Letters to the Editor

The April 26 issue of the Witness carried a full page of commentary on the Virginia Tech shooting where three well-known men pronounced judgment—evil, evil, evil. Mr. Walton went so far as to judge the shooter's heart, "... and there will never be a shortage of black hearts like Cho Seung-Hui's."

I was extremely upset to hear the reports of this awful tragedy, but the minute I heard it I recognized the symptoms of this sick man. He did a horrible thing, and I kept saying, "Where are the parents? What went wrong? Someone knew about this and should have warned the university."

You see, I have a mentally ill daughter and I know what it is like to see someone you love who is intelligent, beautiful and very talented go completely mad. I also know how easy it is for the ill person to fool the psychiatrist. Before my daughter was diagnosed, the doctors and hospitals had used up all her insurance benefits and she had to be sent to a state hospital. There she was quickly diagnosed bipolar.

Mental illness is no more evil than cancer but it causes much more gut-wrenching grief and it is much harder to get treated. I ask these men to search their hearts and come up with some helpful suggestions for this serious problem and please, please no more articles that inflict additional pain and suffering on mentally ill people and their families.

I have taken my youth group to Universal Studios "Rock the Universe" for last 6 years because of Disney's boycott. Last year was the first time to Disney's "Night of Joy," due to the boycott lift, but now I wonder, in light of the April 19 Witness article "Disney to allow same-sex vows," what do we do now? Why was the boycott lifted? I just assumed that Disney had made some sort of move in the "right" direction.

I guess it's back to Universal.

I have seen this same story splashed all over the pages of the local newspapers ("Florida bi-vocational pastor takes his life" in the April 19 Witness). I can understand why the secular world would want to denigrate and undermine the Christian faith with spreading this kind of gossip. I cannot, however, understand why a Christian paper would want to run this kind of story. Aren't we, as followers of a holy God and evangelists of the Good News of salvation, supposed to be encouraging and helping each other, rather than tearing each other down and being "accusers of the brethren"?

To say I am shocked and disappointed is obvious. I also add that your actions are deplorable and not at all conducive to harmony and "being in one mind and one accord." Indeed it is more along the lines of spreading discord and discontent. Shame on you all.