March 9, 2004

By Staff
Democrats should take good look at their candidates
To the editor:
Ralph Nader is a typical media hound. Kerry-Edwards-Dean and the other wanna be Democrats wouldn't know what to do if they did win; and I think, secretly hope that they don't.
Consider what kind of decisions have to be made by the president then tell me who can make those decisions, and make them right.
The Democrats are so unraveled about the fact that they could lose another four years in the White House, that they would back a candidate that could never conceive of running the country.
In this day and age, voting along party lines instead of in qualified candidates could result in a mistake that would change our lives and our children lives, for the worse forever.
The Democrats and independent parties need to take a good and honest look at the candidates they support. They cannot let their hatred for President Bush and the Republicans lead them to support an inferior political candidate.
Joel Barksdale
Meridian
Responding to right to be different
To the editor:
A puppet is a creation in which each move is directed by external controls. A puppet does not make choices. A human being is a creation by God in his image and the "creature" has freedom of choice. God does not make us do what is right. He wants us to do what is right out of Love, seeking his will in our lives.
He sent His only son to die as sacrifice for our sins. God wants us to choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
The act of being homosexual is a choice. It is immoral and an abomination to God. I choose not to glorify the sexual deviant act of homosexuality by excusing it as a situation in which the participants are innocent victims of fate entitled to special treatment by recognizing their unions through same sex marriages.
A marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Always has been, always will be.
John Mimbs
Toomsuba
Home town hospitality
To the editor:
Recently, I returned home with my wife to Meridian for the funeral of grandmother. It was the first time being back home in several years. My return home was covered with both anxiety and anticipation but not solely due to the solemn occasion of the death of a loved one but equally so due to the fact that my wife is caucasian and I am African-American.
Enroute to Meridian, I briefed my wife on the possibility of confrontation. Reason being, when I left Meridian as a 17-year-old headed to the U.S. Navy, I had never been exposed to an interracial couple in the South.
Prepared for the worse and hoping for the best, I must say that citizens of Meridian though overtly curious at times treated us with the utmost courtesy and hospitality. I have always been proud to be a Meridianite but it was enhanced even more by my visit.
Historically, the South has gotten a bad rap for being intolerant and understandably so. I have lived "up North" for the last five years since leaving the military and I can honestly say that every day I long for values the were instilled in me in little ole Meridian. She is truly the "Queen City" and everyone there should be proud.
Don't take anything that I have said and think that I am naive that there aren't ignorant people out there that will treat you unfairly for being different. I just had a refreshingly welcoming experience in my hometown and wanted everyone to know about it. In this day and age where racial, religious, cultural and sexual-orientation issues have been the cause of so much strife between the citizens of this country, Meridianites have evolved from the days where it would have been unlawful and even life-threatening for a hometown boy to return home with his wife.
I continue to be proud of my Southern heritage and occasions like this one just reinforce those feelings.
Terrence Whitfield
via e-mail