I find it very interesting that you and the judges in this case can determine that this is an example of devious proselytizing by the mother and not just sharing part of the boy's daily routine which may include Bible reading.
The school's program, "All About Me," sounds as if it is encouraging the students to share aspects of their life and values, but apparently that is not the intention of the program.
The fact is that gay rights activists have been granted access to kindergarten classes to promote their perversion as an alternate, acceptable lifestyle, yet if someone wants to read from the Bible it is prohibited.
It is astounding that a country that was founded on freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, has descended to our current level of depravity.
Perhaps a recent presidential candidate said it best regarding folk of Western Pennsylvania: "They cling to guns or religion..." but this seems to apply only to a small portion of us who are less sophisticated and educated than the ruling elitists.
It has been said before, but it is worth repeating: "If God does not judge America, he should be embarrassed about Sodom and Gomorrah."
Unfortunately, God will judge America.
Bill Sickles
Washington
Programs should
help local people
I have been pretty angry that our city has so many three-quarter house, half-way houses and recovery houses. This brings addicts from all over the place. I think the programs should be for Washington County addicts and those from abusive homes, not Allegheny, Westmoreland and Greene counties. But here come the government grants the city needs.
We have one methadone clinic at Meadow Lands and it takes out-of-towners instead of Washington residents. Our children and adults need help getting off pain medication. Methadone isn't only for heroin addicts using needles. It is used for pain management. If you go to a pain management clinic you get the methadone in pill form through prescriptions. Then the patients take more than they should, whereby at the meth clinic the dose is monitored every day. And if you're counseled, which is great, and there are meetings, urine tests, swabs etc. You come out clean, so you don't have to go every day.
Cheryn Isbell
Washington
Baby treated as
a piece of paper
On May 18, at 20 weeks pregnant, I suffered complications and lost my baby. My son was stillborn at home in Greene County. My husband rushed me and our baby to Washington Hospital. We made arrangements with a funeral home in Greene County for our son to be cremated. Our family wanted a private ceremony to scatter his ashes at our family plot. We were told we should receive his ashes by May 21.
As of June 1 we had not received my son's remains. We were told it was because the coroners of Greene and Washington counties could not decide who should sign the death certificate. I find it appalling that our grief and suffering has been prolonged by such insensitivity and blatant disregard of a family's tragedy.
When we were told there was nothing we could do to speed up the process, out of desperation and a feeling of intense help lessness, I began making phone calls. Rep. DeWeese's office referred me to the Ethics Commission, which investigates only misappropriation of funds. The next referral to the county commissioners office ended in phone tag and endless messages.
I did not lose a piece of paper that needed an official signature. I lost my son, a boy who will never go fishing with his dad. A boy who will never learn to drive with his grandfather or sneak cookies from his grandmother. I wish I could treat him as bureaucratic red tape. Then maybe my grief would end.
Stacy Campion
Sycamore