Letters March 27/14

submitted | Mar 30, 2014

Re: Marriage & Charter

In regards to Ian Whillans’ March 13 letter to the editor (Letters, Frontenac News, Mar 13/14) on Jule Koch's perspective on marriage (Letters, Frontenac News, Mar 6/14), you referred to her view as being a rant; I beg to differ. Your pathetic reference to Jule's argument for procreation (breeding you called it) was very uncouth.

The blessings of God within marriage are many. He teaches us on the meaning of two becoming one (spiritual as well as physical), of what unconditional love truly is (in sickness & in health), the benefits of faithfulness (monogamy), & the freedom found within forgiving one another.

As for the charter in Quebec discriminating against visible minority sectors, I agree they have chosen to take a different stance from Ontario or even our federal government. Could it be they are weary of the tail wagging the dog. Today vocal minorities are the same as the squeaky wheel getting more than their share of the grease.

I certainly am not familiar with the translation of the bible you researched (God being a he/she), but I will take a look at some of your statements you mentioned. In Genesis, God said let us make mankind in our image (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) & God did, as we are three part beings: body, soul & spirit. You referred to all of us being God's children & all of mankind is, but we are as estranged children until reconciled to God through the mediator (the Lord Jesus Christ). You also talked about God being our shepherd, but God also states that His sheep know His voice, and the #1 way we hear from God today is through the Word of God.

Yes, Ian, the times have changed, but God’s Word remains the same yesterday, today & forever. Father God still knows best!

Ken Gorham

Re: Marriage and the Charter

Jule Koch should receive the 2014 “Common Sense” Award  (Letters, Frontenac News, Mar 6/14). She states quite plainly – two men produce nothing; two women produce nothing; two people of the opposite sex usually produce children for the next generation of taxpayers. No children, no taxpayers, no money, no government to waste the money.

Marie Ann Collier

Re: Marriage and the Charter

One of the things I love about our little paper is the range of topical issues covered in the editorials and letters to the editor. I always read them with interest. Lately there has been quite a stew over the Quebec Secular Charter and same sex marriage issue. While I agreed with Jeff Green’s views on the charter(Secular Charter Does Disservice to Secularists, February 27, 2014), I did not share his point of view concerning marriage. I believe Jule Koch (Letters, Frontenac News, Mar 6/14)was correct when she stated that marriage is more than a legal contract or religious superstition. As far as same sex coupling goes, the fact that they want to marry makes no difference to me one way or another, but where this union does cause me concern is when same sex couples decide to raise a family from birth. They will obviously need a surrogate mother or father in order to have a family. This is not a normal family and although some children are now being raised by same sex couples the verdict is not yet out on how this arrangement will affect them in the future.

So there, I have stirred the pot.

Pamela Giroux 

Re: Museum

I have often wondered why no one has ever mentioned a museum at Verona or Sharbot Lake. I might mention two locations - the building at Hwy 7 & Road 38 junction or the old hall at Piccadilly, now closed, but it should be closer to Verona. I have items to donate: an old ox yoke (value $1000); an old store sign with gold leaf letters, cost $2100; a bucket of early 1800s square nails, never used. One of my donations hangs in the township office - a one-man crosscut saw used in building the first footbridge across the narrows at Sharbot Lake. I expect it was four logs wide but people needed it wider so they floated more logs. This floating bridge was in service until 1928; then they brought in big stones from the mines, etc. and dumped them through the ice. The highway improved it later. Don't tell me I'm not steeped in the old days. I lost both my great-granddads driving river for Rathburn Co. - Alex Myers and John Good.

Mel Good

Support for health services

Two items in last week’s Frontenac News caught my attention, ODSP Recipients losing out on dental care, Mar 20/14 on the front page and Elder Abuse, Letters, Mar 20/14 in letters to the editor. Both authors cited shortfalls in government assistance for health care services but, unfortunately, did not offer any solutions.

I invite these authors to share with us their thoughts on how the government of Ontario might boost funding for such services without either raising taxes to a level that will stifle investment and cause the more productive members of our society to desert the province, or accelerating the rate at which we are building sovereign debt for our children and grandchildren.

Michael Wise

Re: government treatment of veterans

I feel like Prime Minister Harper is doing it yet again, talking out of both sides of his mouth. How much longer are Canadians going to sit back and take his dictator-like government? I have been watching the whole veterans’ situation unfold and I can’t believe how two-faced our Prime Minister is. This past week we had the last of our troops return from the mission in Afghanistan. I am grateful for their service, a fight we should never have been involved in on the front lines at all. We lost 158 Canadian soldiers during the Afghan war. Hundreds more have severe physical and psychological injuries.

Mr. Kramp was on hand to welcome the soldiers back and that was a good thing. Mr. Harper met the soldiers in Ottawa and declared May 9 to be a day to commemorate these soldiers and all they fought for. Then Mr. Harper, who has decided to cut services to our current veterans who fought in WW I, WWII, the Korean War, etc., stated the Federal Government owes nothing to these veterans. ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Maybe Mr. Harper forgets this country’s freedoms and rights were built on the blood and sweat of these men and women. We would not be in the position we are in if they had not fought for you, me and him. How can he say one thing and do another? They have taken away most support systems for soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), shell shock, whatever you want to call it. There have been at least six soldiers found dead from what appears to be suicide. The CBC’s National News on March 18 reported two more Canadian soldiers committed suicide just last week. Services they need are being cut by our Federal Government so our veterans are being cast aside without the help they require.

I know as a Canadian citizen I am both shocked and appalled by what the Conservatives are doing. I had grandparents and great grandparents, great aunts and uncles that fought in these wars. My cousin did two tours in Desert Storm and I had a foster brother in Afghanistan. I am angry knowing my relatives have done all this for a country we all love, only to have our Federal Government turn their back on them.

It is time we stood up and said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We need to let Mr. Harper know we have had enough and our veterans are important to Canada and we should be there to offer any support we can give them.

Robin Walker