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May 29, 2008 Opinion |
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—Editorial—
Show Veterans You Care
Heroism comes in many different forms. There are every day heroes who arise morning after morning and trudge to work to feed their families. There are heroes who overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and carry on even though ill or debilitated. And, there are heroes like Cpl. Jessica Ann Ellis who sacrificed her life so that others may live.
I attended Cpl. Ellis’ funeral last week and tears welled up in my eyes, even though I didn’t know her, because I knew what she had done for me, and our nation. I can’t even begin to imagine the heartache her family and friends must feel, but I know everyone in the church that day, including myself, left a part of their heart with Jessica.
I admire Jessica for what she stood for and I am grateful for her service to our country.
But words seem so insignificant at a time like this, yet how else do you convey the feelings of admiration and appreciation that you have for someone. I didn’t have to ponder this too long because Monday when I attended the Veteran’s Memorial Service at Mount Hope Cemetery, the guest speaker Lyle Defrees gave me the answer. He said the best way to honor those veterans who have died for our country is to seek out the living veterans and their families, and show them that you love them and are interested in them.
When I heard this, I realized by the comments made by Jessica’s family about her unselfish and caring attitude, this is exactly what she would have done. Just as she didn’t wait for wounded soldiers to come to her, she would have sought veterans out. She would have embraced them and showed them how much she cared.
I’m certain that the majority of Americans, and Baker County residents, share my feelings of admiration and gratitude toward our veterans, but how will our veterans know unless we tell them or show them?
Memorial Day gives us a day to reflect on the losses we have endured, but it also gives us a day to reflect on the living who still need our love and support. We may not all be cut out to be heroes on the level that Jessica was, but we can hold what she stood for in our hearts and use it to inspire us to go that extra step, that reach of our hands in friendship, and that genuine smile that Jessica was so well known for to let our veterans know we care.
Thank you Jessica, and thank you America’s Veterans and your families, for it is you who have made the sacrifices and you who are responsible for the freedoms and the lives that we enjoy to today. (DS)
—Letters—
Conservative Friends In The 60th House District
To The Record-Courier:
As you probably know by now I wasn't able to muster the horsepower to get my message out to enough people to win this election for State Representative. Most of all, I would like to thank you all for your support, assistance and words of encouragement over these last 8 1/2 months. I knew going in it would be a tough fight against 2 opponents, 12 Commissioners and a local newspaper, but I had enough ego or arrogance to believe I could do it with your help. We did put up a good fight. Over the next months or years as I go about my efforts to help rural Oregon, I hope I will have a chance to personally thank you for your support.
This will be my last shot at a serious political position and I would like to leave you with a simple but crucial thought....No matter how long conservative leadership as we know it, is on sabbatical, as it is now, it is up to you as leaders and believers in social and fiscal conservatism to stand strong on your beliefs. The left and, as we call them now, the moderates, believe that if we just sit tight and compromise with our antagonists that the government will grow large enough and smart enough to fix all our problems. When someone espouses this naive and failed philosophy to you just ask them "Where in our constitution does it say that the government is responsible or constructed to solve our problems?"
In contrast, our constitution expressly was set up to limit government's affect on its people to critical services such as providing for the common defense and allowing us to pursue life, liberty and happiness. The rest they wisely left for us to control ourselves. You are the remaining bastions between total socialism with attending gross failure of our Republic and the life of liberty that was fought for and created for us.
You have two choices; to step up to the battle with sufficient passion and resolve to take our government back or you can sit back, save your resources and watch it continue its path to abject failure and then try to resurrect our land back to a semblance of a functioning democratic republic. I personally don't know the best course of action at this time. I do know that our beliefs are the right ones and we must hold them dear to us and when the time is right we must stand up and demand the independence, self accountability and the freedoms our forefathers so wisely outlined.
No government can give this to you in any shape, form or style of grant. We must work for it and win it every day to deserve it.
Tim K. Smith
Harney County
Todd Bentley Spreading The Word
To The Record-Courier:
This I believe is one of the most important letters I’ve written to the Editor and to the body of Christ! The information to and about the body of Christ is some of the most important to come in many years! What am I talking about? I am talking about the might move of God that is happening right now in Lakeland, Fla. Some know about it, and some don’t. So this letter is mostly to you who don’t know.
Forty-nine days ago as this writing of May 22, and still going, a God ordain Revival broke out in Lakeland, Fla., in a 700-seat church, had to move to a 1,000-seat, then to a 5,000-seat area, then to the largest baseball stadium in Lakeland with more new people coming every day. People are being healed of every kind of disease.
Blindness, deafness, cancer, tumors, etc. Last count, some 40 people were raised out of their wheelchairs and walking on their own. Last count, 12 raised from the DEAD! Yes, from the dead, two of them babies! You don’t believe this can happen? Maybe you had better go back and read your Bible where Jesus said this would happen in the last days, which according to Scripture and world events we are in those days, believe it or not!
Jesus said in the last days God’s Spirit would be poured out upon ALL flesh. Millions are coming to Jesus by these out pouring. People are coming from all over the United States, from China, Russia, Iceland, Australia, England, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Africa, and many more! Even an underground church from Iraq, in which they could be killed if discovered. Why are they coming to this outpouring in Lakeland? Because they know this is of the real God and they are taking the fire and anointing back to their church and country.
You can watch this move on “God TV” on the dish, or the Internet, www.God.tv. This all started through an Evangelist from Canada by the name of Todd Bentley. A man some religious thinker would never think God would use. A man with tattoos all over his body, and ministers in jeans and T-shirts. Maybe we will finely understand that there is a great different between nose in the air and a true relationship with a living God! God looks for those who will let the Holly Spirit have His way, not theirs. This is Todd Bentley!
Now we’ve got a man from Africa, Rodney Horard Brown, who is great, and Todd Bentley from Canada. Could God be saying, America wake up? Is this an end time revival for souls to get saved? Yes, yes! Is it a sign of Jesus soon Return? Yes again! Is it the very end? I don’t know! Should you be ready? Yes again! Pastors have you informed your church body of this outpouring? Bless you if you have, shame on you if you haven’t. You know, because I called you about it.
Richard Fox
Baker City
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