Letters from our readers-August

LETTERS: We are not afraid of the word God

I would first like to say that the people protesting against the Pledge of Allegiance aren't afraid of the word God. They are protesting religion interfering in our government and our schools. Not everyone in America is Christian, and whose God are we referring to? Buddha is real to Buddhists, Shiva and Uishnu are real to the Hindus. Shall we recite their pledges and prayers as well?
It is not whether we are Christian, Catholic, Atheist or whatever, this is the lasnd of the free and we believe and pursure what we decide for ourselves.
I don't criticize you for believing in God just like I don't criticize others for their disbelief.
If we are truly to be united as you say and in "Justice For All" then we all need to come to terms with diversity we're all here on the planet. Deal with it.
Open mindedness is the answer not what everyone else is doing. It starts with each of us. How can we have peace when we are worried what everyone else says or does. Trust in your God, your religion, or whatever. Just let others do the same.

Karen B.
Porter, Tx

LETTERS: Bulletin Coverage

Thanks for attending the jam a couple of weeks ago at the 19th Hole. It was also good seeing my old "Mice" buddies too. I grabbed a couple copys of The Bulletin for myself and Matt Johnson. I am, and know he will be pleased with your article.
Thanks again and please join us often. I can never promise what the jam will bring, but will guarantee the opening set to be killer every week.
I had to laugh at the name "Stained Addiction" I'm pretty sure they use the name Sustained Addiction, but I think I like the new name better!

Daniel Workman
Houston, Tx

LETTERS: Another comment on Christianity

I read your paper every week and notice about ever other week someone makes a comment about Christianity. Those that talk about killing other people and than say they are Christians must not read about Jesus in the New Testament.
No where have I ever read where Jesus says it's ok to kill. I believe they read the Old Testament to back their view.If they follow the Old Testament they are Jews not Christians.

Happytime
Bulletin Online Reader

LETTERS: The Bulletin is my paper of choice.

Let me tell you my short story, and give you guy's some well deserved praise.
I was fishing Lake Conroe on the 3rd of August near Banana Bay. After hearing the music I decided to dock the boat and check it out. The lake was getting rather windy and the fish were not really biting anyway. The band out side was sounding pretty damn good but a potential storm was putting a threat on the outdoor activities. I went inside the bar, ordered a beer and watched as they covered the bands gear outside.
I was looking around and found The Bulletin. As I was looking thru it I found the band outside were called The Hitmen and must play classic rock oldies. By the time I was on my 3rd Bud the band was uncovering and getting ready for another go at it. It was now overcast outside, and the temperature was rather pleasant. These dudes started playing and wow! I had to call my wife and brother in law to come check this party out. My wife really gets off to live Rock n Roll... These guy's played from 4:30-11:00pm and to my amazement the guitar player played behind his head with his teeth and covered a really true sounding Stevie Ray / Eric Clapton and the drummer was the lead singer? Man this was a twist. Not to many guy's can do that I am sure. And as per your article Thank God I. Did Not Hear Louie, Louie but "White Room'' ? Well it was as close to Live Cream as I can remember 2nd row many years ago. Lets just say I had a craving for a good a good ol doobie. Well I may be to old for a doobie but great live music and cold beer really get me going. Heck it is a good thing I know that lake because it was sure late when I left. Heck my wife hates my boat but she rode back with me and well let's just say I got lucky on the way... YEE HAW !
Thank you Banana Bay, The Hitmen and The Bulletin for a night my wife and I will not soon forget. From now on before I go out with the Mrs. we will review the bulletin and plan our night around it. Keep up the good work and have a great day.

D. Faust
Conroe, Texas

LETTERS: More Bulletin praise

What I love about the Bulletin is that it is available online and at my local stores. I love reading the articles and also the first hand reviews of movies and local eateries. It is always the first place I look for local information.

Deborah Van Dyne
Conroe, TX

LETTERS: Paying a compliment

I am writing to compliment the Montgomery County Clerk's Office--especially Mark Turnbull and Louise Cheshire. Their signatures are on the copy of the document.
I mailed a request for information to that office on Tuesday, 6 August and received a reply on Monday, 12 August.
Why can't all government agencies operate this efficiently?

Don Fare
Nacogdoches, TX

LETTERS: The Hitmen Rule

Banana Bay and The Hitmen really did a great job. They sounded like real 70's rock. They told me they would be at Nauticals in Spring on August 23rd and 24th.
Jimmy Jam Hunter played the same night indoors and definitely had there work cut out for them most of the real show was The Hitmen that night. You should go check them out. this is a really a great band.

Southwest
Bulletin Online Reader

LETTERS: Pregnant and not knowing

Sounds to me that the Johnsons are doing what needs to be done for the caring of their children. (UNEXPECTED DELIVERY by Edward Mireless, ISSUE 31) If CPS hasn't found anything wrong with them by now, chances are they won't ever find anything and they should investigate some other household. There are so many other children out there living in much much worse conditions.
As far as Mrs. Johnson not knowing that she was pregnant... I've heard of this happening to other women. I don't think it's common but, it happens. The fact that she was a smoker probably had a lot to do with it. I hope that people who read this article will want to contribute something like baby clothes, diapers or food, etc. to the Johnson's (if they would accept it). If any type of fund has been set up for them I would love to know about it.
Great article...I hope that it benefits the Johnsons in some way.

C. Santillan
Bulletin Online Reader

LETTERS: Porn on every page

I picked up The Bulletin last week, because I like to see what's going on in my town. To my grief I saw many pictures that were conveying sexual activities or allures. It was almost on every page I decided to cover it up with something instead of read it. It hurts my heart, my spirit to see such filth be passed around freely. It's found so easily on the bottom shelves and counters of stores across Conroe.
Porn is suppose to be in the back, or behind the counter......or at the very least on the top of the magazine rack. Then I went to the employment classifides and found an ad for a topless maid. Again it broke my heart. What a price to sell away your purity, $100 an hour. Young girls who do not know the value of their purity are reading these ads.
Thinking maybe some day they could do that, and get paid a whole lot for it.
Young boys lust are fed. And as they see the industry of lust right in front of there eyes are more liable to get addicted. Then as they find their wives are more likely to have an affair and get divorced. Isn't it obvious?
Can't you see the destruction behind it? It hurts the heart of God. His commands for us are out of love, He knows the destruction all of this brings. We should trust Him and know that He is who He says He is, L-O-V-E. I'm praying for a repentance in our city from His believers and un-believers, a revival.
The urgency on His heart is strong to get people to come to know Him. I will stand against anything not of God, unto death. Please consider God's crying heart of this matter, and my grief.

Valerie Menk
Conroe, TX

LETTERS: Protecting your future

It will not be long before government officials finally have the power to solve all our problems in only a few minutes.
On a national level, Vice President Dick Cheney was giving a speech that can truly be called a marvel at accelerating presidential power. Big Dick used all the motivational qualities a man that has had four heart attacks can to whip the country into a frenzy. Not since Hitler has any one had the balls to invade a country because he did not like the dude that ran it. Even Hitler had to stage a mock little raid by the Poles before he could march through Poland and kill innocent women and children.
Cheney pointed out that it really doesn't matter if he can give any reasons to invade a country and overthrow their government. The President now has the right to take out any one he wants at any time according to the lawyers at the White House. All he has to determine is that they have weapons equal to our weapons and may at some time be a threat some time in the future. The President now has the right to kill innocent people if he feels they have weapons and may be a threat some time in the future.
On a city level, Houston has determined that it has the right to come onto private property and round up hundreds of people and arrest them just for being there. They can make up any charge they want; heard them like cattle and toss them into a cell. They can do this because some of them may leave that property and race their cars on public roads sometime in the future.
The police now have the right to arrest anyone anywhere because they may be a danger to the public sometime in the future.
On a county level a few people from Cut N Shoot went to the County Commissioners meeting with a children's book they said should not be allowed in Montgomery County. The County Judge Alan B. Sadler took about five minutes to look at some photo-copied pages of the book presented by the Cut N Shoot mob and decree that it should be tossed out of the library. According to Judge Sadler as quoted in The Conroe Courier "You don't have to read this book cover to cover to understand its contents." Apparently you don't have to read it at all, photo copies of excerpts are close enough.
Precinct 2 County Commissioner Craig Doyle chimed in with his quote, also in The Conroe Courier: "We will make every effort to get books like this completely out of the library."
What gives Judge Sadler and his court the right to pull books out of the library at any time? According to the Houston Chronicle "Sadler said he was irked that the book, as he put it, 'tries to minimize or even negate that homosexuality is a problem'".

The judge now has the right to ban books in the county because you may learn things, which may hurt someone in the future.
If some enterprising government official gets a few attorneys together, I'm sure they can put the total package together. What local officials should be able to do if they determine you a threat is to kick your door down and kill you and your family. They just have to put together the new rights they gained in the past week. The President's right, as determined by his attorneys, to take you out if you have weapons and you may be a future threat. The Houston Police Department's right as determined to arrest you anytime anywhere for anything because you may speed and endanger people in the future. The Montgomery County Court's new right is to protect you from becoming a homosexual.
I'm sure after you and your family is dead they will be able to find either a weapon that threatened them, or a car that can go faster then 55, or questionable reading material as deemed by The Republican Leadership Council.

Mike Ladyman
Bulletin Publisher

LETTERS: Sexual filth or knee-jerk reaction?

I'm deeply disturbed in reading about the words and actions of our county commissioner's in Monday's court when a group of citizens expressed their views about a sex education book. Is this how Judge Sadler and other court members evaluate information and make decisions that affect our county? Is this how commissioner's court governs?
So, when corporations shopping for relocation deals and tax abatements come before Judge Sadler and court members and present their data about the wonderful benefits their presence would make to our the county, do court members accept every word said in court? How many tax abatements were approved under similar exercises of evaluation and judgment?
Or, did we witness the knee-jerk reaction of Republicans toward their less tolerant brethren? It is an election year. How easy to censor reading material of children, how difficult to make financial decisions that have positive short-term benefits, but have lasting negative consequences over the long-term.

Denise Reilly
The Woodlands, Tx

LETTERS: Another comment on another comment

In regards to Happytime's letter "Another comment on Christianity", from 11/26/02, is ignoring both history and what is going on in the world today. The Inquisitions were the work of christians, as was the crusades, and the witch trials. All resulted in the killing of thousands.
I was raised a "Southern Baptist" which taught that the only part of the old testament that was no longer relevant was the "Kosher" food. To say "If they follow the Old Testament they are Jews not Christians" is stating that a lot of christians are not christian. It would also say that those christians trying to put or keep the "10 commandments" monuments on public property are not christians, since the 10 commandments are from the old testament.

Monty Gaither
Phoenix, AZ

LETTERS: Don't give up the search

I am a birthmother AND a sibling of an adoptee. I placed my son for adoption, it was semi-open and we went through a Houston agency. (Soul Searching, ISSUE 33 by Marcia Bates) However, my case became a nightmare without any laws to govern what I went through. My son was born November 19, 1990 in Conroe, he was placed with the couple that we had chosen and all seemed to be going very well. We received letters and photos as described in our agreement, then the letters and photos stopped. I would get no reply when I would write to his parents, I would get no return calls or replies from the agency (who served as our intermediary). Finally the agency contacted us and dropped the news that our son had died almost 6 months prior to our being notified.
We were devastated and distraught by not just his parents loss, but ours as well. We had to face the cold hard fact that we would never get the chance to explain our decision to him, to see how our youngest son turned out as a man. We would never hold him again or tell him just how much we loved him. Our time the night of his birth would be all that we would ever walk away with, it would have to sustain us for the rest of our lives...I cherish that night holding my son with my whole heart.
I requested through the agency that we be able to go to our son's grave and say our goodbyes, that request was denied. I began a quest that started as a simple task in the grieving process to a full blown battle of wits and legal red tape.
I searched for a year to the day of being notified, for my son's gravesite, I had tons of information and some of that information was what I had gotten prior to my son being born...I knew the last name of his adoptive parents. The agency had no idea that I knew and until I was forced to fight the red tape that strangles the adoption process, I had never revealed or intended to use that information.
I spoke to everyone from the court judge over adoptions to the vital statistics in Austin. I spoke to everyone with any type of ties to the Texas adoption laws or process and got no where...why, because my case was a first. No one knew why I was being denied access to visit my dead son's grave, there was no legal reason to keep me from knowing where he was or his last name. The question was always "the child that was being protected by a semi-open adoption was dead, why keep the grave site a secret now that he was gone?"
I learned many lessons in my year of searching, I made many friends and more enemies......BUT, I did find my son's grave and on July 4, 1991 my husband and I traveled to his final resting place and said our goodbyes. We were finally able to lay him to rest inside ourselves and we have never contacted his parents or the agency since then. I did get a call from the agency once during my search asking me if I knew the adoptive parents last name (I was really stirring the pot back then), I refused to answer their questions and requested one last time to visit my son's grave, request ignored.
I can not reveal HOW I found my son's grave, but I can say that the person that helped me did so from the heart and at a great risk to their place in society.
To that special someone, I said it then and I say it again......Thank You, you're a true angel of hope without you I might still be searching.
There is always hope when it comes to adoption, rather you're an adoptee, a birthparent, an adoptive parent or a sibling of an adoptee. I advise you to register with EVERY registry that you can find, review every registry that you find, USE the internet. Take your time, take notes and BREATHE. When you hit that brick wall (and you will) take a break from searching, go spend time with those who love you. When you regain the positive feedback start again...but never loose hope.
I have been searching for my brother whom my mother gave up for adoption over 30 years ago...it was a closed adoption with very little detail or information. I have registered and looked high and low for over 8 years now, but I still have hope.
So to those out there searching......DO NOT GIVE UP, your angel of hope is waiting for you!

Pasha Harrell
Conroe, TX

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