Americans must be united

Dear editor:

When John Lennon wrote, "Imagine if there were no religions," it wasn't because he was against religion, but it was to point out most wars were in the name of religion. Opportunists use religion to steal, rape and kill the infidel du jour.

In The Sentinel-Record of Aug. 24, I read the crazies in Syria have destroyed another ancient temple, and while at it, they beheaded an 81-year-old antiquities scholar and hung his body on a pole. They are systematically destroying the same ruins I studied in art school ... and their own history ... vowing to clear the world of paganism.

This is why the carvings of the Confederate generals on Stone Mountain, Ga., and any other art from any period of our history must remain intact. Andrew Jackson was a genocidist, but the Indians are not calling for all paintings of him to be destroyed. Born and reared in a small town in Louisiana, even as a child, I thought the "colored" people to be exotic and nice. That made it important, though not easy, for me to teach in Headstart in the '60s, but now I watch in horror as the wealthy use religion to control men, women and churches for votes. African-American leaders for the most part, since the Civil War, have shown dignity and perseverance in the fight for equality, but if art is destroyed, we are no better than our enemy. America must be united or the Islamic religion extremists will play on our division ... they already are. Religious Americans must also take the high road and recognize the fact that the first to lose power in a declining society are women and children.

Since the passage of Roe vs. Wade, abortions have declined, so why not step in the right direction and take the advice of Linda Bates, county extension agent, printed in the Aug. 24 paper, about teaching very young children self-worth? And self-protection should be included.

Thank God for a man like George Lindholm, because he cites all of the factual data to back up his truisms, while I write from memory. I'm of the age to know how it really was for us before the women's march toward equality. It was especially hard for single/divorced women with no education and even harder for their children. And there was no protection for a wife of an abuser.

Thank God for the wealthy, powerful women and men who had a thirst for justice and supported us. Like now, it caused a backlash, so those with political aspirations did it secretly ... will we ever learn ... are we to repeat the likes of Joe McCarthy again and again?

Go figure!

Lynn Simmons

Hot Springs

Editorial on 08/30/2015

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