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Letters to the Editor
Racism - big deal out of small issue

By ANDREW KIER Jasper

After reading an article in last week's edition of the Newsboy about Lani Silver being on a mission, I began to think how I could reduce racism in my life and in society in general. I honestly think that racism does not exist unless the Reverend Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson says so.

With anything that involves somebody with color these two gentlemen stir up trouble some how and some way.

Ms. Silver brought up the James Byrd dragging incident from 1998 saying that the criminal mischief performed that night were acts of racism, when indeed it was not racism it was Byrd being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

If there was a Caucasian, Hispanic, or a Native American person I believe that the same actions would have been performed. Let's say that this action against Mr. Byrd was an act of racism, would we hear about it if a black male were on the other side of the story and he killed a white man?

My point is racism wouldn't be such a big issue unless these black officials didn't make such a big deal out of such a small thing. We never hear of any other ethnicity claiming anything being racist against them because they dust the dirt off of their shoulders and move on! Racism is indeed a bad thing, but it does not exist in every situation like people try to portray.

Through all, we are on God's side

By BRENDA JOB Jasper

Bad things happen, sometimes very bad things. Then we wonder 'Where was God?' when the Virginia Tech student started shooting; when a loved one dies; when a dream dies.

Americans like to believe that we are the most powerful nation, with enough power even to plan our lives.

We raise our children to believe that if they will be thoroughly prepared educationally, emotionally and financially that they will be able to be safe, secure and able to live well.

But that is not always true, and life is not always "fair."

Shortly after my son died, I read an article about Arthur Ashe, who asked himself, "If I were to say, "God, why me?" about the bad things, then I should have said, "God, why me?" about the good things that happened in my life." Those things in our lives that have the greatest capacity for sorrow also have the greatest capacity for joy. I would not trade the joy to avoid the sorrow.

Disappointment and rejection are facts of life.

Some of us lost our innocence in wars, some when John F. Kennedy was shot, some on 911, me, on the day my son died. A 911 firefighter said, "I will be OK, but I will never be the same." Our job is to teach our children the lesson of a skinned knee. Wipe it off, look up and go on again.

Love and support are powerful things and people need them. Rabbi Harold Kushner in The Lord is my Shepherd says this: "The key to surviving misfortune is to realize that, when bad things happen, God is on our side...When we choose to affirm life in the face of loss, to affirm goodness in the face of evil, we are on God's side. His is with us and we are with Him, and the future does not frighten us."

We at Friends of Job, a grief support group for those who have lost children, grandchildren or siblings desire to help you deal with the grief that these life events creates. Join us on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 6.30-8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Jasper.

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The Jasper Newsboy would like to publish your thoughts and concerns about issues that are important to you. All Letters to the Editor should be accompanied with the writer's name and daytime telephone number for verification purposes.

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Mail letters to: The Jasper Newsboy P.O. Box 1419 Jasper, Texas 75951-1419 or e-mail to: jgalvan@jaspernewsboy.com