Sears doesn’t deserve respect

I’m not a conservative Christian, but if I were, how incredibly embarrassed I’d be after reading Professor Tom Sears’ long-promised column on Evolution in the Aug. 8 edition of this newspaper. Where to begin?

First of all, why pick on Dawkins to critique? Is it because Dawkins makes a persuasive argument FOR evolution? That would have been an essay worth waiting for! Sears could have summarized a few of Dawkins’ "best" points and then had a good time refuting them. Would not CHOOSING which arguments to challenge (among the many Dawkins offers in his book) have provided a sufficient advantage _ even for a professor of accounting?

But alas, that was neither the reason nor the motive, it seems, for choosing Dawkins. There was a bigger and more attractive apple on the tree, and even though he was surely instructed not to go there, he just couldn’t resist taking a bite.

There’s this bold (and deliciously sacrilegious) statement that Dawkins makes in his book about how God is presented in the Old Testament. With one fell swoop, just by quoting this one VILE (who would deny it?) statement out of context "¦ and Dawkins could be forever discredited _ and people wouldn’t even have to read his book "¦ or His book either, for that matter!

That way Sears would have even more room in his column to vilify his "opponent" in the guise of argument _ and no one would ever know?

He could even have the gall (too much credit?) to end his barrage of Dawkins this way:

"Unfortunately, he is just one of many who will resort to any means of insult, character assassination "¦ to discredit "¦"

Professor, do I respect your right to an opinion? Yes! Do I respect YOUR opinion? What is there to respect?

Dan Gomes

Schenevus

Don’t look like `innocent victims’

I find it disgusting that Ms. Harris would attack the grieving family of Joshua Richheimer with accusations that they should have known their loved one would one day be "shot and buried," but the final comment made stating, "We should be feeling for those poor men who had to be subjected to having to dispose of him!" is what has prompted this response.

I, like Ms. Harris, did not know Josh or his family and have no business passing judgment on their lives.

We can, however, judge the "poor men" who killed Josh, since their actions after the shooting assure us that they are anything but innocent victims Ms. Harris makes them out to be.

Innocent victims call the police when someone breaks into their dwelling. They call for medical aid for the intruder who has been "justifiably" shot in self-defense, and they contact authorities so that the body may be "disposed of" properly and respectfully.

Robert Reynolds and Nicholas Simonds did none of this.

Instead they waited more than five days while they conspired to hide the body, and tampered with the crime scene in such a way that the real truth of the events of the evening may never be known.

Innocent victims do not act this way. Guilty people do. Criminals and murderers do.

If it wasn’t for the excellent police work by the authorities involved, Josh’s body may never have been found and his family would never have known what had happened to him. I truly hope this level of police work continues, and that further charges are brought against both Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Simonds.

James Strolin

Oneonta

Better planning needed on bridges

The recent bridge collapse in Minneapolis was an accident waiting to happen, according to the stories following this tragedy. The single-most-important root cause is money and lack of obsolescence planning. Bridges of this type built in this era should have been razed 25 years after construction and replaced with new construction.

Metal fatigue caused by continual use at ever-increasing capacity and overbuilding coupled with the use of salts in winter, which neutralized the chemical bonds in the concrete, led up to this tragedy. We could see the naked rebars and squarish chunks of rotten concrete exposed for all to see.

Roads are routinely replaced in some areas. Bridges should be also. There should be mandatory plans of obsolescence for these structures. By knocking them down and replacing them on a regular schedule, we will keep pace with evolving new technology and avoid these unnecessary tragedies in the future.

The Highway Trust Fund is all but a joke. This money from the tax on gasoline has been subverted, diverted and converted by state and federal governments for years. A good plan gone bad. The rolling stock _ the railroads _ have all but disappeared in this country, all to make way for the over-the-road trucking _ going from efficient to expensive. Now that we are in a global economy, we don’t have much time to get it right before our enemies try to take over.

David L. Hampel

Delhi

Projects could improve city

Oneonta residents are very fortunate to have two beautiful parks, and I think they are among our greatest assets. I am concerned about the appearance and condition of the Neahwa Park pond and wonder if the city has any plans for dealing with the invasive plant that is taking it over. What should be the focal point of the park is an ugly eyesore.

I would also love to see some trees planted around the park, particularly around the pond where so many people stop to relax and/or picnic.

I also wonder if there are any plans to rebuild the walking bridge connecting the upper and lower areas of Wilber Park? I’ve always enjoyed walking this loop, and having to walk through a parking lot to complete this circle isn’t quite the same.

And while I’m voicing my thoughts, I am also concerned with the appearance of the downtown. A coat of paint on the trim of the buildings and a daily sweeping of the sidewalks would go a long way to improving it. A continued planting of trees in the residential sections would also be a plus.

Those simple ideas wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg and would do much to make Oneonta a nicer and more beautiful place in which to live and probably help in attracting new businesses.

Sandra Mack

Oneonta