Editorial board


RICHARD L. CONNOR

Editor and Publisher

JOSEPH

Holy Redeemer Athlete Awarded Certificate Of Merit

To leave good impression, repair W-B Boulevard
Regarding this statement made earlier in the week concerning the Coal Street Park renovation: &ldquo;The impression that people are going to get as they come into Wilkes-Barre will leave a quality imprint.&rdquo;
That might be true if they do not come down Wilkes-Barre Boulevard. That piece of roadway, especially from Scott Street to Market Street, is in deplorable condition. The lines dividing the lanes are faded and cars are traveling too close  to each other. There are cracks and potholes that have not been repaired for far too long.
If you want the city to be better represented, fix the boulevard. Paint the lane stripes and repave the critical areas. Then, maybe, people driving into Wilkes-Barre will have the &ldquo;quality imprint&rdquo; of which the state representative spoke.
Resident: Exeter Wal-Mart would ruin quality of life
I am a 23-year-old resident of Exeter. I was born and raised here and was fortunate enough to find a well-paying job with benefits in a nearby community. 
I was educated at LaSalle College in Philadelphia. While there, one of the requirements of a business course, also necessary at many other colleges and universities across the country, was to write a paper on the effect of Wal-Mart on a small community. Up to this point, I had no idea what the effects were. But, upon completion of my report, the detrimental effects were quite obvious and eye-opening.
If you already haven&rsquo;t done research on this subject, do it for yourself. 
Why would anyone want to jeopardize the community in which he or she lives? We should want to preserve the quality of life that has been maintained in Exeter for the past 125 years.
I am urging the youth of our area to get involved with this issue because the decision made by Exeter Council will affect our generation and generations to come.
Hate crime charges said to complicate some cases
The recent decision handed down in Schuylkill County regarding the kicking death of that Mexican man reinforces my reservations about the use of hate crime charges, specifically in such serious cases.
These reservations have nothing to do with mitigating the racism and hatred that still exists in our society. The evidence of this is obvious to me in the judgment that was reached. This case &ndash; because of the extreme emotional content &ndash; should never have been held in Schuylkill County, nor should the jury have been picked from residents of the county.
However, it should be noted that when the burden of proof is to determine the source of the person&rsquo;s anger or ire, it complicates matters.
 Devoid of the specific hate crime intent, the punishment for this type of crime would be sufficiently severe. When you engage in speculation of the particular state of mind or thoughts of the alleged perpetrator, you are asking people to determine &ldquo;beyond a reasonable doubt&rdquo; that at the time the action was committed the person was doing it specifically for racial hated. The idea that you can somehow deduce someone&rsquo;s thoughts for a specific motive seems a stretch and makes the case more complicated than it has to be. 
I am glad there is the recourse of federal charges in this case. However I think it could have been resolved in a simpler way. I think the intent of people who promote hate crime legislation is good, but the idea of proving &ldquo;thought crimes&rdquo; renders the situation more complicated than it has to be and actually sometimes does more harm than good. 
Writer questions what it takes to be &lsquo;true&rsquo; Catholic
I am 70 years old. I have worked hard all my life and, although I am retired, I still have to work to get by.
My life has not been as rewarding as I would have liked, with more setbacks and hardships than most people I know, but that has not changed my outlook.  
I have a daughter and son, three granddaughters and one grandson. I am Catholic and believe in my faith. I don&rsquo;t go to church as much as I should, and when I do go I put cash in the basket, so the church does not know I&rsquo;m there. I say my prayers daily and always thought church was where one or more were gathered in the name of the Lord.
I was recently proven wrong by a priest. My grandchildren love me a lot and treat me as their best friend. My point is my grandson wants me, his friend, to sponsor his confirmation.
The priest let me know in quite a harsh way that I could not be a sponsor because I&rsquo;m not registered and don&rsquo;t contribute weekly to the church. I guess I could have been giving my envelopes to a friend or relative, as I know others do, but I chose not to.
I was told my grandson has to be protected from untrue Catholics like me. That&rsquo;s the rule of the church.
I pleaded my case for my grandson, hoping the priest would invite me for counseling and give me penance, so I could make my grandson happy. Needless to say, my plea fell on deaf ears.
My question is this: What makes a good Catholic?
Before you answer, you should know prayers are green, stuffed into small envelopes and dropped into baskets on Saturdays and Sundays.
Christian beliefs have rational place in science
Letter writer Michael Shambora&rsquo;s diatribe against Christian belief being a part of public debate (&ldquo;Bible should not be used to stem scientific study,&rdquo; April 23) was like a drive-by shooting. It was, legally speaking, prejudicial rather than probative and not to be taken seriously.
Is it legitimate for our Christian beliefs to inform public-policy positions? I say it is, because it is rational. When practiced rightly, Christianity works positively in one&rsquo;s life and society benefits.
God is not dead as was said in the 1950s. He is a bona fide part of cosmological and philosophical debate in our citadels of learning.
Anthony Flew, formerly one of the world&rsquo;s foremost atheists, has renounced his atheism as a result of advances in natural theology. Richard Dawkins (world&rsquo;s foremost evolutionist and a scientist) confessed that now he believes it is a reasonable position to believe in a supreme being, even while he does not.
Powerful cosmological arguments like the Kalam Argument make God&rsquo;s existence necessary. The argument proceeds as a syllogism. Simply put:
1. That which begins to exist must have a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
God is the uncreated, eternally existent creator.
Christ instructed Christians in Matthew 5:13-16 to be the salt of the Earth and the light of the world. They are to preserve and enlighten. So, speak out and exercise your Christian beliefs in public debate. Don&rsquo;t be shouted down by the rant of a few.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
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To leave good impression, repair W-B Boulevard Regarding this stat