At the March meeting of the Ligonier Valley School District, a board member made an interesting observation.
The director had participated in a walk-through of the buildings on the two campuses of the district.
First, the director stated that the Laurel Valley buildings were in excellent condition. Then further observed that many of the classrooms at the Laurel Valley campus were nearly half empty, therefore concluding that they are underutilized and should be closed.
On the other side of the district, which is in Ligonier, the same director stated that those buildings had plenty of room to accommodate all the Laurel Valley students when the school board takes its vote in April to close the Laurel Valley Middle/High School. I guess the Ligonier buildings are half full and that is why those buildings should remain open.
Barb Pecora
St. Clair Township
Demonstrations give Christianity bad face
I’d like to comment on Cal Thomas’ article on March 13, “Unprotected speech? High court should rule yes.” The Westboro Baptist Church and its leader, Fred W. Phelps Sr., are a small, radical and extreme group that is very offensive to Christians and non-Christians alike.
Demonstrations such as theirs, done “in the name of the Lord,” paint a bad face on true Christianity.
Displaying a sign that says “Thank God for dead soldiers” is taking Amendment I of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution beyond the limit of what our Founding Fathers intended.
Phelps and his clan are drastically wrong in their point of view. God’s will isn’t for us to thank him for “dead soldiers.” He wants us to witness for him to see “dead souls” made alive in Christ Jesus.
The potential problem is, if the Supreme Court rules against pathetic speech such as Phelps condones, does that put the foot in the door for hate crimes legislation?
That could ultimately bridle preachers and laymen alike from teaching against homosexuality and other sexual indulgences.
Hate crime laws in other countries already threaten preaching with regard to sexual sin, and we have leaders in place now who would have no problem with a law such as this.
The Founding Fathers never intended shear hatred and plain out-and-out sinfulness to be “freedom of speech” instilled into society. We’ve degraded ourselves into a slime pit and I don’t see us with a moral capacity to pull us out.
God have mercy on us.
Bernie Bolha
Johnstown
CamTran helps seniors battle cabin fever
I live at Rosewood personal care home and I would like to thank CamTran for its rural routes.
In the winter, you feel depressed and miserable because you can’t go anywhere.
Thanks to CamTran, we are able to get out.
Elsie Hildebrand
Johnstown
Murtha’s legacy needs to live on
I don’t believe that many of us in the 12th Congressional District ever really comprehended the impact and influence that U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha had on his constituents – from all walks of life – and in Congress of various political philosophies, until we attended his viewing and funeral.
His is a legacy that needs to be retained and furthered in this area. That continuity can be retained and improved upon with the election of Mark Critz in the upcoming special election. Critz was involved in the decision-making that created Murtha’s legacy.
It is incumbent that we are represented by what is best for all of us, and not by a particular political philosophy – a philosophy that supported a foreign and economic policy that resulted in 22 members of Congress being ousted from office in 2006.
I will cast my vote for Mark Critz and ask that you do the same.
Joseph G. Antal
Ebensburg
Abuse charges expose Vatican inconsistency
An article in The Tribune-Democrat on March 16 reported that “Ireland’s senior Roman Catholic Cardinal Sean Brady admitted to helping the church gather evidence against a child-molesting priest – and never told the police.”
In 1975, he interviewed two children about the abuse they suffered at the hands of the Rev. Brendan Smyth.
These victims were then required to sign an oath promising not to tell. Smyth was allowed to rape and molest innocent children for 19 more years with the full and compliant knowledge of the Vatican.
This is the same religion that was up in arms about the harm of watching a movie, “The Golden Compass,” would do to children. A dichotomy exists.
My mother always taught her children to avoid being alone with any male authority figure. I realize that is sexist.
Recent reports of inappropriate behavior by adult females, while sensational, are statistically rare.
Her advice proves to me that while accounts of child molestation are front- page news today, crimes against the defenseless have always been loathsome human failing.
Janet M. Gibbons
Cairnbrook
