The Readers' Forum: Wednesday letters

A long moment

In regard to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to decline to hear Forsyth County's appeal of a lower-court ruling against sectarian prayer, would Jesus have a moment of silence toward Forsyth County? If so, it could be a long moment.

Wise men seek him, not turn from him. We need his wisdom, his love and his help. Soon, every knee shall bow.

LARRY W. BRANCH

West Jefferson

Unsafe

The Jan. 18 article "Abortion rate linked to law" repeatedly refers to "unsafe abortions." In fact, the article quotes a World Health Organization researcher who said, "An abortion is actually a very simple and safe procedure."

An elective abortion may be "safe" for the expectant mother, but it is devastating for the baby.

TOM VOIGNIER

Clemmons

Blurring the line

In the Jan. 9 Leonard Pitts column, "Foolish consistency or just foolishness?" he shows that he misunderstands the concept of "Jim Crow" because he insists on blurring the line between the voluntary sector and the coercive sector. The same flaw in his thinking leads him to support the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that restricted the choices of restaurant owners.

"Jim Crow" consisted of racial discrimination in endeavors upon which government held a monopoly or a virtual monopoly: schools, courts, elections, for example. Exclusion of blacks from privately owned restaurants constitutes "Jim Crow" only if government mandates the exclusion. And in the benighted world Leonard Pitts recalls, whether openly or surreptitiously, government mandated the exclusion.

Government should neither mandate nor forbid exclusion. Restore to restaurant owners the freedom to select their clientele. Let the Invisible Hand exact its merciless penalty for prejudice.

A "Whites Only" sign creates a business opportunity for restaurant owners whose signs say, "Everybody Welcome." But the market cannot reward inclusiveness if inclusiveness is compelled. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects bigots from competition.

BARNEY W. HILL

Thomasville

The right course

The Jan. 28 letter "Moral high ground," as well as some political pundits and former presidential candidate Rick Perry, have accused the Obama administration of abandoning the Marines involved in the recent corpse-desecration incident in Afghanistan ("Video called 'deplorable,' " Jan. 13).

When I was a soldier in Iraq, I always knew my commanders "had my back" if, in the fog of war, I or my soldiers had made a mistake while defending ourselves. If we had inflicted tragic collateral damage as a result of the uncertainty and chaos of combat, I knew my commanders rightly would have defended me.

This incident was not such a case. The action of which these Marines are accused is a heinous, premeditated war crime and should be dealt with as such. The administration is taking the right course by reaffirming America's commitment to our high ideals and prosecuting the alleged perpetrators of a war crime. Allowing the desecration of enemy combatants' bodies to go unpunished would be a disgrace to all who have worn this country's uniform with honor.

HEATH ALEXANDER

Winston-Salem

The president's call

The Keystone XL Pipeline deal is not dead, despite hysterical claims to the contrary. TransCanada is already planning a reroute of the line that will not go through sensitive areas such as the Sandhills in Nebraska, where local residents and land owners were concerned about its impact on their health and the environment.

Speaking of his rejection of the offered plan, President Obama said, "This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people."

Despite knee-jerk right-wing reactions, the president is right. The fact is that Republican legislators gave him 60 days to make a decision on whether to approve the plan. He had to agree to that as part of the deal to maintain the middle-class tax cut that the Republicans opposed.

Considering the criticism the president knew he would face — right-wingers criticize him for pretty much anything he does and would have found something to criticize him for had he agreed to the deal — it was a brave call.

JANE SIMMONS

Winston-Salem

Honoring a Life

Kudos to the Journal for the Jan. 19 feature " 'Just a sweetheart,' " recognizing Sheila Scott. How refreshing to see such a "good news" story take front and center.

Lisa O'Donnell did an exceptional job capturing not only the story of Sheila's 50 years at Lamberti's Salon and Day Spa, but of a life that "has more to do with compassion and humility than conditioning and highlights."

JOYCE WHITE

Lexington