Athens Review, Athens, Texas

Breaking News

Opinion

Discussion

July 1, 2009

MAIL CALL: We should all respect the Earth

I am left shaking my head, as the vandalism at the East Texas Arboretum is beyond comprehension. It appears that a reckless mind with a can of spray paint wrecked havoc on an innocent place of tranquil beauty.

The word that comes to mind is respect, or in this case, the lack of respect. Of course there was a lack of respect for property and the rights of others, but more importantly there was unequivocal disregard for natural beauty. There is something sinister about spray painting a flower garden. I just cannot get my head around it.

But society, on a much larger scale will go into pristine woodlands and dig out a large basin for water to be sold and piped into a concrete jungle. We will also drill holes in any place of beauty where another pint of oil might be retrieved. Whether it’s water or oil, we find it very hard to think outside the hole in the ground.

What is the difference between spray paint and an oil spill? Recovery from spray paint cost thousands of dollars; recovery from an oil spill, billions. And trees submerged beneath a reservoir of water, no amount of money can resurrect that beauty. Believe it or not, a monetary debt is not the greatest debt we can leave our children and grandchildren.

As a society, we might look around at all the natural beauty that gives us pleasure, and just ask: do I really want to spray paint what God has provided?

Jerry S. Phillips

Athens

Text Only
Opinion
  • art lawler cutout.jpg In spite of everything, brave young cops are protecting us

    Details are still emerging on this story, so I won’t get into names and a lot of details today.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • RICH-USE THIS ONE.JPG Again bowled over by canine chaos on Super Sunday

    The Super Bowl is now in our rear view mirror, and I’ve had to deal with the fact that football season is finally over.
    Men and women in shorts are now running around with a round ball. They’ll be dominating the sports calander for the next couple of months. We’re just a few weeks away from March Madness, and after that, the NBA playoffs.

    February 9, 2012 1 Photo

  • Kathi Nailling If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is

    Women got the right to vote when the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1920.
    We take voting very serious.  Those women before me fought so I would have the right to cast my vote.  My sisters

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • art lawler cutout.jpg Tis a matter of the bladder — the screaming bladder

    One of the few advantages of growing older is that you can schedule the taking of your prescription drugs, based on  your own personal alarm clock.
    From what I’ve been told by the older folks, of which I’m a very borderline member, if you can’t remember any other time to take your pills, do it the first time your bladder wakes  you up in the middle of the night.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • art lawler cutout.jpg The Joe Pa story teaches us an old, old lesson

    Before we move too far away from the Joe Paterno scandal that dominated the last three months of his life, I’d like to take one last attempt at perspective.

    January 30, 2012 1 Photo

  • Kathi Nailling I can’t understand the remarks of one online columnist

    A recent column on an on-line website stated that “Three newspapers chains control dissemination of local news in Cedar Creek Lake area

    January 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • RICH-USE THIS ONE.JPG Young people will always be something good to talk about

    As the years pile up, there are many things I envy about young people.
    First of all, those people can sleep. I remember, when I was a kid, and would hear retired people talking about getting up at 4 a.m., having a cup of coffee and a big breakfast, I’d think — why?

    January 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Kathi.JPG Some people are very good and honest

    Sometimes it seems like all I  ever hear are how bad people are. I don't believe that. I think we all have some good in us.
    It could be because I work for a paper that I hear a lot of negativity.

    January 20, 2012 1 Photo

  • Founding fathers would fight for nativity scene

    If you were to ask the question, “What do the Christian Left and atheists have in common?” the answer might be that many of them believe in the modern version of separation of church and state. I believe the difference between them is that the Christian Left is just uninformed about the historical truths, while the atheist is being guided, knowingly or not, by the hand of Satan.

    December 20, 2011

  • Svehlak, Lange inside.tif A reminder of what matters most

    I have to be honest.
    When I first heard a group from Wisconsin wants to have the nativity scene removed from our courthouse square, after receiving an anonymous complaint from someone who was offended, I was furious.
     

    December 12, 2011 1 Photo