To the Editor:
Second Opinion: Last Week's Letters to the Editor. July 28, 2021.
I am going to discontinue my political history series, as it has occurred to me that if a lot of people do not agree with my opinions, they are unlikely to want to know how I got them. Besides, the Letters to the Editor (LTTE) last week are too compelling to resist.
I want to thank Dave Johnson for sharing I Never Cared. I have long sought a manifesto of the Far Right’s fears and objectives, and I agree with you that the entry is as good as I have seen. I have it up on my office wall as we speak. Rest assured; it will turn up in subsequent columns.
Racism, sexism, and poverty in a capitalistic society, and how they are reflected in law, are living and appropriate subjects for discussion, certainly law students. Black people were freed in the ratified 13th Amendment and became full citizens. And now they actually want to be treated as such under the law! The gall; or as the "grim soldiers of white supremacy" would say, "so unAmerican."
Your White Guilt and Resentment was in full flower in your response to Pablo Bezan, Martin. To treat a human being as chattel is immoral in anybody's world. Slavery is and always has been an offense against humanity, no matter the era, its acceptability at the time, its long historical practice, its economic advantages, what the Old Testament says about it, who perpetrates it, or where or when. Or the color of the enslaver’s skin. In this country, slavery and racism can be attributed mostly to white people and generally it’s white people who resent the discussion and reminders; the discussion in other countries will vary. Don’t try to obfuscate the issue with, “Look over there! Shiny, sparkly gimcrackery! Something exotic or confounding that will either lead the discussion down a gopher hole, or prove we are not accountable!" "What about the Aztecs?” Ye gods.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry over Martin’s question to Pablo, “Are you saying there was nothing good about the KKK?” Yes, Martin, there was nothing good about the KKK. That you would ask the question gave me more pause than anything I have heard in…well, ever. The KKK (a self-selecting social and vigilante organization turned viciously racist) threatened and murdered people. They burned down Black houses and sometimes whole villages. They lynched people. They dragged young men by noose behind wagons through the streets until their parents could no longer recognize them. As people, the Klan may have been good to their Mamas, but nothing can save them from condemnation, not even the Republican desire to rewrite history.
Leslie: I don’t know you. I like sarcasm as well as the next person and have been known to exercise it on occasion. Your letter was either sarcasm gone awry or an inartful lament. If it was the latter, I'm sorry. However, if you were pretending to care while you were setting up a punchline of the futility of some lives, it escapes from sarcasm or irony and leaps over the fence to hostility, IMO.
You appear to say that you see the value in Planned Parenthood, unless it serves LGBTQ persons. Whatever their reason for being there, those were young people who are trying to figure out, as all young people must, who they are and how they will live their lives. Many have concerns and challenges you will never know. If you can’t or won’t help, fine, but please don’t minimize them. Fortunately, while they probably would appreciate your compassion or understanding, they do not require it.
Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
Response to Pablo Ivan Bazan letter 14 July.
In Mr. Bazan’s letter of 14 July, heputs forward that American Christians are not being ‘Christian’ in their giving, even though the U.S. ranks #1 in the World for charitable giving for the 10th year in a row. Americans gave $361 billion last year to assist the needy&$1.2 trillion American’s tax dollars were used to assist the under-privileged& marginalized(63% of that $1.2 trillion was used to assist ‘people of color’.)Interestingly, Conservative Christians outgive their Progressive counterparts at a ratio of 6:2. It’s not just the wealthy that give, but the middle-class and the poor also give substantially.Countries that give the most in Foreign Aid are; USA, England, France, Germany. All of which have a predominately (70+%) Christian population. As for countries that are among the ‘least’ giving; ChinaTurkey, Pakistan, India(all have less than 3% Christian population. Turkey has almost none.) It looks like Christians, as a group, are not selfish.
Re ourFounding Fathers(Madison, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams),Mr. Bazan theorizes thatthey ‘were not Christians’and that their authored papers ‘were far removed from Judeo/Christianvalues’.
It’s pertinent thatJames Madison was baptized in the Episcopal (Church of England)Church and attended a small Presbyterian Grammar School (Donald Robertson School) where he became fluent in Latin & Greek. Afterwards he attended Princeton College, where he was tutored in Bible Theology by Presbyterian Clergyman, John Witherspoon, who also signed the Declaration of Independence. [Madison’ s degrees were in Hebrew & Ethics.] It’s certain that Madison studied the Bible in its early languages of Hebrew, Greek& Latinas did all the learned men of his day. Madison had a passion for Religious Liberty and fought hard for ‘Liberty of Conscience’(Freedom of Religion, not ‘freedom from religion’). When he protested thatBaptist pastors were being wrongly jailed fortheir unconventional religious practices --he succeeded. They were released and charges were dropped. It’s well known that Madison ‘accepted Christian tenets and kept aBiblical World View’. During his Presidency, Madison & his family attended St. John’s Episcopal Church. A church where partaking in the Lord’s Super is foremost. Madison’sMemorial gravesite in Orange County, VA, is tended by The Daughters of the AmericanRevolution (DAR). Their motto is: ‘God, Family Country’.
Let’s look at Benjamin Franklin. He always viewed Jesus as the ‘best teacher of all’. Franklin was baptized &raised with Puritan / Calvinist beliefs, he later became anEpiscopalian. His favorite sister was a ferventChristian Evangelist. His long-time friend&business partner was ReverendGeorge Whitefield. Whitefield was a founder of the Methodist Church and is considered the most influential Evangelist of the 18th Century. (His preaching reached millions across 2 continents& Franklin published his sermons regularly.) Some of Franklin’s last words were, “The longer I live,the more I see convincing proof that it is God and his Truth that governs the affairs of men.” Franklin regularly attended Christ Church, Philadelphia (Episcopal) with his family. When Franklin died, he had his funeral there and was buried in the Church Cemetery.
As for Thomas Jefferson, he strongly denounced atheism. [To John Adams he once wrote, “to the God whom you and I adore.”] Jefferson regularly gave financial support to the Virginia Bible Society, that provided King James Bibles to the poor. He felt strongly that no American family should go without a Bible, simply because they could not afford one. Jefferson said… ‘there never was a morepure& sublime system of moralitydelivered to Man than is to be found by the four Evangelists” (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Jefferson was baptized in the Church of England (Episcopal) and was buried by the Church. Hewas adamant in Jesus’ core teachings and on more than one occasion, he unabashedly stated, “I am a Christian. I am a disciple of thedoctrines of Jesus.” Sometimes he would say, “I am a real Christian.” He said, “I am sincerely attached toJesus’ Doctrines, in preference above all others.” During his Presidency, Jefferson attended Capitol Church (non-denominational Christian chapel located inside of the Capitol Bldg) twice a week. While in attendance, he knelt & prayed to God, he sang Christian Hymns, did Bible readings and listened to Bible Lessons.
John Adams, happened to be anenthusiastically, self-described ‘life-long student of The Church’. He went so far as to call himself a “Church-going Animal for 76 years!”He was a life-long member of United First Parish Church (Puritan Congregationalist- later, Unitarian Universalist). That was also the Church of John Hancock (first signer of the Declaration of Independence)where his Father, Reverend John Hancock Sr. was the Pastor. In his younger years, Adams attended Harvard College where he was a serious student of Bible Theology. He had the strong desire to go into the Ministry, but later decided not to.
It’s noteworthy that the wives of each of these men were Christians. Dolley,Deborah, Martha&Abigail. Each of these women,were baptized, attended Church of England (Episcopal), raised (most, if not all) their children in the Churchand these women were buried by The Church. [Dolley Madison was raised in the Quaker Church, but converted to Episcopalian upon her marriage to Madison.] John Adams and Benjamin Franklin are both buried in Christian Church Cemeteries.Thomas Jefferson requested a ChristianMinister at his funeral as did James Madison.] In addition, each of the above Founding Fathers got their higher education from Classical ChristianColleges;Princeton, Boston Latin School, William & Mary, Harvard College respectively.
Although, we know that none of these ‘credentials’ makes one a Christian, because faith in God/Jesus is a ‘condition of the heart’ and no one can know the heart of a Man. However, it isplausible that these Founding Father’s hearts were turned toward God the Father, the Biblical God, the Christian God. One couldin good conscience, say that they were /are Christians.Simple deduction concludes that their Christian faith and/or their close association with Judeo/Christianvaluesweighed heavily in their shaping of our Country’s Declaration of Independence, our Constitution& our Bill of Rights.
And for all that, I can say that I am truly grateful. Who knew that these Deists of long ago were so amazingly godly?!
Leslie G. Marshall,
Piru