By Staff
Voters sick of baseless smear campaigns'
To the editor:
I read with disappointment the insulting letter from Harrison Lewis published in The Meridian Star on Sunday, May 5. Mr. Lewis took the opportunity to attack Congressman Chip Pickering on a number of false grounds. His attack is designed to improve Pickering's opponent's chances in winning the election this November.
But Mr. Lewis needs to remember that people in Mississippi are sick and tired of baseless smear campaigns. Mr. Lewis wonders aloud if Chip Pickering shares the "same extremist views" of his father, Judge Charles Pickering. I can answer that for Mr. Lewis. YES!
Chip Pickering loves his God, his country and his family just like his father does. Chip also wants to see Mississippi pull together both black and white, Republican and Democrat. And he and his wife are passing those same extremist views on to their five sons.
Mr. Lewis hosts a radio program on a local Meridian station. About a week ago Chip's opponent's campaign challenged him to debate on that program. Chip has accepted. If the type of rhetoric in Mr. Lewis' letter is what they have in mind, I think the people of Lauderdale County will reject it.
Henry Barbour
Campaign Manager
Pickering for Congress
via e-mail
Another side to the story
To the editor:
As a former bus driver, I can tell you there's another side to this story. Why was a 5-year-old child boarding a bus without parental supervision, especially on a highway? I have seen many small children over the years left unattended as they waited on a bus and it's very dangerous. They could get abducted, and sometimes they start to play and get too close to the roads. I wish your reporter had asked the parents who was supervising this child as she waited for her bus, because if they had been there, they could have banged on the door and this incident probably would have been avoided.
Remember, the driver had children behind him on the bus to supervise, and had to watch the road and the children getting on. Furthermore, another child told the driver that the Belk girl had boarded already.
Sure, there was error on the part of the driver, but it's a terribly difficult job to supervise that many kids and watch the road. I don't know this driver, but I'm sure they felt bad enough without the parents blaming them entirely. These parents should thank God she's okay and resolve to supervise her as she boards the bus from now on.
And other parents of small children would be wise to take this incident as a warning  your child is your responsibility until they are on the bus. Please see that they wait for their bus and board it safely.
J. R. Kinard
via e-mail
Weak excuses on county zoo
To the editor:
I am one of many Lauderdale County citizens (constituents) who supported the idea of having a county zoo for the children of this area. Some of the opposition excuses of "let them go to Jackson or Birmingham to the zoo!" or "we can't afford the operational cost" are weak excuses as to why Lauderdale County can't do it.
Now let's see what Lauderdale County supervisors have done for the good people of the county on the subject of recreation. Lauderdale County has more than enough softball complexes. Supervisors have provided us with an Agri-Center.
Lauderdale Board of Supervisors, please answer me this if you dare  why is it that every time there is a chance to make a positive difference or change for the better some constituents and some supervisors have a bag full of reasons why some things can't be accomplished. If you would concentrate and place as much effort into how to accomplish a task instead of why we can't do it, this county would be a shinning example to the rest of the state.
Why do the citizens of Lauderdale County have to go to Jackson or Birmingham for anything? We can have all of the niceties that both those cities have just on a smaller scale if we just took our heads out of the sand.
This area is always crowing about how children come first. What is wrong and why can't the supervisors find a way to provide this project for the children?
Micheal Thomas
Meridian
via e-mail