Halloween fun
To the Editor:
In response to the letter “Origin of Halloween”. I, personally, give Halloween two thumbs up. I went trick or treating as a child and, I didn’t do it because I thought it had anything to do with death, Satan or his evils. I went because it meant I was going to get candy. I didn’t dress up as a demon or ghoul or anything like that. Many did, but it sure didn’t mean they were thinking of death. They just thought the costumes were “cool.”
Are you telling me that these little girls that go around dressed as princesses or Disney characters are thinking about Satan and his evils? Or little boys dressed as firefighters, police officers and super heroes are doing it because they are thinking about death? If a child is thinking of death, it’s because they were “told” it was about death.
I allow my daughter to trick or treat and will continue to do so. It won’t be because it has anything to do with Satan and his evils. It’s because it’s a chance for her to dress up, have fun and go out and get some candy. Just like she knows that Christmas is really about Jesus, but it’s, also, a time for getting together with loved ones and getting presents.
Some parents need to just chill out and let their kids have some fun while they’re still kids. Children grow up too fast and allowing them to celebrate Halloween is not going to make them start worshiping the devil and his evils. I went when I was a child and I celebrate life, not death. I love God, not Satan. It’s just a time for fun. And if you teach your children to love God and the wonderful things he does, they will. It won’t matter if they celebrate Halloween or not.
Rebecca Richards
Vevay
Smear campaign
Dear Editor:
Alright, Mike Jones and Bob Bischoff, you have gone too far this time. If I were Jud McMillin I would be suing you for slander. Yes, I am smart enough and have the resources to check out the ugly lies you have been sending to the people in District 68. Did I look into this crap? Of course I did. You see I have another stake in this than just trying to vote out a guy who has been in office way too long. Yes, my daughter dates this good man.
The only thing slimy, disgusting and immoral is the behavior of a campaign running scared. Only thing wrong here is someone isn’t running against Mike Jones. Believe me next time he won’t be the only one on the ballot. Burning your bridges kind of early aren’t you? You have been shown the proof that what you print isn’t true, but you continue to send it out anyway.
Voters, you can make up your own minds, of course. But let me put a thought in your head. Do you think there should be term limits in every level of government? Are you tired of the same old way things are done? I don’t care if you are Republican or Democrat we have to make some big changes this November 2nd. Let’s band together and get rid of one-third of the House and Senate. In two years anyone who has been in office eight years or longer, get rid of them.
We have to change who’s in there if we are ever going to be term limits to these career politicians. Anyone that has been in the same office 33 years would never vote themselves out of a job. Before I couldn’t have said that I disrespected Bob Bischoff, but I do now.
Lisa Fisher
Vevay
Comparing candidates
To the Editor:
No thanks, Bob.
Not only am I married, a college graduate, mother to three children, gainfully employed, but I am also a female registered voter in District 68 of the State of Indiana.
I also live in Franklin County, a county that Bob Bischoff is from, a county that I had never seen him in, until Jud McMillin. What I have witnessed since has convinced me that Franklin County, along with the other counties in District 68, does not need a man like Bob Bischoff representing them. Mr. Bischoff is a shining example of what is wrong with politics today as well as a superb example of what is wrong with our country today.
The first time I attempted to talk to Bob was at the Grand Opening of the renovation of the Franklin County Courthouse. At that time I was just beginning to become involved in the community and wanted to know his opinion on some things. He had absolutely no interest in speaking with me. Interestingly enough, it was not until he saw Jud McMillin speaking to my husband and me that he walked over, stepped in front of Jud, and shoved a brochure in my hand while introducing himself to my husband and shook his hand. I was completely offended by his outright rude behavior.
As time draws near for this election, I have been patiently waiting for a date for a debate here in Franklin County between our State Representative candidates. I want to know what they are going to do to represent my county and me. I want to make an educated decision based on facts. I contacted Jud McMillin’s office and was informed that they had sent a notice to Bob and he had not responded. I attended the Klemme’s Corner festival a few weeks ago and as I was surprised to see Bob there . . . not so surprised to see his stack of flyers beside him. On my way to speak with him, I also saw Jud McMillin, stopped and said hello and asked him about the debate. Once again I was told that Bob had not responded. So I went to introduce myself to Bob and the first words out of his mouth were to ask me why I was talking to Jud McMillin. I was taken aback by his demeanor and politely told him the truth.
What followed next was a 10-minute bashing session about Jud McMillin during which he asked me four times why I had been talking to him. He told me under no uncertain terms that he has not been contacted regarding a debate and when I offered to call Jud over to see what he could do to fix that, he made it perfectly clear that he was not willing to do that, nor would he give me a good contact number to pass along to Jud’s people. I also tried to talk to him about a project that I recently became involved in regarding the Franklin County Park and replacing the playground equipment so the part was all-accessible. He got up and left the table. Needless to say, I was dumbfounded. I have seen the ‘women should be seen and not heard’ attitude before, but the behavior that was exhibited to me that day takes the cake. I contacted people on Jud’s campaign the next day and was shown an email that Bob Bischoff responded to regarding the debate invitation. Bob, I think that you told a lie. If you will lie about that, what else are you willing to lie about to make someone look bad? What are you afraid of?
Speaking of bad politics, I have recently been inundated with flyers in my mailbox and a few things are bothering me about them. First, can anyone tell me how much the Democratic Party is spending on t his mud-slinging garbage? Second, I have noticed that in not one flyer ‘fluffing’ Bob’s image is he speaking with a woman. Now, there is a woman in one who looks as if she is obediently listening a s he talks to the man in the picture. From my experience, that is a good visual portrayal. And finally, the recent attacks made against Jud McMillin’s moral character are obscene and Bob Bischoff should be ashamed.
Bob Bischoff knows the allegations that he is spreading are not true, yet he is so desperate to beat Jud McMillin he is sacrificing what little decency he may have had. How can any man victimize a ‘victim’ for the sake of politics by dredging up a past event such as this? Ruthless. Guess it was a good thing he knew it wasn’t true, but as a female voter, I am glad to know that he is capable of such debauchery.
I do not care that Jud McMillin had a consensual relationship with a woman. I care about what is going on right now. I care about who is going to be representing my family and me. I care that Jud McMillin speaks to me and listens to me as a female voter. I care that it is blatantly obvious that Bob cares more about one-upping his opponent than what is going on with his constituents. I care that throughout this campaign, I have seen Jud McMillin make himself available to voters all over District 68.
He is not interested in doing a drive-by-flyer-shoving-hand-shake; he is interested in what is going on now, and talking to people about it. Finally, I also care about the recent rumblings that I have heard regarding Bob Bischoff and his own youthful indiscretions, which if ever founded, are far worse than what he is accusing Jud McMillin of.
I spoke to Jud McMillin regarding the allegations made about him by Bob Bischoff and was very satisfied with the answers that he gave me. Hell hath no fury . . . . I encourage each of you that are questioning these allegations to address them directly with Jud McMillin and base your decisions on that.
Thanks, but no thanks, Bob. I want a State Representative that is going to represent not only Franklin County (I believe that you referred to us as ‘lower genes’ of your district recently), but female voters as well. Bob, you have had 30 years of being a foolhardy career politician, it is time to step into the new millennium and allow someone to represent the entire population that District 68 encompasses.
Ruth Geis
Brookville, Indiana
Upset parents
To the Editor:
There is no misunderstandings on the decision not to have the children of Jeff-Craig Elementary dress up for the “Harvest Party” which it is now being called. You can’t call it “Halloween Party” like you did in the newspaper, because Halloween is a dress up time. It is not just for candy and games.
To answer your question on “Have you ever tries dressing 22 kids at the same tie?” The answer is yes. We, the concerned and disappointed parents, have. We are there every year helping all the children get their costumes on and not just for one room, many rooms. We enjoy seeing the smiles and the enjoyment the children have when they see themselves and their friends in costumes. It is the best part of Halloween. So you ask us “What would you choose?” We choose to keep the tradition going and leave it in our school system. Let the children have the joy and memories of all parts of Halloween. Remember they are our children, not the school’s.
We don’t need for you to pray for us, because our beliefs are not yours. We have dressed up for years for Halloween and have never had the devil or evil spirits come upon us. I will leave it at that, Halloween is a fun time and it will remain that way. In our eyes and our children’s eyes, Halloween has nothing to do with the devil. It is a fun time and something for all of us to look forward to each year.
You teach your kids and we will teach ours. Don’t forget, this is a public school, not a private school.
We encourage other upset parents to take a stand and let your voices and opinions be heard.
We would also like to thank Roberta Scudder for voicing her opinion on this matter in last week’s paper.
Clinton Carter and
Disappointed and Concerned Parents
Vevay
Looking for truth
Dear Editor:
It’s that time of year in the election cycle when people tend to get scared and not as confident they will keep their seat. That has to do with, they have been there too long and forget it’s the people’s seat. When people get anxious, sometimes they will do things out of character and downright dirty.
I have spent time looking here and there, online, calling other people that would know the truth, and reading as much as I can to find truth.
I am an independent voter and believe every seat needs new thought, new eyes, and new blood every few years.
I am seeing t he dirty politics here and also in the Decatur County sheriff’s race where I used to live. Here it is against a Republican and in Decatur County, it’s against a dear friend that is a Democrat.
If I see the candidates both get down and dirty I refuse to vote for either and will speak out. Thank you.
Peggy Tressler
Near East Enterprise
In support
To the Editor:
As our TVs flood with political ads, it is easy to feel like our vote will not make a difference. But here in Switzerland County, every vote will be important in maintaining our quality of life for years to come.
Switzerland County is the battleground for one of the most hotly contested Statehouse races in Indiana. We have a lot at stake in this race and we cannot afford to get this wrong. Most people in Switzerland County know that the riverboat gaming dollars we receive from Belterra have improved nearly every life in our community in some way. What you may not know is how hard we have to fight every year in the General Assembly to keep Indianapolis politicians from stealing this money.
Representative Bob Bischoff has led the fight to protect us since Belterra arrived. To give you a better idea of how our community will be devastated if this money is taken, here are just a few things that are funded with our riverboat dollars: Paramedic Service, Improved Fire Protection, the Paving of County Roads, our School System, our YMCA, American Legion, VFW, Library, the Town of Vevay and the Town of Patriot. We are in danger of losing all of these things and more if our riverboat money is taken. With all of this at stake, we just can’t risk losing Bob Bischoff.
It seems like every political ad we see is selling us some sort of “change” this year. For our community, simply sending someone to Indianapolis who has new ideas and promises to vote the way we want is not enough. We need a State Representative who has the seniority and the experience to protect our money. The worse the economy gets, the harder they will fight to take this money, and we can’t afford to be without Representative Bischoff now.
Don’t take my word for it. The history of this fight is all public record. Since riverboat gaming was authorized, Indiana has gone through four Governors and multiple efforts to take our riverboat money but Southeast Indiana has not lost one dollar of local Gaming Revenue under Representative Bischoff’s watch.
Governor Daniels would have us believe that he is to thank for this but anyone who has taken a high school civics class knows that the Governor can only act on bills that the legislature gives him. The fact that no bill taking our money has ever landed on his desk is Bob Bischoff’s accomplishment. I urge Switzerland County to send Bob back to the Statehouse to watch after us.
Steve Crabtree
Vevay
In response
To the Editor:
In response to the “Origin of Halloween” Letter to the Editor in last week’s edition of this newspaper.
According to History.com Halloween is “a mix of ancient Celtic practices, Catholic and Roman religious rituals and European folk traditions that blended together over time to the Halloween we know today.”
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, is the night before “All Saint’s Day.” The Church appointed November 1st for the feast of All Saints in the eighth century, followed by a day in honor of her soon-to-be saints, the feast of All Souls. According to the Catholic Education Research Center, this time of year was chosen because it was “the time of barrenness on the earth. The harvest was in, the summer done, the world brown and drab and mindful of death. Snow had not yet descended to comfort and hide the bony trees or blackened fields; so with little effort man could look about and see a meditation on death and life hereafter.” It does on to say that vigils were kept for the souls and saints the night before the feasts were held by loved ones’ graves.
Begging at the door grew from an ancient English custom of knocking at doors to beg for a “soul cake” in return for which the beggars promised to pray for the dead of the household. Soul cakes are a form of shortbread, with currants for eyes. In “Cooking for Christ” by Florence Berger, she vowed to invent soul cakes to remind everyone of eternity at every bite. So she cut a hole in the middle and dropped it in hot fat, inventing a doughnut. A circle suggests the never-ending of eternity. A song found on catholiceducationresearchcenter.com, was sung by the beggars:
“Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven’t an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.”
Did you know that pumpkins were used as lanterns at one time and faces were carved in them to scare spirits away? Jack’O Lanterns. According to Michael Camille, writer of “The Gargoyles of Notre-Dame: Medievalism and the Monsters of Modernity,” that “gargoyles were used to assist uncommon, images were the best way to constantly convey ideas. Gargoyles were used as a representation of evil. It is thought that they were used to scare people into coming to church, reminding them that the end of days is near. It is also thought that their presence assured congregants that evil is kept outside of the church’s walls.”
I found so much information on the Internet about the origin of this holiday that I encourage everyone who doesn’t have access to a computer and Internet to visit their local library. They provide computers and Internet for free. There is also a terrific animated movie called “The Halloween Tree” that came out in 1993 that explains the origins of Halloween. It is an excellent movie for adults and children. Very informative.
All history, good and bad, must be preserved and taught, in order to continue positive growth for each generation. By rewriting history the way we wish it happened, or by promoting it through one man’s prospective only restricts our awareness of civilization and cripples our growth potential. I beg you, don’t take my word as truth, nor anyone else’s. Before you stand up for anything know what it is you’re standing for. Always be able to tell a stranger why you believe in a cause, research it, know it, then decide for yourself where you want to stand. By the way, did you know that “hallow” in old English means sanctify? Knowledge is power.
Thank you. I am a lover of Halloween and a Christian since 1972.
Brandi Layne Heilman
Vevay