We can't fight terror with terror

To the Editor:

I am writing to you out of concern for the future safety of my country, the USA. President George Bush has vetoed HR 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Bill, which prevents U.S. agents from using waterboarding, sexual humiliation, and other forms of torture.

Often, our leaders implement strong legislation to create a legacy in their last year. Bill Clinton put through legislation that protected 58 million acres of national forests. Gov.George Ryan granted a blanket clemency for inmates on death row in the state of Illinois.

In order to preserve his legacy President Bush has pushed to postpone adding polar bears to the endangered species list in order to open up areas of Alaska for drilling and has vetoed a law meant to protect others from cruel and unusual punishment - something written in our constitution.

A very good book encourages us to do unto others as we would have done unto us. Would we want our soldiers to experience these methods of torture? Would we want to have these methods of torture used on us?

How can we fight terror with terror? If we use the same tactics as terrorists, what does that make us? If we do not police our own actions, who will? Sadly, President Bush's most recent actions leave me with questions that I am too afraid to answer.

Emmy Mathis-Mason Carbondale

The Thrift Shop needs your help

To the Editor:

The staff and board of directors of Carbondale's Thrift Shop wish to express their heartfelt appreciation for the support from our local community this past year. I wish to point out, however, that the recently placed red donation bins around the area are not part of The Thrift Shop's mission to aid the needy but rather collection bins for a for-profit textile recycling company based out of West Chicago, called "US'Again." All clothing dropped in the boxes ends up being sold for various purposes with the mission of removing clothes that would clutter landfills.

In a Dec. 6 article in The Southern, the group indicates it has given large amounts of cash to charitable organizations. However, it is not part of The Thrift Shop's service goal in our community. We are a not-for-profit local volunteer group that employs local people, takes in clothing and household donations from local folks, provides free clothing and household goods to local families in need. We also support the efforts of other local social agencies who recommend needy families to us for service using our highly successful voucher system.

We accept donations at our location at 215 N. Illinois Ave. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. We ask that you please continue to support our mission and bring us your gently used clothing and household goods. Whatever we cannot use or sell goes into a clothing recycling program. Another organization, Southern Recycling, pays The Thrift Shop by the pound for discarded clothing. Consequently, the discarded clothing does not end up in the landfill.

The spring yard sale season will be upon us in a few short weeks. Please consider bringing us or University Baptist Church's Clothes Closet whatever you cannot sell to the public at large. Help us keep our voucher system in place for those who really need help. Please help UBC's outreach effort to aid needy families in the area. We gladly accept whatever you feel you can offer us. If we cannot sell it, we recycle it.

Jacquie Betz

Board President, The Thrift Shop

Politicians need to give definite answers

To the Editor:

We hear those wanting to change the way things are now. I would like to ask some questions and hear a definite answer instead of a "beat around the bush" political answer.

We need to hear answers about what politicians are going to do about ridding our country of terrorism, restoring the economy, excessive medical costs, gasoline and utility price gouging, protecting our borders from illegal entry and protecting our freedom of worship.

Too often we hear negative comments instead of how they promise to make the U.S. a safer and better place to live.

Gib Bolen

Makanda