Our readers react to recent stories or current events:
Darel Edward Veal of Hazel Green read our story, “U.S. Rep. Waters decries Kay Ivey 'No way, Jose' campaign ad, calls it racist.” He had this to say:
“Most people in Alabama receive Maxine Waters' latest theatrical vituperation directed at Gov. Ivey as a badge of honor. I guess she thinks we have forgotten about 'tell them they're not welcome here' directed at her own actual fellow citizens. The only people who take Maxine and her ilk seriously are the (national) media, who'll do anything to prop up their sagging ratings. She should receive the Al Sharpton prize for best comedic performance in the Left's Insular Theater. That being said, Gov. Ivey is only giving voice to the way most (certainly not all) Alabamians feel. We love our country, and we welcome the stranger and the refugee. But only if they do so legally. Those who enter any country illegally do not give two wits about that country. If they did, they would respect its laws and customs. And those who are letting them flood across our southern border, and even encouraging them to do so, need to be put on a bus themselves... to the nearest prison for undermining the Constitution of the United States.’
KA, from Madison, read Stephanie Holden Smith’s column on Critical Race Theory (CRT 'discussions' are less about hearts, more about system and structure) and had this to say:
“I am a retired teacher who moved to Alabama after a rich career taking me to several other states as well as foreign countries. So, I approach this subject with diverse experience and many years in the field of education, most of it in inner-city schools or African villages.
Regarding what is called critical race theory, I know there has been much controversy. I read the original thesis from which others have various opinions and scholarly work. It is not, in the original form, what it has morphed into as we see all around us in 'discussions'.
At its heart, critical race theory digs deep into attitudinal structure and behaviors contributing to racism among the establishment of mostly white culture.
We would all do well to understand these and to see from another's perspective if we desire to end or at least fight against perpetuating racism in our culture.
Though much has been done to legally ensure fair, equitable treatment of races in our culture, we still have hidden and not so hidden biases which, when hidden, can fester like an infected wound or be cleansed and healed. I prefer the later.
Hidden racism and hatred surfaces in our expectations toward ourselves, others of color, and even in how we raise our children. But not all racism comes from Whites or 'whiteness'. The current misuse and misunderstanding of CRT in the hands of groups like BLM, Antifa, and others have caused much more harm than good and will continue to do so until law prevents those of any race from abusing others. In other words, it is just as harmful/morally wrong to hate White people or people of any ethnicity as it is to hate/oppress Blacks.
I believe Jesus Christ is the only real answer to our heart's hatred of any other human being. He is the ultimate answer to all sin. With the love of God shed in our hearts we will see others even others of another race as His creation, made in His image and therefore worthy of human dignity and love. When you love someone, you want the best for them, try to help and bless their lives, and try to understand from their perspective what is wrong or how our own attitudes and behaviors affect them.
Banning hatred, racism and oppression of any kind will be the outward control from a legal standpoint. But only as we turn our hearts fully toward Christ will we overcome the hidden attitudes and biases which seem to still abide in society, homes and public life.”
Lisa Mills from northwest Alabama read Amie Beth Shaver’s column on the link between COVID-19 vaccines and fetal cells and had this to say:
“With greatest respect to the author Amie Beth Shaver, I think she could have gone a step or two further in the discussion of fetal cells and the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is important to make an informed decision regarding COVID-19 vaccination and when our time came, we knew as a First Responder my husband's vaccination was going to be required or heavily encouraged. We studied our options deeply and prayerfully. For us, it was not simply a matter of health benefits outweighing HOW it was developed.
We learned through study that there is an imposed limit on lines of fetal cells allowed for medical study. Those allowed were derived in the 1960s and 1970s from elective abortions or spontaneous miscarriages. TWO lines have been used to create vaccines for diseases ever since then, to treat diseases such as hepatitis A, rubella, and rabies.
[COVID-19] vaccines were NOT the first vaccines to use fetal cells in their creation. While fetal cell lines may be used to develop or manufacture COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccines themselves do not contain any aborted fetal cells.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were found to be ethically uncontroversial by the pro-life policy organizations because they did NOT use fetal cells at all in development tests. Johnson and Johnson is the only company in America that used fetal cells in initial development, however, some European companies providing vaccines in England and Europe also used lab testing with fetal cells.
While we are not Catholic, we found the confidence in the answer to our prayers by a statement issued on March 2nd, 2021, by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops when they issued a statement which addressed the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. The bishops stated: 'If one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s… While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good.'"
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