Successful food drive
Dear Editor: On May 11, the National Association of Letter Carriers held the largest one-day food drive in the country. The amount of food collected in Fayette County was impressive.
The letter carriers of Brownsville, Carmichaels, Connellsville, Dunbar, Fairchance, Masontown and Uniontown would like to extend their warmest thanks to the residents of these and surrounding communities that so generously donated to this worthy cause.
Special thanks go to the Normalville Post Office, which sent in a large carton of food.
This carton was added to the amount collected by the Uniontown Carriers for a total of 15,412 pounds. The beneficiary of this food was the Fayette County Community Action Food Bank.
The Brownsville Soup Kitchen received 6,300 pounds of food that was collected by Brownsville city carriers. California carriers sent 1,800 pounds of food to the Allenport Food Bank. Carmichaels sent 2,737 pounds to the North Cumberland Food Bank; Connellsville carriers sent 9,550 pounds of food to the Connellsville Community Ministries; Dunbar sent 1,129 pounds to Saint Vincent DePaul Food Bank. Fairchance contributed 1,035 pounds to the Fairchance Apostolic R.V. Center, and Masontown city carriers sent 1,585 pounds to the First Presbyterian Church.
I would like to add my personal appreciation to the citizens of Fayette County, the food banks that help so much, the businesses that provided free advertising, the letter carriers who really worked hard and to letter carrier Karen Nairn, coordinator for the Food Drive.
My calculator shows 39,548 pounds of food donated, collected and provided for those in need. Well done.
Pat Farrell, postmaster
Uniontown
Rise above barbarism
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to a letter that was published in the June 3 issue of the Herald-Standard, which was titled “This isn’t patriotism.” Mr. Gardner had the audacity to make the assumption that just because there are Americans who have values and have worked to become a humane society, they are not patriotic and sympathetic to those victims of Sept. 11.
Well, I am writing to inform Mr. Gardner that he is sadly mistaken.
These Americans that he calls non-patriotic are just that and more. These people understand a concept that Mr. Gardner has been unable to grasp.
They understand that this nation was one that was built with the idea of liberty and justice for everyone. They understand the meaning of being an American. Mr. Gardner it seems that you are suggesting brutal and less human treatment of these Muslims.
But what you fail to understand is that this is the idea that separates our country from theirs.
We have learned to treat others with the same respect that we wish to be given to our own soldiers. By making the same animalistic acts they have made towards us, we become them.
These people you criticize understand this concept, and it is one you need to learn.
Yes, these people do fully understand that we are at war. I wonder how you would feel if it were your brother, father, or even best friend being held in a similar camp.
Would you prefer them to be beaten, starved, and left for dead, or would you prefer that they be treated somewhat civilly until their guilt is proven?
I assure you these men will receive exactly what they deserve, but it is not your place to criticize the people who are making sure that it is being done justly.
I am glad that these people you call “brain-dead Americans” are taking the actions that they are, because if the country were left in the hands of people like you we would be no better than the people we are detaining. In the end of your letter you stated “God help us.”
Well Mr. Gardner, I suggest you begin addressing your God in a different manner because only he can save your barbaric and hateful nature.
Someone must worry about the care of others or we will be living in a world filled with people like you, and that is a day I hope I never live to see.
Fallon Carroll
Fairchance