Racism

With a rousing story, gritty cinematography, and the invaluable presence of Terrence Howard, "Pride" manages to make an unlikely splash into the tried-and-true genre of uplifting sports films. Howard stars as Jim Ellis, a former college swimmer, who felt first-hand the racism that plagued mainstream collegiate athletics in the 1960s and '70s. The opening scene takes us back to Ellis' undergraduate days, when a swim meet broke out into a brawl after the other swimmers - all white - refused to compete with him. Ten years later, with racism far from dead, Ellis has trouble finding employment despite his degree in mathematics.

Dear Editor, Jim Wallis, a prophetic evangelical of the 21st century, poses urgent questions for every American in his book, "God's Politics, A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America. " Wallis asks: "When did Jesus become pro-rich?" He challenges the selective and out of context reading of Mark 14:7, which we use to justify the reality of "the poor always being with us" while we ignore the command "to be kind to the poor. " It is heresy when we ignore the deep biblical challenge to how we live in a state of being indifferent and apathetic to the plight of the poor.

Dear Editor: I would like to take a moment to address the editorial letter from Virginia Turner in which she felt the lack of coverage after the presidential election was because the candidate was a black man. The stilted journalism was about color, but it was not about 'black.' It was about red and blue. The paper came out quite late and finally, openly backed the Republican candidate. Republican wins are given the color red. Democratic wins are given the color blue. As a white woman who solidly backed Barack Obama, I felt the insult as strongly as Ms. Turner.

Dear Editor: The recent uproar over playwright Jeff Key's recent presentation has sparked a whirlwind of passionate comments on the legitimacy of homosexuality. Most of the critics of Key and of homosexuality in general cite Biblical scripture in defending their cause. Some so-called "Christians supporting their convictions" continually point to Biblical text as giving them ultimate authority in condemning homosexuality and obligating them to protest whenever a homosexual expresses himself or herself (horror of horrors!

Seminary welcomes civil rights activist In honor of Black History Month, Asbury Theological Seminary will host Patricia Murray. on Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. in Estes Chapel. The Chorus of Praise, the Seminary gospel praise team, will provide the music. While a college student, Murray participated in sit-ins and other types of non-violent protest for civil rights. Her participation in the civil rights movement was driven by the desire to see equality for African Americans and improve conditions and opportunities for her future children.

Dear Editor, Can you imagine just stopping by a house to drop off pop and cigarettes and out of the darkness come men in uniforms with guns, screaming at you not to move, all the while pointing their guns at you? You're nothing but young girls planning to have a fun-filled night with your ball team before your big game. In an instance, your fun-planned night turns into blue lights and lots of men in uniforms and grown-ups cursing and being handcuffed. One may just say that they were in the wrong place!

Dear Editor, This is a brief response to Janet Gordon and Debbie Rozicki. In my letter to the editor, my reference was to the civil rights movement, not to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Voting Rights Act of 1965, both of which were, however, huge achievements of a movement that was at its most intense from about 1955-65. And yes, passage of the acts was bipartisan, and I should have said so; and yes, Lyndon Johnson knew passage would ensure the break-up of the New Deal Coalition and give the South to the Republicans.

Dear Editor, One of my greatest irritants is someone or some group that fails to take responsibility for their own actions. The Democrats have been in charge of the legislative branch of government for more than three years, and the executive branch for one and a half years; yet, they still blame the Bush administration for all of our problems. Maybe we should go back and blame President Truman for our problems with North Korea. If he had followed MacArthur’s advice instead of firing him, we might not have these problems.

Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for president after his poor showing in the Iowa caucuses, but a couple weeks before he had been embroiled in a mini-tempest over his description of Sen. Barack Obama as an "articulate" candidate. Apparently some of Obama's supporters considered this a "racist" word. In my Random House dictionary, I find meanings for this word like: "using language easily and fluently" and "uttered clearly in distinct syllables.

When I learned that the United Nations race police were coming to America to "observe" our political process, I had finally had enough. I am not a racist. I don't know about you, but I am tired of being called one. For the last several weeks, I've listened and read as the mainstream media has blasted on about how Kentucky, West Virginia and other heartland states aren't going well for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama because of his race. As a Kentuckian, and a member of the latest two states to be accused of blanket hatred as an excuse for Obama's losses here, I am becoming more than a bit agitated.