Learning from evangelicals
The irony in the May 21 story ''Sacred Heart building sold to expanding Ohio church'' is that Bethel Evangelical Church is attempting to build what the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is tearing down.
Bethel is buying from the diocese a church, rectory and community hall on Grant Street for the amazing sum of $181,000. They are hoping to draw a congregation of 100.
Sacred Heart of Jesus parish, founded in 1915 by Hungarian Catholics, had a total enrollment of over 200 parishioners. They had a comfortable savings account and were maintaining their campus in perfect condition.
The Cleveland Diocese could have organized creative collaboration with other small parishes to keep them all going and growing.
The Diocese of Cleveland has closed 55 parishes over the past few years, claiming problems with financial issues, declining numbers of priests and demographics. More than half were in circumstances nearly identical to Sacred Heart's. The only differences were that some were larger and some had more money in the bank.
As it grows, Bethel offers remote video services. Priest shortage? The diocese could take some ideas from the Bethel plan.
What is becoming obvious today is that shortsighted, hierarchical religions are losing members. Creative, people-centered religions are growing.
Active Catholics are still the largest group in the U.S. The second largest religious group (according to research) is ''former Catholics.'' At least one-third of Catholics have left the Catholic Church.
A parishioner from Sacred Heart, who fled Hungary during the Communist takeover, said she never dreamed she would have to fight the diocese to attempt to save her parish. She said in Hungary, the Communists closed the churches, but they did not sell or destroy the beautiful buildings.
With the sale and destruction of cherished churches, the decline in Catholic membership is understandable. Such cruelty to parishioners can only lead to more ''former Catholics.''
Nancy S. McGrath
Akron
Enablers at OSU
I think that Gene Smith should be the next one to resign from Ohio State. What kind of athletic director would let the football team and coach Jim Tressel break all those rules?
Smith must have known what was going on for all those years. If he says he didn't know, he should resign anyway, because he let it happen right under his nose.
Smith is as guilty as Tressel for running a corrupt organization. The truth will come out on how many rules and regulations were broken when the NCAA sanctions come down. The reputation of Ohio State is at stake, and they should purge their system in a show of good faith.
Curtis Blevins
Akron
Let's get serious about our problems
Recently, there have been reports that the country now has $62 trillion in unfunded financial obligations. That's more than $500,000 per household.
Then there were articles about New York Rep. Anthony Weiner admitting he sent lewd pictures of himself to various women over the past three years.
At a time when the country needs serious leadership, we get Weiner, who acts worse than a 13-year-old boy going through puberty.
We get an elected representative whose new defense is that he didn't break any House rules. Where I work, we have rules, both stated and implied, that make it pretty clear taht sending naughty pictures of oneself to strangers is a no-no.
Robert Carpenter
Akron
Protect the air and environment
Since 1990, when Congress amended the Clean Air Act with bipartisan support, the Environmental Protection Agency has had the authority to control mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from major sources of emissions. In 2000, the EPA presented its findings. It was determined that limiting toxins like mercury was ''appropriate and necessary'' due to the severe human health and wildlife impacts from emissions in Ohio and throughout the United States.
On May 24 in Chicago, the EPA held a public hearing on lowering emissions of toxins like mercury. Several spoke on the proven impacts of mercury emissions, including the severe birth and mental-health defects of newborn babies.
Some members of Congress would prefer to block these common-sense standards for clean air and delay implementation. As an Ohio native interning for Environment Ohio in Washington, D.C., I am appalled by this response. It's been more than 20 years since Congress authorized this action, and human and wildlife health are still at risk. It is now time to enforce a strong mercury and air toxins rule for the sake of our environment and our health.
Julianne D'Amico
Jackson Township
Video the truth
In her June 2 commentary (''Dash cam videos and the public interest''), Jan Leach argues that such videos can inform the public about police work (heroics and mistakes), even when cops are killed. That's true.
But there is an even better reason to release this raw footage from a police cruiser's camera. Such images help journalists document the increasing violence of our society in a way that basic news stories rarely achieve.
Similarly, the federal government used to prohibit news photographers from taking pictures of soldiers' caskets being off-loaded from military transport planes. The Pentagon's intent was to avoid publicizing the enormous sacrifices Americans were making in Iraq. Such photos may demoralize the folks back home, many of whom would like to pretend there is no war.
Eventually, the government's prohibition against such photos was overturned. Now, state Sen. Frank LaRose may think he is protecting the privacy of law enforcement families by making the release of dash cam videos illegal when police are killed in action. But his idea, if enacted, would only serve to hide an ugly truth about our communities.
Eric Sandstrom
Grand Junction, Colo.
Editor's Note: The writer is a former Beacon Journal reporter who now teaches journalism in Colorado. He frequently returns to Akron.
