Following, Rep. Billy Broomfield, D-Moss Point, said that he was "grateful for the federal funds that Gov. Barbour's contacts in Washington" brought to South Mississippi in the wake of Katrina. It bothers me that this money, approved by Congress, is not being appreciated as charity from the country but instead is trumpeted as the work of Gov. Barbour, Sens. Cochran and Lott and lobbyist firms.
Mississippi has been earmarked to receive approximately twice the federal funds that Louisiana has, presumably because of their ties to the formerly Republican-controlled federal government, despite Louisiana's severe loss of property, lives and infrastructure. We can thank Barbour, Lott and Cochran for the disparity. Granted, if the shoe were on the other foot, Louisiana would do the same to us.
When it comes to giving thanks, I think Mississippians should appreciate that the money comes from all the citizens of the U.S. who felt our pain and wanted to help. These are tax payer dollars, not lobbyist dollars.
— Scott Tyner, Hattiesburg
One Nation, Under Whitey
Different languages and other "diversities" divide, disintegrate and eventually destroy nations. That is not a personal opinion. It is historical fact.
One of the great unifiers on our school campuses is athletics. Schools that excel in one sport or another have more school pride and unity than those who do not, among the student body and alumni. They are the schools that most students want to attend. Those schools tend to have—not only the best athletic programs—but the best academic programs, too.
Whether white, black or some other skin tone, we in the U.S. are all Americans, and we should be proud of it. We can respect and honor our personal ancestry and heritage without declaring differences that have the real effect of dividing us, i.e. African American, Spanish American, Italian American, Irish American, etc. Differences segregate people and divide nations.
My younger stepson's 6-year old "genius" daughter speaks and writes English, Spanish, French and Chinese. Not all children are so fortunate. But she knows and understands that our U.S. language is English. So should everyone.
Two old sayings are true: "In unity, there is strength" and "Divide and conquer." Let us, the U.S., never forget that. We Americans must stay unified if our democratic republic is to survive.
Our flag is the Stars and Stripes. Our language is English. Our primary document is the U. S. Constitution. And we are all Americans united in one common cause—freedom and all it entails, including "all people are created equal" and are entitled to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
May God continue to richly reward us, the U.S.
— R. T. Hanchley, Madison
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