Letters to the Editor

Day of Caring

As a member of the board of directors of Fields to Families, I was fortunate to be in charge of an extraordinary project on Sept. 11, the Day of Caring. Blackbaud picked our project — building a shed on a piece of land loaned to us by Jack Schirlknight for the purpose of producing vegetables in Moncks Corner in order to further work toward our goal of feeding the hungry in the Lowcountry.

Fourteen enthusiastic and talented employees of Blackbaud turned out for our fun-filled Shedquarters project. They hammered, sawed and nailed together a 10x15 foot building with a soaring roof.

Peter Loy, president of Citadel Enterprises, generously loaned us his star builder, Dave Herring, and a van for the day, Dave conceived the plans and masterfully headed up this mini "barn raising."

Pat Crowe and his team at Guy C. Lee graciously sold us the materials at cost and delivered them at no cost.

With the group effort of these companies and individuals, Fields to Families hopes to glean 15,000 pounds of produce annually from this field alone, and house our tools and equipment in the finest shed ever built in the Lowcountry.

Thank you, Trident United Way and all of the great people, for showing the community how teamwork and caring can help those in need and make for a totally gratifying experience at the same time.

ROSALIE S. BRADHAM
Mount Pleasant Real Estate LLC
Etiwan Pointe Drive
Mount Pleasant

Red Cross help

I was quite disappointed that throughout all the interviews of people involved in the Hugo disaster scarcely any mention was made of the part your local Lowcountry Chapter of the Red Cross played during the preparation before landfall and its role in feeding and sheltering people afterwards. The American Red Cross housed individuals in this region for over 280,000 nights, some for one night, some for many weeks.

To open and staff all approved shelters under our jurisdiction takes a minimum of 3,200 trained volunteers. The Lowcountry Chapter is constantly recruiting and training people willing to take on this huge challenge. Our Lowcountry Chapter is second only to Tampa, Fla., in length of coastline that could be impacted by a major weather event.

Seventy shelters were opened in the Carolina Lowcountry region of Berkeley, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton and Jasper counties.

The National American Red Cross staff is 96 percent volunteers. Can you imagine any company where the majority of the staff works for no compensation and no benefits? Where you go into places with little to no comforts to work 12-hour shifts for people you don't know? Over 5,000 Red Cross workers were assigned in South Carolina alone after Hurricane Hugo.

Please take this glance back into our past as an opportunity to look forward to our future. Call the Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross at 843-764-2323 to find out how to volunteer, donate or become better prepared for our next disaster.

MARY BOS
Otranto Road
North Charleston

Health care

Responding to the editorial on President Barack Obama's health care reform speech to Congress, I believe the president was very specific as to how this plan would be paid for.

Not only did he discuss cost-saving measures in exisiting programs, but he also addressed economies to be found in technology and in replicating results based on best practices.

We must pass meaningful health care reform for the sake of all who are currently suffering with inadequate or no insurance. Of course reform isn't easy.

As a Christian, like many others of my faith, when faced with difficult or challenging decisions, I often ask myself, "What would Jesus do?" In the case of health care reform, that's a no-brainer. Jesus healed the sick, the lame, the blind, the deaf, at no charge. Not once did he ask if they had insurance or if their policy covered the procedure he was about to perform.

Can we do less?

JANE PULLING
Pinopolis Road
Pinopolis

Action needed

Your Sept. 21 editorial titled 'Positive steps on climate change' omits an important aspect of the debate over the clean energy and climate bill now in Congress: National Security. How can we ensure our country's long-term security when we spend billions every year on oil imported from other nations, some of which are openly hostile to the United States?

You stated: "In contrast, cap-and-trade legislation before Congress to control carbon emissions could strain an economy struggling out of a recession and accelerate the transfer of production to developing nations that have no such controls."

The truth is, we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and begin investing in American clean energy sources.

According to analysis by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), an independent unit of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the "cap and trade" legislation that your editorial opposes would actually help create 1.7 million new jobs and put America back in control of its energy production.

By harnessing S.C.'s offshore wind and agricultural biomass resources we can diversify our economy even as we protect our country from those who would do us harm. We have the opportunity to put our citizens back to work and build a more secure energy future.

Incremental progress is useful, but it is not an adequate response to this challenge. Bold action is what we need.

GREG VANDERWERKER
Ruddy Turnstone
Johns Island

Puzzle challenge

When I moved to Charleston 10 years ago I was elated by the quality crossword puzzles in The Post and Courier. I looked forward to the weekly ascension in difficulty from Monday onward and would often spend an hour or two at the breakfast counter of my local diner with a diabolical Saturday puzzle.

When the Sudoku craze hit, I was reluctant but soon found myself anticipating the Monday and Friday installments, which often drove me nuts.

Lately the crosswords have lost their punch, and most can be completed rather quickly without the previous satisfaction of a challenge met or the nagging of blank boxes waiting for answers and keeping my brain busy. I can't even fall back on the Sudokus for a bit of mental stretching — they are so easy now I leave them for my dog. What happened?

JOHN EATON
East Hardwick Lane
Goose Creek

People's system

A Sept. 25 letter titled 'School visits' made some valid points about the chain-of-command attitudes within the educational system. However, he missed the most important point: The right of the people who elect the board of education to oversee whatever needs to be overseen. They trump all non-elected personnel.

Setting curriculum and collecting taxes are not people's only concern. How the bloated system produces poor reading, dropout rates and scores must also be addressed.

It's not the Army or a private club. It's the people's system, and the top of the system is the board of education.

ROY JINDRACEK
Kingsbridge Drive
Goose Creek

Government help

If you are homeless, hungry, unemployed and without medical coverage, cheer up; government help is on the way.

If you don't buy health insurance, you will be charged with a misdemeanor.

If you can't pay the $1,900 fine, you will be jailed for one year. While incarcerated you will be provided shelter, food, work and free medical care. What a country.

MICHAEL YOUNG
Sea Eagle Watch
Charleston