Sunday, December 13, 1998

Appointed rulers

The Molly Ivins Opinion Page column about measures passed by our Republican-controlled Congress while they diverted the attention of the American voting public by lurid details of what is no more nor less than an invasion of privacy for political ends suggested a much needed change.

We have heard of "justice for sale" by elected judges in Texas as an argument that judges should be appointed in order to avoid that problem.

Accordingly, I suggest that we should avoid the problems she mentioned by having the members of the executive and legislative branches appointed instead of elected.

It could then come to pass that people would pay attention to what their rulers do rather than what they say.

Then, as they become aware of the misuse of dollars taken from their paychecks, they might demand to vote to achieve accountability.

Big law firms and big businesses may fund elections, but the vote is still your choice and secret.

Personally, I vote. I voted five times in the last election (with a 20 percent turnout, each vote counted for five).

If enough grumpy people like me decide to vote five or more times each, maybe we can produce accountability in our government.

G. CURTIS HOSKINS

Cross Plains

Dancing not sinful

This letter is written with reference to Mickey Walker's Dec. 10 letter to the editor concerning the swing dancing Abilene Christian University students.

While not being one myself, I am very good friends with a number of the ACU students who were discussed in the Abilene Reporter-News article on swing dancing.

These students are some of the best Christians I know of any age, and in no way does dancing of any sort detract from their faith or their character.

These students are some of the most promising that ACU has to offer, and they are all an asset to the university rather than an aberration.

Psalm 149:3 says, "Let them praise His name with dancing." Though this may come as a shock, the swing dancing students with whom I am acquainted do their best to live in such a way that their every action is in some way done to praise God.

Swing dancing is not dirty. Nor is it in any way seductive, offensive, or sinful.

All it is, is fun, and all these students are guilty of is having a good time in a town where fun is often limited to a mall and a few theaters.

They did nothing wrong, and ACU is certainly no less "extraordinary" for their behavior.

ALISON CANNON

Abilene

Via e-mail

The need to kill

Well, it's that time of year again. A time when many intelligent, decent and caring people suddenly throw off all the veneer of sophistication and civilization and revert to the jungle.

Yep -- it's deer season.

The methodical and commercial slaughter of animals for food has absolutely nothing in common with looking an animal in the eyes, pulling a trigger and then watching that animal collapse in pain and terror.

There is no "sport" in killing deer, one of the most harmless and defenseless creatures on Earth.

Deer hunting is an activity that simply satisfies some base need to kill and inflict pain on another living thing.

Perhaps those who gleefully engage in this activity should ask themselves just why they have this need to kill other living creatures.

STERLING TUCKER

Clyde