LETTERS
To the Editor:

Thank you to everyone for all of your help in getting the word out about Meredith. Thank you for all the calls and emails of concern and support.

This is obviously not the way we were hoping this would turn out but there are good things that came out of it.

Her friends are closer than ever before and I really think that will last forever. We also met some of the most incredible people in the world in Union County. They made us eat. They gave us clothes. They let complete strangers in their homes and made us feel like it was our home too.

I've never hugged so many random people in my life. Well, not sober anyway. I'm going to try to keep that up.

We don't want this to discourage anyone from hiking. Meredith would not want that. It was one of the things she loved most. Just be safe. Do it in groups or pairs.

Meredith is an incredible girl. She is beautiful inside and out. The people who know her are better off for it. I wish everyone could have met her but you can learn about her. Look at her facebook page. Read the things she wrote. View the pictures on helpfindmeredith.com. Ask me questions. I'm more than willing to talk about her.

Everyone should know her.

I love you all and all of us will remember the outpouring of love and support for the rest of our lives.

Thank you again,

Ronnie Tompson To the Editor:

". . . one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all." I like that. It was Christian worship that brought most of our ancestors here. And our national founders expressed their gratitude toward and belief in God. We believe in freedom of speech, and vigorously protect the right of every American to express him or her self, provided that doing so does not endanger life and limb of others; and as we know, falsely shouting 'Fire!' in a crowded movie theater holds that threat.

Guarding our freedoms often carries with it a price. I am reminded now of a growing boldness of atheists in America, in their irresponsible attacks on Christianity. As best I know, at least 85% of Americans believe in God. Personally, while I disagree with most religions- else I should join one of them- I prefer not to register publicly my disagreement; and I expect their like reciprocation. Equally so, while I respect the right of atheists to be what they are, I prefer not to register publicly my disagreement with them; provided they respect my right to belief in God.

I read recently of an atheist who claimed practically to have reached a state of lifelong nirvana in her practice of and belief in atheism. I found that odd when seen in her lengthy litany of resentful anger, leveled at Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. I understand that she became an atheist in her teens, and was thereafter historically insulted by any mention of God or religion. It is my surmise that the lady- now an octogenarian- began life as a Catholic somewhere in the northeast. It is also my surmise that she might have been abused by a parent or other relative, or by an authority figure; a priest or teacher. Her angry anti-religious attacks, however cleverly stated, do not seem to reflect lifelong of happiness sans religious belief. On the contrary, I sense a lifelong inner anger toward the person who robbed her of her innocence and thereby of her religion; and her displacement of bitter anger on her once religion. I would say ever to any atheist, If you're right and I'm wrong, nothing is lost; on the other hand, if I'm right and you're wrong, a warm but not so comfortable welcome will await you where you're headed. Me, I'll take my chances with God.

Tom McKevitt To the Editor:

I'm sure most of us have had dinner or lunch at the Crossroads Restaurant at one time or another.

Did you know they are now open for breakfast?

We tried it on Thursday, Dec. 13 and found it delicious! We have lived in the area for about five years, and have never had a bad meal in this restaurant.

Incidentally, we have no reason to be plugging this business, other than sharing the information with our friends and neighbors. Try it, you'll like it.

Sincerely, Rod Carlin