PICK A SIDE AND DEFEND IT
“I went back to Ohio but my city was gone there was no train station there was no downtown … all my favorite places my city had been pulled down reduced to parking spaces …”
— Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders, 1982
I am not sure what the exact nature or focus of The Courier’s View was on May 12. Why? Because the sub headline was “Strive to preserve Findlay’s past.” But once you get past this, it appeared to be an example of an oxymoron or a borderline series of mixed metaphors.
What actually appeared was a series of antonyms that strived to give ample excuses for the continued demolition of the downtown, a basis of why many buildings are missing.
Why are they missing? Perhaps because of not having a building code that has a minimum maintenance standard, forcing derelict and absentee owners to preserve our downtown instead of just sucking the money out and having our taxes bail them out.
The article also gives an OK for large corporations to remove historic properties for progress, as opposed to finding creative architects to redesign/repurpose buildings. I think we have had enough of pulling down our history around our ears. Just drive to Bowling Green and other downtowns and see just how many open spots they have.
And yes, there was an outcry from the majority of local citizens and even those who live away and still consider it home. There were plenty to voice their opinion, but to whom and what difference would it really make?
Preservation of a downtown includes the proper care and maintenance of all buildings, not just a select few. I agree that our courthouse is an envy to others because our community cared enough to pay for it.
So get off the fence and pick a side and defend it.
Perhaps H.L Mencken said it best: “All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they can help it; if the job is forced on them, they tackle it by denouncing someone or something else.”
TWO YOUTHS WORTH TALKING ABOUT
In the May 15 Courier, there was an article about a 17-year-old high school graduate in West Virginia who defeated a 67-year-old gentleman who was finishing his second term in the House of Delegates. Since she will be 18 before the term begins, she was eligible to run for that office.
Her Democratic opponent this fall is a 44-year-old lawyer. I hope the Republicans there will rally around her and elect her to the office. Her name is Saira Blair.
In Tuesday’s Courier, there was a very well-written letter by a high school student named Alexandria Tong, regarding the need for air conditioning in the 50-year-old Findlay High School.
I was surprised that the people in Findlay haven’t taken care of a situation like that long before this. I always thought tax dollars were to be used for the upkeep of our schools.
I am not a resident of Findlay, and have never been inside the high school. But I can imagine the taxpayers’ opinion if they had to live and work in places without air conditioning.
These are just two examples of the youth in our country. Both appear to have good, plain, common sense. I am pretty certain that they have lots of company if folks only knew about it. I also believe there would be many, many more if the adults in the lives of our youth would concentrate on being better examples for them to emulate.
Barbara J. Rice
IT’S THE LIFESTYLE THEY HATE
Our culture has accepted three huge lies.
The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. The third lie is that, if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, it makes you judgmental or hateful.
All three lies are nonsense.
You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate. So, to those of you who say that anyone who says that being gay is wrong is a hateful person or hates gays, where’s your proof?
We don’t hate the person, just their lifestyle. Why can’t you see that? Please, stop spreading lies. We love gays, the person, we just hate their lifestyle.
That’s it! That’s how a true Christian sees it.