On Your Mind is the Herald/Review’s telephone opinion line and is intended as a public forum for our readers. Comments represent the opinions of callers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper or any specific knowledge that we have. Readers may share their opinions by calling 458-0332, or by e-mail to svhoym@transedge.com or regular mail at 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista AZ 85635. Please keep comments less than 90 seconds. Comments are edited.

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April 22

No one will ever say what the biggest problems with the so-called ghettos in this country are. It’s not the buildings, or the streets, of the parks, or the schools and churches. No, it’s the people and the culture of violence and drugs. This is a culture that thinks a pimp is a respected job; that thinks men should impregnate as many women as possible and support none of them; that feels no shame in going to prison or living on welfare or drug money. Does it not sink into their heads why when athletes, musicians, and business people are successful, they move as soon as possible away from them? They could easily afford to build beautiful homes there among them. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the Rev. Wright don’t live there either. So there won’t be any improvement in their lives until they accept responsibility for their actions and become moral examples for their children.

 

Jimmy Carter’s actions on his Middle Eastern trip clearly demonstrate that his way of thinking is that of Barack Obama’s. This is not what the American people really want. His present efforts show that he is still the bumbling idiot he was as president. The shame we endured from his lack of action in regard to the Americans taken hostage is an open sore that I don’t think we would want to see repeated. He would be about as capable of handling another such catastrophe as he was the last time. Is this what Obama would do? Think about it. We have two other candidates who are better than he is. I’d settle for either of them at this time.

 

Some people never look at the inserts in the newspaper. Running the item on deadly skin cancer would benefit all of Sierra Vista. Thank you.

 

It is a tragedy that the women and children are being subjected to this ordeal in Eldorado, Texas. This is primarily a bigamist Mormon sect running a breeding ground for the perpetuation of their ilk. The hypocrisy of this is that similar conditions still exist in Arizona and Utah, even though the new Mormons no longer practice this behavior. The Mormon Church should be in the forefront to resolve this affront to decency in the Christian world. Step up.

I’m addressing the issue of slavery. You said “forget slavery.” Did the Jewish people forget the Holocaust? Do Japanese Americans forget being interned during World War II? Do Native Americans forget about being placed on reservations? Yes, we do not have slavery today, but believe me, it’s still being felt in Sierra Vista in 2008. We feel it all the time, every day. It’s a racist country.

 

I was reading an article about a man beating his girlfriend’s two daughters in Phoenix in 2004, causing skull fractures on both of them. The 20-month-old child died and her body was thrown into a canal. An investigation resulted in a conviction of this man that led to a life sentence. His many appeals have caused a possible death sentence to be postponed from 10 to 15 years. The people responsible for this miscarriage of justice should also be convicted as criminals. This theory of avoiding cruel and inhumane punishment is responsible for the breakdown in law enforcement today. I think we should bring back death by firing squad. I’m sure that I and many other honest, conscientious people would volunteer in this procedure any time we’re needed. I’m not a bloodthirsty person, just one of those sick of people thwarting justice and decency in this country.

 

April 23

What is happening with our courts system and CPS and just common sense in Texas? They take the children and mothers of the (Fundamentalist) Latter-day Saints from their Texas Ranch and put the children in foster homes. They are the victims of the child abuse that has been charged against the cult. The men and fathers have supposedly been allowed to be free. What is wrong with this picture? We punish the victims and allow the criminals to remain at large. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to allow the mothers and children to remain at the ranch, the only home they have ever known, and remove the men and fathers to a place when they could be under surveillance? The men could have been allowed to work the ranch under supervision with no contact with their families to provide them with food and necessities. This sounds like the same brain trust that ran the Branch Davidian debacle. All they need is Janet Reno to orchestrate a takeover.

 

I’m so sick of people whining and complaining about some people giving out condoms to students in Bisbee. It’s better to give condoms to students so they can have protected sex. You’re not going to stop them from having sex. You might as well give them condoms to help stop disease and unwanted babies. So why doesn’t everyone stop complaining and get over it. Talk about something important.

 

Where’s the new Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club? I don’t see any progress on the property they bought. What’s the holdup?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Our last recent check found the plans for a new Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club have not been officially filed yet, and we’re told the city and officials with the company continue to discuss the company’s site plan.

 

One of your recent OYM callers claimed Sen. Obama insulted people of faith, gun owners, etc. in Pennsylvania with the (often misquoted or partially quoted) remarks he made at a fund-raiser in San Francisco. The caller used several typical negative descriptions in describing Obama. The fact is Obama was defending the people of Pennsylvania with his comments when he was asked if the voters in Pennsylvania were against him because of race. If your caller really wants to know the truth of what Obama said, which I doubt, he/she can read Obama’s entire statement at http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-obamas-remarks-at-san-francisco-fundraiser-sunday/. As to the Karl Marx comparison, I would guess the caller is a big follower of another Karl, Carl Rove!

 

Anyone who might think that passing out condoms to high school students does not encourage sexual behavior should not be involved in education in any way. I think there are some laws on the books about contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Having sex under the age of consent is delinquency. I would like to see our county prosecutor look into the legality of passing out condoms to minors. What if I stood on the street and did this? What if I passed out hotel room keys? What if I gave high school students permission to use my home for sex? Would any of this be considered contributing to the delinquency of a minor?

 

Somebody in this city needs to do some explaining. I just read in the newspaper where the city wants $1.2 million to put in Town and Country an interceptor line for sewer. We went through this four or five years ago when a councilwoman was pushing this idea to put sewer into Town and Country. The majority of residents did not want it. So why are they putting in an interceptor line in Town and Country? Are we routing this interceptor line into Village Meadows as well? They’re not on the sewer either. So what is the city trying to do here? Somebody needs to explain it. I already know who I’m not voting for in the next election.

 

I read a comment in OYM some time ago where a person said that he had sent a comment by e-mail and it was never published. Then I realized I have sent three comments by e-mail to OYM and none were ever published. So it’s quite obvious you’re not using the e-mail. Why do you even put the address out there? The Herald is as bad as the Sierra Vista City Council.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Many comments come from the e-mail. We get more than 500 e-mails a week to that account; many of them have nothing to do with readers’ comments. But we do include e-mails in our On Your Mind listings. If you wish to send a comment via e-mail, send to svhoym@transedge.com.

 

I wish somebody would explain to me why this great historical crap has to go on the West End of town? The West End is no better than the east, south or north end. Why did the city provide money for the festival that they had last weekend? That was not for the residents; that’s purely for the West End. They’re forgetting about the rest of town. That money that they spent could have been used on a lot of things. It’s time to have an election and have a clean sweep of the (Sierra Vista) City Council.

 

I’m reading in OYM about the debacle involving the air conditioning at Buena High School. This says the assistant superintendent, the principal and the facilities foreman were all aware that the HVAC tech was not doing maintenance and that this went on for years. Why didn’t they do something about it? Is this person still there? Why don’t we get these three and the employee to pay the $250,000 themselves instead of sticking it to the taxpayer?

 

People that call in bellyaching about living in Sierra Vista are really out of touch. Sierra Vista has one thing no other town in the world has. We have one city block where a self-respecting American man can purchase alcohol, tobacco, firearms and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle all on one block. Where else can you find that? I ask you, where else?

To everyone who voted for President Bush: Are you and the country better off now? Wars on two battlefronts, rising gas and food prices. Bush has a 70 percent disapproval rating and will be remembered as one of the worst presidents in our nation’s history. Are you still satisfied with the way you voted? If you are, I strongly urge you to sit out the next election.

HERALD/REVIEW more On Your Mind in Monday’s edition of the Herald/Review.