Show humanity to the suffering
I commend Gov. Walker for not closing off our state to Syrian refugees. This is not the time to overreact to the violence of Paris. It's a time to show our humanity to a culture of people who are suffering. I read recently comments from residents of another state who basically called the refugees of Syria "animals." When we begin to think of others who are much different than ourselves, especially those who have suffered far more than we will probably ever suffer, as animals, then we have to ask the question, "who is the animal"? Do not let violence turn us into animals. Let us have compassion for those people less privileged and in need.
— Larry Holman
Anchorage
Don't treat leaders like losers
I'd like to differ with D. M. Booth's cartoon on the Nov. 16 op-ed page: "Choosing a political candidate these days reminds me of going fishing where there ain't no fish." Really? You cannot find one person running for public office, from Ben Carson to Bernie Sanders, from Bill Starr to Eric Croft, not one, who shares your vision of what your country or your community ought to be? You haven't found even one contender worthy of your support, and not deserving of your easy, petulant cynicism?
I sure can. I find good people among the candidates I back (and in a community this small they're often people I've had the privilege to meet), and I also find them, often enough, among candidates who won't get my vote, but whose honest intention to do what's best as they see it, I've never had occasion to question.
Running for office is grueling: physically taxing, emotionally draining, and personally expensive; holding public office is no picnic either. If we want people who share our dearest values, whichever those are, to lead, we'll need not to treat them like losers for even deciding to put their names forward.
— Barb Clark
Anchorage
Member explains LDS Church's gay marriage stance
Ever since same-sex marriage was legalized, the Church of Latter-Day Saints has been under fire for its stance against gay marriage. But as a member of the LDS Church, which people call the Mormon church, here are my views and my leaders.' "The church has long been on record as opposing same-sex marriages, while it respects the law of the land, and acknowledges the right of others to think and act differently, it does not perform or accept same-sex marriage within its membership," said LDS spokesman, Eric Hawkins in a statement. Just because we think differently than society says we should, we've been under pressure to conform with society's beliefs. But we follow heavenly father's law, not the land's. "Man's laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral" (The 12 Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The Lord has declared marriage is between and man and a woman. If you have a different opinion, that's OK. You have free agency. But we know to find true happiness we need to keep the Lord's commandments, no matter what society thinks and believes.
The church has also added same-sex couples as apostates, and their children will not be able to have church membership until they turn 18. In response Jana Riess on The New York Times said "They can either be excluded from lifelong love and companionship, or excluded from the blessings of the church." My response is, if they truly believed in the LDS church, why would they not keep His commandments. You can not truly love God and go against His laws. That would just hurt you in the long run.
For the kids, I know most of you might seem this as harsh. But we don't want our next generations in an environment where it's OK to break God's commandments as long as you love them. God set these rules to help us grow and overcome many challenges. I know many in our church are struggling with problems. I just want to let you know as long as you don't act upon them and go against God, you're not breaking his commandments. It's when you act upon those feelings that you go against heavenly father.
— Kati Jo Engberson
Anchorage
The diversity of our nation and state makes us better people
I hope that Gov. Walker will not only abstain from partisan posturing regarding Syrian immigrants, but take the economic, not to mention moral, stand. Is it possible that among the millions of refugees some may be militant terrorists? Yes. Is it likely? No. Is it possible that among the millions of refugees some may be well-educated engineers, artists, scientists, teachers, children, and human beings that may just return the favor of asylum with productivity and creative solutions to difficult problems in our own country? Yes. Is it likely? Absolutely. Let the history of the United States be our guide. Is a spirit and ethos of inclusion an aspect of what makes America unique? It encourages the bravest and the best in humanity around the world to take the risks to escape their predicaments at home and take the insecurity of a new start in a new place. Absolutely. Frankly it is not even relevant whether droves of thinkers and problem solvers are among the Syrian refugees. The diversity of our nation, our state and our community makes us better people than we already are. Don't let fear paralyze pragmatic thought, nor a misunderstanding of the relative statistics of immigration and terrorism/crime risk a moral attitude. Our values as a nation of immigrants (not all of us are indigenous, are we) and our compassion as human beings (4 million refugees) should guide us instead. When I help someone, I don't consider it in terms of how I will benefit, but I understand that to some degree a government with finite resources must. So let a framework of risk analysis or cost-benefit yield the same answer. Our risk and cost is low compared to the huge upside of benefits, not to mention our morality remains intact.
— Ted Stille
Eagle River
Let the arrogant do-gooders take in Syrian, male Muslim refugees
Let all those, regardless of political affiliation or position, who demand Americans take in (especially Syrian) refugees, personally adopt five randomly selected male refugees. These would-be do-gooders have the audacity to imply everyday Americans who want to maintain a sovereign, safe nation are in violation of "American values." Most politicians who know nothing about integrity and accountability, especially the president and his sycophants, are financially well off and live in gated or upscale communities not wracked by ghetto-like conditions, so they pontificate about others' morality.
Let the first 10 (randomly selected) male Syrian Muslim refugees alternatively baby-sit and mentor the president's daughters. Let the next tranche of refugees from any nation move next door to the president's Chicago home. Let the vice president use the money he gets from renting his facilities to the Secret Service to provide accommodations on adjacent property to house 100 refugees. Let John Kerry pay for — oh, I forgot, it's his wife's money. Let Alaska's governor and Cabinet adopt a refugee family to live in their homes, and provide additional housing for all the refugee relatives.
How about we have a coalition of world leaders clear out Raqqa and other ISIS-infected areas, create and protect safe zones, and send all refugees back to their countries of origin to rebuild their societies? Then people in those coalition countries could proudly say they helped stabilize the world, and not have their leaders say, "Look how humanitarian I am because I admitted thousands of refugees into areas of my country that I will never visit."
— Chuck Orr
Anchorage
Americans should be armed at all times
Regarding the attack in Paris.
The terrorists consider themselves wolves, killing the sheep.
It is time for the sheep to grow claws.
It is time for the sheep to grow fangs.
And it is time for the sheep to use them to kill the wolves.
All sheep should be armed so as to protect themselves from the wolves.
Some will die, to be sure, but many less than would have occurred lest the sheep not be armed.
Our president not only wants our citizens to be unarmed, but seems to support the Islamic terrorists in what they do.
It is time to fight back. Would you rather die upon your knees, cowering in a corner, or upon your feet, fighting back against the enemy?
All American adults should be armed, at all times. Why? Because maniacs should be killed before they can kill more individuals than they wish.
— Randy Lee Harkins
Anchorage
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