeping their bodies healthy.
This Monday night, Key Club
needs your help in this campaign
against HIV/AIDS. So when you are
preparing to take on the masses of
children and hold them off with
goodies and treats, grab some spare
change and be ready to hear “Trick-
or-Treat for UNICEF.
Susan Cummings
Baytown
Trick-or-treat
Key Club style!
Halloween is fast approaching and
the trick-or-treaters will be out in
full force, but keep on your toes
because this year the children will be
joined by Key Clubbers who are par-
ticipating in Trick-or-Treat of
UNICEF. This campaign will raise
funds for Kick HIV/AIDS out of
Prop. 2: Gay marriage
God’S truth ization. Their claims are based on sub-cul-
tural context and misguided intentions.
I support Proposition Two because it There is no legitimate argument to oppose
clearly defines the boundaries of marriage. Proposition Two which can be based on an
<-----accepted standard of truth. Let’s support
Proposition Two and quiet the bane and
truthless arguments of its opponents. By
supporting Proposition Two we’re endors-
ing marriage defined by truth; a legal
union between one man and one woman.
Brad Hoffmann
Baytown
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 325, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 30, 2005, newspaper, October 30, 2005; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1191102/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.