Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002

By Staff
Congress should support Amtrak
To the editor:
You're so right that Congress may not be the best people to run a railroad. But they are the ones who have to make the decisions needed to keep a national rail passenger network going in the best county in the world.
Yes, there are still people who need and prefer to ride a passenger train. If Congress can dump billions into yearly support for airline and road building it can support Amtrak.
Walter Forst
Brooklyn, N.Y.
via e-mail
Republic vs. democracy
To the editor:
Our forefathers were a few wise old men who gave birth to a form of representative government, the Republic of the United States of America. A republic backed up by a constitution that in my opinion was divinely inspired based upon Judeo-Christian principles, morals and ethics. Basically it provided a government as free as humanly possible that can be obtained by a responsible people. Thus, responsible people earned the right to vote and elect responsible representatives to run our government. A democracy was considered by these wise old men to be, potentially, too corrupt. They were afraid it would lead to mob rule!
The depression of the 1930s provided FDR the fodder to push his liberal agenda for a democracy with it's potential for corruption so he padded the Supreme Court with justices of his liberal persuasion. Lets take a look at a few things (space will not permit a complete list) that has happened to our republic within my lifetime.
All at once we have a "wall of separation" in lieu of "an atmosphere of cooperation" concerning the Bill of Rights between the church and state.
A secular federal government then began to usurp local and states rights.
A secular federal government finally gave irresponsible people the right to vote. Our republic became a democracy.
Outside the state of Mississippi, a person can register to vote without presenting any identification whatsoever. Wonder how many of the 20 odd millions of illegal aliens are now voting? How is that for irresponsibility and corruption?
Jury panels are still selected from these lists of voters. Guilty or innocent any sane person would desire the jury be a panel of responsible citizens. Except OJ.
So, now we have a secular democracy, devoid of any reference to God. Are we now any more or any less moral? Is our faith weaker or stronger? Do we follow a prescribed standard of conduct to enhance a civilized society as we once did? Do we expect to suffer the consequences of our sins against our society? Have we traded our liberties for a false sense of security? Are we permitting professional politicians to do our thinking for us? Just asking.
Christians are the most reliable people I know. Just telling you, for what it is worth.
Barney Shepherd
Philadelphia