SCARE TACTICS FROM CONGRESS AREN’T THE ANSWER

I have been receiving “begging” letters from members of Congress to help them pass bills to ensure Social Security, keeping the Supreme Court as it is, etc., suggesting donations sometimes as much as $1,000, $500, or maybe less. When they are elected aren’t they paid enough to do what we voted them in for?

I am 88 years old and Social Security is really slow “starvation” to most seniors if they don’t save for this age.

East Texas Food Bank and the Salvation Army need money. They are the ones helping seniors in these desperate times.

Tell the “fat cats” in Washington they shouldn’t try to scare seniors into giving money to them. They are well paid. I Corinthians 13:5 Love is not self seeking. If they really loved us, they would not scare us, that we will lose something we invested in with faith they would be honest with us.

Ann Mitchell

Tyler

private enterprise could and should own railroads

A few days ago you published a very interesting column regarding the 50th anniversary of Amtrak. I’ve had very interesting experiences riding Amtrak. A few years ago my wife and I boarded Amtrak in Longview about 6:30 p.m., had a nice meal on the train, sharing a table with very interesting people. We had bunks so we could sleep as we rode. We had a good breakfast just before we arrived in St. Louis. A couple more hours and we would have been in Chicago. I recall the fare was competitive with air fare.

I have ridden trains in the U.S., Canada, England, Japan and Korea. In Japan, my wife, 10 teenagers and myself on a Rotary sponsored trip, rode the bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka (about three hours worth). In America, I think trains are grossly underutilized.

Brazil, the sleeping giant of Latin America, when I visited there in 1978, was severely handicapped by not having a good rail system badly needed to get farm products to market.

I firmly believe private enterprise could and should own and operate the railroads. I look forward to the day when Texas Central Railroad (a private company) connects the major cities of Texas with high speed passenger service.

Thank you for letting me express my views.

C. Whiteside

Kilgore

stand against evil around us

This is not a comfortable time for American Patriots or for believers and followers of God in the United States of America because the USA is now involved in a raging battle between Good and Evil (God and Satan).

Every day we clearly see and understand the degradation of our society by hearing the lyrics of current songs, seeing the sexual promiscuity and perversion in movies, television, and in the news, and watching our towns and cities burned to the ground by people who have no respect for laws, private property, their fellow Americans, their neighbors, God or themselves. We can also understand the weakening of our American morals and standards by listening to the words coming out of the mouths of young people, adults, and even from some of our children in movies, television, song lyrics and every day conversations.

But what are we doing to change, keep, cherish and honor our inherent moral culture in the face of those who seek to cancel all that is moral, decent and Godly and embrace the evil of “cancel culture”? Are we speaking out? Are we praying? Are we encouraging others to speak out, resist, and pray? Or are we just being led into evil like sheep to the slaughter?

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” And Ephesians 6:10-18 says, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done it all, to stand against the wiles of the devil.” We need to hear from our Spiritual leaders and all who follow God, and we all need to pray, resist and stand against the Evil that is surrounding and drowning us: “Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before!”

Anne DeLaet

Tyler

Government handouts?

I feel the need to relay the life story of my Dad and Mom. Dad had only a seventh grade education but he found our early in life that he had a natural sales ability and got a job in sales at Pitts Baldwin Piano Company in Arkansas. He sold early RCA record players and pianos both off of a pickup truck and in the store and was doing quite well until the country was hit with the Great Depression. Needless to say because of financial collapse he lost his job. The whole country was in dire straits and at the time he had six children, I being the youngest. He was able to get a job with the WPA, a government work program; yes I said work not a handout. They built many bridges and public buildings for cities all over. This type of work was not for my Dad and he heard of jobs in sales in California so he gave Mom most of his money and headed west by bus. Lucky for him it went through Dallas and on his stop here while eating lunch was told by a fellow diner if he could sell pianos he could probably get a job a Dallas Piano Co. owned by the Wadley family. Dad had his only suit cleaned and pressed and went to the store. Mr. Wadley was looking for a road salesman to work East Texas. What a break the oil boom was going on in East Texas. He became the top salesman and this lead to, by the Grace of God, a small loan from two ladies that he had sold pianos to starting his own company in Tyler. It was a big success and is still going strong in Tyler and is now on its 80th year. This is all to say we never got a handout from the government and there was no unemployment program, you were on your own. I am not saying we do not have to offer some help to people in dire straits but have we gone too far, who is going to pay all this money back. I know those who have saved and worked hard all their life, the taxpayer. His name was Sam Jones and our company was and is Tyler Piano and Organ. The American Dream is not over if you are willing to work.

We thank the Tyler Paper, that was a major part of our success.

Jeff Jones

Coppell

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Editor,

I appreciate and respect your work as a journalist and reporter for the Tyler Morning Telegraph. I read your column about “karma” (Saturday, May 15, 2021) in reference to several good and positive outcomes for people in our community. Though it is refreshing to hear such stories, I wonder, though, if you realize that you are expressing a philosophical and religious ideology when you say these outcomes are from “karma.”

“Karma” in Hinduism and Buddhism teaches that one’s past actions decide their fate and future. You are, of course, free to profess your religion and to express your views, as am I. Do you (and many others) realize what is being said when you use the word “karma?” It means that there is some ethereal, cosmic, impersonal force that is controlling individual life and dispensing justice.

I am a Bible-believing Christian. Apparently, someone at your newspaper thinks the Bible has some significant value since the paper prints a Bible verse daily. The Bible (and by extension, God) teaches there is only God and His creation in our universe. All other ideas are merely man’s futile imagination trying to make sense of the world. Christians have no need of any other religion or world philosophy.

These are antithetical to the Biblical worldview and teaching of God through His Word. The Bible says “ Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s will that prevails” (Prod 19:21). “Karma” knows nothing of God, or His Word. Most importantly, the first of the ten commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:3) The Bible teaches that God is enough, that He is all powerful, all good and He will bring justice for all. Read in Is 42;1,3 “[My servant] will bring justice to the nations … in faithfulness he will bring forth justice”.

I personally encourage everyone I can to trust fully in the Lord God and not to lean on our own understanding. From Proverbs 3:5-6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and HE shall direct your paths.”

Any idea, such as “karma,” is not just harmless musings that make one feel good! “Karma” is a rejection of God and as such is unnecessary and dangerous.

Again, I respect your work and freedom to express yourself, but I wonder if you realize the religion that you are teaching in your writing.

Don Keith

Tyler