Bucks County Herald – October 22, 2009

Misc Letters from Readers

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Periodically, I share letters which I receive from you faithful readers. In the last few weeks, several of them made for interesting observations. Two of them responded to my column about civility. One letter addressed homosexuality, the Bible, and a local pastor’s dilemma. (Reverend Nancy Ross questioned Methodist rules prohibiting the ordination of gay clergy.) And the fourth letter concerned my column about Cathy Lewis, a principal in Maine. (She is known for rescuing schools from academic failure.)

Let’s begin with civility.

A Point Pleasant reader scolded me because my column criticized the march in Washington, D.C., which was organized by opponents of the Obama administration. “Was it showing civility on your part when you called the gathering, “this rabble,” a term which means a disorderly crowd, the loser classes, a mob,” my reader began?

“These are exceptional times,” he continued. “Our country is involved in two wars, a financial crisis, the loss of employment, international tensions, terrorism, and many other problems. Exceptional times have occurred, including the Civil Rights movement, Women Rights, the Vietnam War and Communism. All were protested for and against by various sides of the argument. Was civility always practiced during those times? No, and we are all better for it not having been,” he concluded.

Now, there’s an excellent point.

Seldom do I receive letters from readers who agree with me. But the “Civility” column attracted one. “I agree with you completely, but I feel even more strongly about it,” she wrote. “I spend hours writing and calling Fox [TV network] who I consider the most repulsive, radical, loathsome, bigoted racist channel. I’ve cancelled my membership at the State Theater for the Performing Arts in Easton because I’m so disgusted that they have contaminated their venue by inviting the wacko Glenn Beck there in January.”

I received another letter which criticized Reverend Nancy Ross’ stance about homosexuality. “That was a rather curious response from your Methodist pastor friend, since she concedes that the Methodist Book of Discipline refers to the Bible when it rules against ordination of homosexuals as pastor,” my reader began. “Without citing chapter and verse from the Jewish Testament or the Apostle Paul’s reference to homosexual practice and behavior, one would have to question why she sees no conflict in blessing a homosexual marriage?

“Why would she clearly accept and assent to something which the Lord God has declared to be an abomination in His sight,” the writer asked?

Holy Smokes, says I!

However, my reader did add this: “Though many still insist that the Lord Jesus himself never condemned homosexuals, it is equally clear that the Lord Jesus never sanctioned the practice or behavior of homosexuals.”

Friends, for years, I’ve searched for Jesus’ comments about homosexuals in the four gospels. I’ve found none. Yes, the Bible gives us Christian and Jewish traditions. But those ancient writers were people, just like you and I. Does that make all those documents less than perfect? I wonder.

Last, a reader made an excellent observation concerning my August 20 column about Cathy Lewis, the principal in Maine who is often called upon to rescue public schools. I was impressed that my reader took the time to investigate the demographics of Steuben, Maine. He researched the number of households, education levels of parents, race, age, and incomes.

“There were 459 households out of which 29.6 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them,” my reader observed. “58.2 percent were married couples living together. The average household size was 2.45; the racial makeup was 96.8 percent White; 80.5 percent of the adults had at least a high school diploma; and 73.9 percent of the households had incomes of less than $50,000.”

With the exception of Steuben’s population, that sounds like Quakertown doesn’t it? And then the reader hits the nail right on the head.

“The reasons why most of such urban school districts continue to struggle both academically and financially is NOT the lack of a single, state operated, consolidation of such school districts,” he wrote. “The answer is that our urban areas have become so overcrowded with undereducated, poverty stricken minorities; with significant language barriers; and with only a very few shining examples of those households where education is given ANY priority for the children; and very few good examples for role models where crime and drug dealing have become the norm.

“Ms. Lewis wisely chose to address the very basic assumption that MUST be made in seeking to improve academic standards and performance,” my reader continued. “It MUST begin in the HOME. No amount of grossly increased funding, curriculum experimentation will CHANGE the LACK of parent and family support situations that currently prevail in most all of our urban area school districts.”

Bravo!

I would make one change to my reader’s letter. He wrote about parental support and involvement in urban homes. I would add…all homes, wherever they are.

In any event, you letter writers are paying close attention. Keep holding my feet to the fire.

Sincerely

Charles Meredith

PS. I recently learned that my high school classmate, Bill Dietz, has been mowing the Union Cemetery in Quakertown for nothing. Thanks, Bill. You’re the glue, which holds communities like ours together. I came across this news at the Milford Township Historical Society’s celebration of the 100^th birthday of the old Spinnerstown schoolhouse. Bill graduated from the eighth grade 60 years ago.

Dr. Robert Leight, a former Quakertown school director and columnist for the Herald, was the guest speaker at the event. Leight gave an informative talk about Dr. Charles Boehm, a former Bucks County Superintendent of Schools. A native of Kintnersville, Boehm’s administration consolidated the schools of Richland and Milford Townships in the 1940’s. Boehm later became Pennsylvania’s Superintendent. He concluded his life in education as the head of schools in Columbia (South America).

Leight told us that there were 22 one-room-schools, plus two, two-room-schools in Haycock, Milford, and Richland Townships when Bill Dietz graduated in 1949. In the 1940’s, There were 10,000 one and two-room schools in Pennsylvania, Leight said. Shortly thereafter, the state consolidated 2,600 school districts into 501.

Isn’t it a pity that the legislature didn’t consolidate the municipalities at the same time?