Editor, Times-Union: This is in reply to the "Not a choice" letter. Brandy, real Christians are not judging you. Most people turn truth into judgment when we simply believe that what is written in the Bible is absolute truth. We are all guilty of sin, period. Romans 3:23 says that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God. Have you ever lied? Have you ever stolen anything regardless of value? Have you ever looked at someone with lust? Jesus told his disciples that if you look on a woman and lust after her you have committed adultery in your heart. Have you ever hated someone? Jesus said if you hate your brother you are a murderer at heart. If you answered yes to these, then by your own admission you are a lying, thieving, adulterer, murderer at heart. These are only four of the Ten Commandments. In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus said that he did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. In verse 18 he says that not one title shall pass but all will be fulfilled. So if you die and stand before a righteous God would you be innocent or guilty? And if you're guilty, would you go to heaven or hell? I'm not here to judge you or condemn you, not my job, I'm just sharing the truth. As far as women obeying their husbands, there is a reason God used Adam's rib. So that she would be at his side not above or below him. And it does say in Ephesians that wives submit to your husbands but it goes on to say that men love your wives as your own flesh and for this reason will a man leave his mother and father and be JOINED to his wife. They become one flesh, side by side. Which brings me to the being born gay. God created everything on this planet male and female even down to the plants and flowers. He did this for a purpose, that's how he designed it. Even if you don't believe in God or the Bible, maybe you believe in evolution, regardless, there is no other creature on Earth that is born gay or any other mammal that is gay. Male and female are that way for a reason. Again, I'm not here to judge. I'm here to tell you that Jesus loves you and He died and rose fully alive so that you would have a choice about your eternity. We all have fallen short and we will all stand before him one day. When he looks at you will he see your sin or his son's precious blood.
Mike Braden Warsaw via e-mail
EdCom Expo
Editor, Times-Union: We wish to express our thanks to the approximate 150 volunteers who helped make EdCom Expo 2004 our community's best learning celebration yet on Saturday past. An event of this size is simply not possible without the unselfish efforts of so many who helped with:
n set up the night before n appraising n serving at our information table
n food n awards set up and distribution
n cleanup Thanks to Warsaw Education Foundation and Warsaw Noon Optimists for helping sponsor this year's EdCom. Special thanks to ComforTemp Inc. for providing our first EdCom scholarship to WCS senior Kaitlyn Macdonald for presenting outstanding work at EdCom all four years of her high school career.
EdCom welcomes all students of all abilities from all schools in the area (public, private and home school). We encourage class projects, group projects, individual projects and family projects.
EdCom Expo 2005 will be held March 26, 2005. Start your learning soon, so we can have a blast celebrating another year of growth in our community's children.
Dick Rooker on behalf of EdCom organizing committee
Warsaw via e-mail
In Character
Editor, Times-Union: I read with interest David Slone's report where he blasts certain stars for not being in character when interpreting their roles on the screen. I don't believe that the movie-going public will be too persuaded by Mr. Slone's attack on such stars as Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts or Mel Gibson for not always being "in character" while appearing on film. Frankly, I believe that scores of fans love their movie idols mostly on account of their natural born personal magentism, and not necessarily for their versatility or artistic endeavors.
Fans don't really change. They conveyed practically the same attitude toward the stars back during "The Golden Years" of Hollywood. Durign the Hollywood of the '30s, '40s and '50s, who were the biggest names to honor "the first 10" list in box-office popularity each year? Top box-office stars seldom ever included the great, artistic "always in character" performers such as Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, George Arliss or Bette Davis, Garbo or katherine Hepburn. No, the stars who helped to form long lines at the box office were those bright, exhilarating "personalities" such as Clark Gable, Shirley Temple, Betty Grable, John Wayne, Bing Crosby, etc.
Take that glamorous, flamboyant star, Joan Crawford, for instance. Back in 1945, in the hit film, "Mildred Pierce," she offered a charming, likable portrayal of herself and won an Oscar for her efforts; furthermore, her fans enjoyed her in the role of "Mildred Pierce" more than in any other part that she has played. In "Going My Way" (the Academy Award-winning film of 1944) Bing Crosby merely portrayed himself. He also won an Oscar for his attempts, and the public loved his "performance."
No, I don't believe that most fans adore their movie idols only for being "in character" on the screen. I think that they love them every bit as much, if not more, for just being themselves.
Don Kaiser Warsaw
Lady Cats Basketball
Editor, Times-Union: On behalf of every girl participating in the Future Lady Cats Basketball Program, a huge thank-you to our team sponsors.
Over the past two years, an effort has been made to strengthen the Whitko girls' basketball program. Coaches, parents, community volunteers and school staff have all played a role in implementing a summer basketball program for the girls in the fourth through eighth grades. The future is looking bright for the girls as they improve their basketball skills and mature into talented high school players. In order for our communities to enjoy a successful girls' basketball program, the continuation and improvement of the girls' summer league is vital. We are still seeking support from our communities. If anyone is interested in donating to this program, we are still in need of tourney sponsors, white jerseys and practice equipment. Contact Pam Bidwell at 574-594-2386, Ronda Sroufe at 260-723-4873, or Darcy Hoopingarner at 260-723-6762.
Future Lady Cats Basketball
Thoughts On School
Editor, Times-Union: It seems to me I am seeing a repeat of the events that occurred when I was teaching in North Webster in the 1950s. School consolidation was just getting started. Education is a function of the state of Indiana, not local corporations.
I don't think anyone at that time had any idea that they were going to lose their high schools and their ball teams. The state of Indiana mandated these changes.
When the people realized this, they were going to fight it to the last ditch. There was going to be blood in the streets and marches on Indianapolis.
To set the record straight, there was to be a school built equidistant from North Webster, Leesburg, Milford and Syracuse. In some manner or other, Syracuse got the high school located in their town. Leesburg pulled out at that time and got permission to join Warsaw.
Pierceton was originally scheduled to join Warsaw. The people in Pierceton did not want any part of that plan. Land was purchased equidistant from Pierceton, Larwill, Sidney and South Whitley. South Whitley by some means got the high school located in their town, so the land was sold. The Pierceton people were not happy about that.
Carl Burt, Warsaw superintendent of schools, explained all of this to us in several meetings. He thought Silver Lake should join Manchester Schools. Silver Lake representatives said Warsaw was their trading area and they wanted to join Warsaw. These schools were not "dragged" into the Warsaw system as some letters indicate.
When Pierceton found out what was happening, they came over and tried to join Warsaw, but the new superintendent, Wilmer Bucher, said Warsaw could not administer any larger area.
Most school boards follow state recommendations and work together, but the state, by law, has the final say. The consolidation was hardly popular with any of the smaller schools.
I am not quite sure I understand this overcrowding. The first year at North Webster, I has 44 in my sixth-grade class. Mrs. Karl Stookey of Leesburg had 20-plus sixth-graders and 20-plus fifth-graders. Ruth Gunter, who lived just west of Warsaw, had 56 fourth-graders in one room; chairs were all along the walls plus the regular seats. I don't recall of anybody ever having less than 40 in a class. I never heard any teacher complain; of course the work day didn't end when school was out. We didn't have helpers or counselors. I guess we didn't realize we were doing the work of two people.
Courts will rarely interfere with decisions made by school boards, unless it involves some kind of constitutional problem. They informed our teacher's association on several occasions that there would be little need of board decisions, if anytime someone didn't like it, the decision could be overturned.
