Letters to the Editor Policy

She Wasn’t A Fraud

The Editor of the Transcript has provided a forum for discussion on a variety of topics. Thank you, Editor, Mr. Charles Ficarro. My letter is about religion and to respond to the claim that Mother Teresa was a fraud, written several months ago by a woman.

I personally had the honor and privilege of meeting Mother Teresa several times. From November 2, 1985 to June 6, 1988 I worked in the Missionaries of Charity men’s shelter in the South Bronx near 3rd Ave. and 146th St. The MC sisters had their convent near 3rd Ave. and 145th St. I was a full time volunteer at the men’s shelter and I know many facts about how hard the MC sisters work. I drove some of the sisters to various places in NYC and NJ. On four of those occasions I drove Mother Teresa with some of her sisters. One time, Mother Teresa had to go to her contemplative sisters on Union Ave., about two miles from 335th and 145th St. Several nuns of Mother Teresa got into my van and Mother said to me - Bruce, do you know where our sisters live? Yes, Mother, I said, and she and I drove to her other convent.

A simple, nobody man, like me was driving a world class, exceptional woman and a champion of the poor! Let me tell you - every time that Mother was in my van I wanted to shout out to everyone that Mother Teresa is here, passing along! The rich wanted to meet Mother, the middle class and especially the poor wanted to meet Mother Teresa, wherever she went around the world. The Missionaries of Charity sisters have houses in over 137 countries in the world; approximately 4,500 sisters, several hundred brothers, and dozens of priests make up the MC order.

Would you like to know how and what the world thinks of Mother Teresa? Mother has been awarded and honored by proclamations over 700 times! The latest is a statue being sculptured in the Washington DC National Cathedral (Episcopal denomination) and the sculpture of Mother Teresa is to be unveiled this coming Easter. Rosa Parks is also to be sculptured at this time. India honored Mother with a state funeral at her death in 1997. A magnificent train of the railway of India is presently traveling the whole length and width of India with 3 beautifully decorated cars, blue and white striped outside and inside with Mother Teresa pictures and events in her life. India, which is 81% Hindu, released a commemorative coin honoring Mother Teresa. The country of Albania (Mother was born in that area) has named their world class airport in the capital Tirana after Mother Teresa, and honored her also with a commemorative coin. Albania is 70% Muslim.

As for our United States, Mother Teresa was honored by President Ronald Regan with the US Medal of Freedom; of the world’s population of 6 billion, this medal has been awarded many times. Mother Teresa was awarded by the US Congress, unanimously, an honorary citizenship award; only seven people have been awarded this honor.

Mother Teresa brought to the attention of the world the plight of the poor. She “ran the walk” and “spoke, very elegantly, the talk!” This under 5 foot woman, soft and humble in her nature, deserves all the credit that the world bestows on her. As for the claims that Mother Teresa did not respond or divulge the money from the Colorado millionaire that gave her other peoples money - where is the outcry of the man in NY City that is on trial for defrauding much more money! As for her claim that Mother Teresa’s homes did not practice good medical practice in the treatment of patients in some of their care - why, all of a sudden, do you see antiseptic hand wash dispensers all over now (banks, offices, toilet areas, etc)? Is it possible that germs are everywhere? Why attack Mother Teresa?

In closing, I can thank God that Mother Teresa looked out of the train ride in India and left a comfortable life to pick up the poor in the gutters of Calcutta, India. This letter to Mr. Ficarro had a Mother Teresa stamp that the US Postal Service issued in her honor September 5 of last year, the day of her passing. 2010 marked her 100th birthday. I bought this stamp and many other Mother Teresa stamps at our Susquehanna Post Office from Gene and Terri.

Sincerely,

Bruce Moorhead

Susquehanna, PA

Citizens Need To Unite

There is growing concern about the negative affects of gas drilling in our county.

There are more incidents of pollution of ground water, well water, noise, light pollution and air pollution and increasing truck traffic. We have local citizens actively watching this, noting it, calling the DEP with concerns, going to meetings and film showings and discussions by scientists on the pros and cons of gas drilling.

Our clean water and air is more important than money. Network and join the local groups that want our natural resources to stay natural. If you see problems , call or write and you can be anonymous. Contact DEP at the Natural Gas Tip Line at 877-919-4372 or eyesondrilling@epa.gov, or contact a local citizen group, Citizens for Clean Water, Vera Scroggins at 607 237 9685 or veraduerga@yahoo.com.

Check out our web site where citizens write their observations and views and concerns at nepagasaction.org. Watch videos on youtube.com like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6qWR8bjNS8, which show a family struggling with water well pollution from gas drilling in Bradford County. Bradford County has dozens of families that can not any longer drink their water after gas drilling.

Have your water tested before the drilling starts near you , if you can afford it. Test for methane and other gases, dissolved solids, metals, lead, arsenic, barium, aluminum, and other elements. Stand up for the rights of the land, nature, animals and the health and welfare of all.

We don't want our county to be an industrial wasteland. Take tours of the more-heavily drilled areas like Dimock, Springville and Auburn and ask questions of the residents. Gas drilling involves an entire infrastructure of pipelines from the drilled wells to transmission lines to compressor stations with their toxic emissions.

Laser Marcellus Pipeline Company is predicting over 500 wells alone in the northern third of our county. Can we safely and healthfully live with this industry? Most industries of such magnitude are confined to industrial parks in other parts of our country. Our County is not an industrial park.

The Citizens can stand up and act even when their government is supporting the moneyed, profiteering interests of corporations over their own citizens. Please do not leave our grandchildren a mess to clean up.

Sincerely,

Vera Scroggins

Brackney, PA

Nero Fiddles

I wish that I could say that I am optimistic with respect to the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, but I am not. In my opinion, there is a reasonably good chance that some of these countries will fall under the control of the Muslin theocracies much as Iran. Saudi Arabia, of course, is the prize and the Saudi Royal family is probably not big enough and strong enough to suppress a committed insurrection. And with the loss of Saudi Arabia, we, the United States, are a sitting duck, if we are not already. As we watch Libya go up in flames, we watch the price of gasoline and fuel oil go up with it. While Libya is only a small potato in the world oil markets, that civil strife is having a major effect on oil prices. Knowledgeable energy experts predict that we may very well see five dollar, or more, pump prices by late spring. I know what that is going to do to my budget. I am afraid to ask what it will do to yours.

Meanwhile, it should be comforting to know that we have, for all intents and purposes, shut down virtually all new drilling in the Gulf in response to Green Initiatives. There will be no permits for drilling either in Federal (yours and mine) lands or in the sacred ANWR region of the North Slope of Alaska. As we sink rather quickly to the level of insignificance with respect to the international stage, I sleep well knowing that the bunnies and caribou are safe and sound from evil man. My grandchildren may not like the life to which I am consigning them, but why should I care. I will be gone. So, in order to hasten our descent into irrelevancy, we spend our treasure on pretty windmills and foreign oil. Meanwhile, China puts a new coal fired electric generating plant on line every week. Bad, bad them.

Back to reality - I am pretty angry by what I am seeing. Libya is in turmoil and the Libyan government is shooting its people. Egypt is adrift and vulnerable to radical Muslim takeover. The president of the most powerful (temporarily) country in the world sits in silence for nine days and then he becomes a spineless scold. Fear not, though, he has decided that this is a good time to decry the Defense of Marriage Act. Man, is that a high priority issue or what? Nero fiddles while Rome burns. I wish I didn’t get it, but I do. Do you?

On our present course, we will not continue to be the country our Founders envisioned and the Greatest Generation achieved. I’m not even sure that we will make the next two years. In the event that we do, we are still capable of surviving what is going to otherwise crush our economy. But folks, we can only take so much and our resources are finite. Recognizing that we evolved as a petroleum dependent country, if we continue to depend on foreign oil we will certainly fail. The solution is simple but will take time. Drill everywhere and drill now. Then, to prevent our oil from going to the highest international bidder, enact an export tax on domestically produced oil of twenty five to fifty dollars a barrel so that our country can keep our economy going by having domestic petroleum available at prices that will allow us to prosper. Otherwise, we will see our lifeblood pour out in the sands of the Middle East. What a shame.

Sincerely,

Joe McCann

Elk Lake, PA

The Impossible Dream

It was a titanic struggle played out on the world's stage. The people of Egypt pitted against their own president, the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. And the impossible happened; the fellaheen won - so far. But if you think the opposition will just fold their tents and silently steal away into the night, you're dead wrong.

The U.S. wasted no time in preparing to coop the grassroots revolution. The White House holds a demanaclean sword over the Egyptian army. It receives $1.3 billion a year from the U.S. and that can buy a lot of influence.

Further, the Obama administration is considering funding “acceptable” political parties to parry what it imagines to be an influential role of Islamic extremists in the new government.

And most disconcerting, President Obama promised “whatever assistance is necessary to pursue a credible transition to a democracy.” The keyword is, “credible.” It is a shot across the bow to any prospective government; it is the U.S. that will decide what is credible.

But what the U.S. considers credible is highly suspect. Hosni Murarak, the deposed president of Egypt, was considered a credible allay for 30 years and the recipient of some $60 billion in taxpayer funds.

For that money, and tens of billions more to buttress a bevy of dictators in the Mideast and the northern rim of Africa, we purchased the enmity of the Arab world and a wildfire of revolutions fueled by a significant undercurrent of anti-American sentiment.

But there is a better way: stop meddling in the affairs of other nations and discontinue all foreign aid.

Ninety-five percent of foreign aid is government to government. The funds go directly to corrupt autocrats who are no longer reliant on an efficient economy to generate revenue nor are they responsible to their citizenry. Foreign aid is not merely given to impoverished nations, it causes them.

Formerly poor nations - Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea - that received little or no foreign aid are now thriving. Foreign capital flowed into them because of favorable economic conditions: a stable currency, low taxes, and a corruption-free, law-abiding government.

Inevitably, the questions arises: But what about Israel? Should Israel, too, be denied foreign aid? Israel most of all.

Economist Dr. Thomas Stauffer, graduate of Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies, estimates that between 1973 and 2002 Israel received $1.6 trillion in U.S. aid. That's an astounding $150 million a day, every day for 29 years.

With this largess, Israel has amassed the most powerful military in the Mideast. This, together with a peace treaty with Egypt - made possible by U.S. dollars - has obviated any need for Israel to make meaningful concessions to her neighbors.

But the problem with being the biggest bully in the schoolyard, or in the Mideast, is that he soon succumbs to the belief that everything can be solved by force. And for a time it can be but at the price of being surrounded by enemies and bereft of friends. This is the situation that Israel and the U.S. find themselves in.

The U.S. anti-terrorist policy of invasion and incursion to hunt and kill terrorists is reminiscent of collecting the right ears of Viet Congs killed in battle. It didn't work in Vietnam and it won't work elsewhere.

Aggressive military action against terrorists is counterproductive. Bombs and bullets do not eliminate enemies, they create them.

The U.S. would also do well to abandon a foreign policy built upon buying allies. Events in the Mideast and North Africa prove this a failed strategy. Money can buy many things but friendship and loyalty are not among them.

As for Israel, the river of money and military aid flowing into this small nation has fostered a strategy of force opposed to friendly co-existence. As a result, Israel now finds herself encircled by implacable enemies.

Foreign aid has also caused a risky dependence upon U.S. money, military aid, and political clout.

But with the U.S.’ mounting fiscal problems, this a perilous association. The dependence on foreign aid, which Israel has cultivated so assiduously, could be her undoing.

But there is hope, if only a dream, perhaps an impossible dream, that the U.S. and Israel will put aside the mailed fist for the open hand, and that Egypt, together with Libya, Yemen, Morocco, and Bahrain, will breathe the air of freedom and determine their own destiny. Impossible? Probably. But, then, the impossible already happened.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford, PA

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