LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

One Nation Under God

The name of the article is enough to make many skim right over to the next story. Or maybe you will stop and read it, just to disagree with everything I say. Whatever category you fall into, we are, "One Nation Under God."

My birthday falls on the Fourth of July, but long before it became popular to wear patriot shirts, I was wearing them. My parents love to give them to me, and I love to get them. I have patriotic items all over my house. Because I am proud to be an American, no matter how much gas costs or what political party I am. I know I am raising my daughter in the greatest country in the world, where she has the freedom to go to school, believe in God and go to a public place of worship.

Recently, my daughter's school, Challenger K-8, went to Washington, D.C., for their annual eighth-grade field trip. I went along as a chaperon and because what better place to go, when your birthday is the Fourth of July? One place we went was the Holocaust Museum. I almost wish I hadn't, but it was needed, if nothing to remind me of the freedom I have taken for granted. I have the right to tell whoever I want that I am a Christian and share my faith in God, freely. The Jewish did not.

On another day, our group went on a bus tour of D.C. We were told stories as we passed different places and were taken up to the different monuments to snap pictures and, as the kids ran around, I paused to read the words chipped into stone that were said so many years ago. And an overwhelming feeling of pride came over me as I read the words," One nation under God." I looked to the guide who was standing next to me, and asked, "They can't chip God off this wall can they?" She looked at me and knew just what I meant, and she said, "No." Those who want God gone from all public places, and documents, will never win.

We no longer bow our heads in prayer. That was taken away when I was in elementary school. Now it's "let's pause for a moment of silence." Many schools no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance; it may offend someone. And there are the notes that come home asking us to not send anything with "Christmas" on it. Again, it may offend someone.

The parties are now holiday parties, and there are no more Christmas breaks, or Good Fridays. So many are fighting to take God out of everything, but our ancestors have made that impossible to do. Their words are chipped in stone, never to be crossed out or censored. You can't change history. The United States of America was founded on Biblical beliefs.

So, as I celebrate my Independence, I will do it wearing my red, white and blue, praying for the ones who still fight for my freedoms and pledging to the God who created everything, knowing that my allegiance will never be chipped away.

I am proud to say "One nation under God."

Tricia Wright

Brooksville

Rays Of Hope

It's time to applaud your columnist John Herbert's foresight in not writing his annual Tampa Bay Rays-bashing column. The last few years, he wrote how the Rays would lose another 100 games, criticized management and never suggested a winning future.

Moreover, like most New Englanders moving to Florida, he won't support the local teams and continues to root for his beloved Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins, not to mention the NBA champion Celtics (congrats).

I hope you watched your Sox get swept for the second time by the Rays at Tropicana Field (yeah, Sox did same to us at Fenway once). It's time to cheer for the Rays, John, if only in writing. The Red Sox may still be the best team in baseball and go on to beat the Rays, but all you Boston fans are sweating it right now.

This is an exciting time for Tampa Bay fans with the hottest team in MLB, and positive thoughts for the Bucs, Lightning and Storm. Give us a chance, Mr. Herbert!

Michael Cockill

Weeki Wachee

How To Eliminate

THE Bus Subsidy

In my previous comments on the operation and costs of THE Bus I have been a little harsh. But, now, taking a cue from the way big government operates, I see a way that the bus subsidy can be reduced, or with the cooperation of the county residents, eliminated entirely. One of the following methods is certain to work.

1. Ensure that all county residents take the bus filling each and every one to overflowing. (Just like shown on the ad on the Hernando County Broadcast Channel). This can best be accomplished by blocking the county roads to all traffic except THE Bus. It may encounter some resistance at first but, since the government always knows best, the residents will eventually come around and ride the bus.

2. As an alternative, again using big government methods, say the bus costs the county an average loss of $4 every time someone rides it. If 100,000 county residents sign a pledge not to ride the bus the county can realize a savings of $400,000 immediately.

3. If it isn't possible to get 100,000 country residents to sign the pledge, maybe we can do it on an individual basis. I propose that residents stand at the bus stop and when the bus comes don't get on it. The bus driver can hand you $4 for not riding the bus. This would result in a smaller but significant savings for the bus operations.

4. If all else fails, PARK THE BUS until the county demographics make it possible to economically operate a mass transit system throughout the county.

I realize the first three options may be drastic and some require the use of governmental fuzzy math to understand but the last is crystal clear and should be done without further debate.

Harry Chamberlain

Spring Hill

Ignoring The

People's Business

After reading the recent ranting from Frances Earl, I can only conclude one thing: She and most Democrats don't want to see our country be energy independent.

Let's start with whole ranting about 113 oil and gas rigs being destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but notice how she leaves out the fact that there 4,000 rigs out in the Gulf or does she mention that ecological damage was minimal.

I hope the readers noticed not once has she or her fellow Democrats ever once offered any solution to our energy problems. After all, the Democrats were in control on Congress back in the 1970s when our first energy crisis arose. Did they do anything make us more energy independent? The answer is no. We could have been drilling in the Gulf, developing nuclear energy, wind turbine energy, building new refineries, but the answer was always no.

Now that we are on the verge on paying $5 a gallon for gas, what is their response? It's the oil companies fault, it's OPEC's fault and it's the speculators' fault. It's easy to blame people, but when it comes to finding answers, the Democrats are not at home. But wait, they do have one answer, let's tax everyone. Let's have a windfall profit tax, which, of course, will be passed on to the consumer. Let's raise the tax on a gallon of gas.

You would think that Congress would hold an emergency session to work on our energy problems, but no. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their ilk had to take their vacations while the rest of us suffer. Yeah, they cared about the American people. All they were interested in was regaining the House and Senate and the American people fell for their line about doing the people's business, and it looks like they're going to fall for it again.

Peter Stathis

Spring Hill