Episcopal Church
Ever since developing the normal, human capacity for disappointment as a child, I have been regularly disappointed by the Episcopal Church into which I was born. The wide-eyed zeal of church officials for the politically correct goads contempt. One wonders what is next: baptizing squirrels deemed to be earnest or assigning sloths with extraordinary manual dexterity to serve as chalice bearers? In assessing those church officials, one is reminded of Winston Churchill’s amusing application of the label, “The Boneless Wonder,” to a political opponent as effete as the church officials.
Yet, members of the South Carolina Diocese give Episcopalians cause for hope. Their walking out of the Episcopal General Convention on 11 July 2012 sent a fitting signal of derision to a church that continues to demonstrate that as bad as it is, it can always get worse. The weird self-destruction of the church is especially disturbing in the pathology that it reveals among some of its “leaders.”
On one hand, Presiding Bishop Schori of the Episcopal Church marches onward with her acute sense of theater and delusions of grandeur in apparent pursuit of irrelevance. On the other hand, the good members of the South Carolina Diocese aim, as cited in their declaration of 15 June 2012, to “make Biblical Anglicans for a global age.” Of note, chief among those good members is our own Very Reverend Fuener, Rector of Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church here in Georgetown. May both Bishop Schori and the good members of the South Carolina Diocese meet with bracing success in the pursuit of their divergent objectives!
Scott K. Gibson III
Pawleys Island
The past is measured by its impact on our lives in the present
How quickly we forget the political past or the big lie: The past is measured by its impact on our lives in the present.
Political discourses on various issues promote ideas that are in essence, necessary for feeding a dynamic democratic process. However, all ideas have potential consequences of cause and effect. Therefore, the voting public must at all times be vigilant of suggestive changes to traditional programs that support the middle class.
During the 1980 era, voters were presented by Congress an idea that retirement would be more profitable with a 401K retirement plan rather than a Defined Benefit Pension plan. The Democratic Party was against companies giving up the Defined Benefit Pension Plan. The Republican Party countered the Democrats with the idea that companies would incentivise 40lk(s) with a matching (3-6%). Voters bought the Republican's ideas hook, line and sinker.
However, today, lots of companies are dropping their matching gift. Some are also dropping their 401k because of global competition and increasing demand for bigger profit margins.
The historical three legs of retirement — Social Security, Company Pension, and Personal Savings — are today under fire. Retirement for many workers is only a hope.
How quickly we forget! Those same voices from the past are now in fact, suggesting that changes must occur to Social Security, Medicare and a host of programs that support the Middle Class. Why? So that they can save these programs? Right! If you believe that, where are the jobs for tax cuts for "The Job Creators?
Is it the same old car dressed up with a new paint job?
Chuck Cooper
Hopewell Junction, NY
Charles Cooper is a native of Georgetown.
Beautiful park, needs work
I just returned from taking my two young grandchildren to the park at East Bay in Georgetown. It is a beautiful park with great equipment for the kids.
I do not understand why there is not more in the way of shade trees. The sun beats down and there is little shade except for the picnic table area. Also, why is there only one porta potti, which appears to have never been cleaned? It was awful to take a 6-year-old in there.
This park was built for our use, but is missing some basic facilities. Surely our council could find some funds to correct these issues in an existing park before building so many new facilities. Who is going to provide maintenance for all of these parks? This one surely needs it.
Sharen Sherman
Pawleys Island
Olympic uniforms
According to an Associated Press article, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and fellow Democrats Steve Israel, Sherrod Brown, and Kirsten Gillibrand are outraged that our Olympic uniforms were made in a foreign country.
It doesn’t seem to bother them that their president was too.
Paul M. Clements
Gaffney, SC
Reward fund
The Boykin Spaniel Society, official breed registry for the South Carolina State Dog, has donated $500 to the reward fund established by St. Frances Animal Center, Georgetown, SC for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the torture and death of a Boykin Spaniel and Labrador Retriever whose bodies were discovered dumped in the International Paper Co. Canal on Brick Chimney Road July 5.
Donations to the fund now total over $5,000 and it is hoped that the reward will entice someone to step forward with information. "Darrah", a black Lab, survived and is now being treated at St. Frances for her injuries.
"Someone has to know something about this," said David Alford, Boykin Spaniel Society Board Chairman. "In my opinion, the arrest and conviction of individual(s) in this high-profile case might be a deterrent given the punishment under the state's anti-cruelty laws," he concluded.
According to the South Carolina Code of Laws 47-1-40(B): "Whoever tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or by omission or commission causes the acts to be done." This is a felony punishable by imprisonment of not less than 180 days and not to exceed 5 years AND a fine of $5000.
Anyone with information about the torture of these animals is asked to call the Georgetown Sheriff's Office at (843) 546-5102.
About The Boykin Spaniel Society
The Boykin Spaniel Society was founded in 1977 in Camden, South Carolina and the official breed registry began in 1979. On April 20, 1984 the Boykin Spaniel was named the South Carolina State Dog by the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Commission.
On September 1, 1984 Governor Richard W. Riley proclaimed the opening day of mourning dove season in South Carolina as Boykin Spaniel Day. The 1988-89 South Carolina state duck stamp — the most popular stamp of the series — featured a painting by Minnesota artist Jim Killen which depicted a Boykin holding a widgeon in its mouth and imprinted with the legend "Trained Retrievers Conserve Game". The Boykin Spaniel Society is headquartered in Camden, SC (803) 425-1032.
Dawn Crites
Boykin Spaniel Society
Camden