August 29, 2008 05:18 pm
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Forum at church was valuable
I found it very ironic that two syndicated columnists had a similar opinion of the presidential forum held at Saddleback Church, moderated by Pastor Rick Warren in the Sunday, Aug. 24, Indepedent. Kathleen Parker called the forum “supremely wrong” while Star Parker said it was a “foray into presidential politics (which) carries a lot of baggage and creates problems.”
With all due respect to each of these esteemed columnists, I believe America benefited greatly by having the opportunity to see these candidates in a non-adversarial format where each was asked the same series of questions during their time with Pastor Warren. To each candidate’s credit, they both stood firm on their convictions regarding the appointment of Supreme Court Justices, abortion, the war on terror and how they view the American economy.
Everyone I talked with who saw the broadcast on Fox News and CNN felt the same way. The Saddleback forum was well done and allowed us to get a glimpse into the personal lives and perspectives of each of the candidates which is usually not the case in the typical presidential debate format.
In criticizing the format, Star Parker commented “we have institutions for civic and political forums: The press, universities, town halls, etc. If they’re not delivering well, let the marketplace work to improve what we are getting ... this is not the job of Pastors or Churches.” Just because the Saddleback Church is a Christian/religious institution, should it not also be considered a part of the “marketplace”?
Bruce E. Blackburn , Flatwoods
Don’t allow ACTC theater to die
The theater program at Ashland Community & Technical College has a rich history of providing students and members of our community with an opportunity to discover the arts. The program allows the cast and crew to create a sense of belonging, a sense of self, to learn responsibility and to study the theater in all regards.
This is why I was surprised to learn the ACTC theater has been shut down by the college. ACTC President Greg Adkins said that the season will continue, but it seems as if he’s making excuses to keep the theater dark. It also seems as if the college is intentionally trying to shut down this program.
But I refuse to let this happen, and I call on the community to rally around this cause. We need to show our support of the ACTC theater and its director, Ed Figgins. This is our college and our community and our theater. The president has no right to shut down what has become a staple of the Ashland area.
The ACTC theater made me the person I am today. It helped me forge numerous friendships; I earned my bachelor of arts in theater because of it and it has heavily influenced my career. I owe my life to the ACTC theater and Mr. Figgins. I'm going to fight for both of them and I hope the community will join me.
Kenneth E. Riffe, Jr., President, ACTC Student Government, 2003-2005
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