Who is on your throne
I was visiting with a Christian friend of mine over coffee the other day, and of course our conversation eventually got around to the politics of the day. He took off on the election of course, in favor of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and their administration staying in office. He was pretty adamant about what was going on, and I just sat back and listened for a while.
Then I made a simple observation and quietly asked a single question. The observation is this, “No matter who you are, you are going to have a throne in your life — of which you will place someone or something upon.” Question is, “Are you placing politics (place there who or what you wish) above Jesus on the throne of your life?” Of which I was met with silence and a questioning look.
I have had to ask the same of myself during the last few months. Since that time I have had the opportunity to ask the same of a few folks in the Biden camp also, who are also Christian based. The same response ensued.
I ask the same question of you; “Who is on your throne?” and “Does the answer to that question give you Peace?” Consider the season of which we are in.
Wayne L. Olson
Moscow
Paper should fact-check
I’m a longtime fan. I really value getting local news and getting it delivered to my doorstep. When I read Scotty Anderson’s column in which he imagined readers thinking of him as “an incredibly logical and rational person” (Dec. 12-13), I thought, nope — yet I know that’s his opinion, which is different from fact.
However, when he writes, “There was voter fraud. That is not opinion, it is fact. ... Anyone who claims otherwise just needs to look at the numbers of people who voted on Election Day who were already dead,” I know this is also opinion, not fact, despite Anderson’s claim otherwise. (Though promoted on social media, this notion has been widely debunked — for an overview from the Associated Press, see https://bit.ly/2IMTahM).
Yes, Anderson’s column appears on the opinion page, and yes, he expresses disappointment that certain conspiracy theories have turned out to be just that — but when he asserts without evidence that insidious and unsubstantiated opinions are facts, he is crossing a line.
I join the many other letter writers who have already asked you to fact-check for your readers and identify misleading claims and unsupported conjecture as such, perhaps with a warning at the top of the column.
That to me seems to be one of the foundational roles of a newspaper — in your own words, to both “champion the vigorous exchange of opinions” and honor your “[commitment] to the pursuit of ethical, factual, and relevant coverage of news and events.”
Judy Sobeloff
Moscow
We follow only one pastor
St. Mary’s Church in Moscow has more than 500 registered law-abiding members. We shop downtown to support our local merchants, we eat at local restaurants and buy our groceries at the local markets and co-ops. During these difficult times, why would anyone want to cause more stress and anxiety to our fellow citizens?
Storming Tri-State, as did the members of Christ Church, and then making it close the doors and lose business, does not shout out “Love Thy Neighbor.” Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the gospels. I am not aware of any other gospel called “Follow Me.”
Our parish church asks that all members wear masks during services, with 99.9-percent volunteer compliance. We do so because this is the way that true and authentic Christians act and proclaim the gospel values handed on to us by the church.
We follow the lead and voice of only one pastor. His name is Jesus Christ.
Rev. Joe McDonald
Moscow
Reckless disregard of truth
Reckless disregard of the truth is defined in the Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary as “a reckless lack of attention to the truth that misleads or deceives another (as a magistrate), whether false statements were made intentionally or in reckless disregard of the truth ….”
Square this definition with the recent Daily News headline: “Hundreds sign onto Texas-led election lawsuit” (Dec. 11), a brazen and, thankfully, now failed attempt by Trump and his GOP faithful to subvert and invalidate the true outcome of the November election. Their goal was to disqualify the mail-in votes of millions of Americans, mainly Democrats, in four “battleground” states clearly won by Joe Biden. It goes without saying, but bears being said: If those mail-in ballots had been cast by Republicans, there would have been no lawsuit.
Heartfelt relief and gratitude go out to the nine justices of the Supreme Court, who in their wisdom, Dec. 11, summarily dismissed the case, thus upholding the integrity of the November election.
This unprecedented attempt by elected legislators and a sitting president to invalidate the vote is beyond shocking. We must vote the implicated legislators out of office, and keep them out. Impeach Trump again and forever remove him from office, with no option for reelection, for recklessly endangering:
1. the rule of law in flouting the peaceful transfer of power;
2. the lives of all Americans by willfully ignoring the pandemic and betraying his oath of office “to protect and defend” the United States of America.
This reckless disregard of the truth endangers our precious democracy. If we allow dishonest legislators (and presidents) to undermine our democracy, the onus will be on those of us who openly support their disregard of the truth, as well as on those of us who choose to remain silent.
Lisa Kliger
Moscow
What about La Casa Lopez?
We appreciated your Inland 360 article (Dec. 7) on take-out restaurants. However, conspicuous by its inexplicable absence was La Casa Lopez. This restaurant and its owners have been in the forefront of take out in Moscow, serving its clientele and providing meals to front line workers, first responders, kids in schools and folks who just need a good meal with lots of food!
I am not surprised that in this wonderful town we have community minded businesses like Maialina, Sangria, Bloom and Lodgepole, but to leave out La Casa Lopez and others — if only for a brief mention — was an oversight I hope the Daily News will not repeat.
Our thanks to all the businesses in Moscow for all they’ve done during the pandemic. They all deserve our unconditional and strong support — but this letter wants to highlight La Casa Lopez — a real anchor in this town!
Ben and Katy Beard
Moscow
