Jim Hudson
Broxton, GA

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Obama, Wright, and Racism in America' by Leo Hartshorn (<http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=475>):

Leo, as hard as I have tried I can find no excuse or justification for Rev. Wright's incendiary, hate-filled, racist remarks. Obviously your defense was written before his further recent awful comments. Now he is headed to NAACP to spread his anger, bitterness and hate-filled rhetoric, all in the name of prophetic utterances. It is unfortunate and hopefully I am wrong and that good will come from this.


Beckie Meyer
Lancaster, PA

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Obama, Wright, and Racism in America' by Leo Hartshorn:

What a great article, Leo. I share many of those same thoughts. Not only has Jeremiah been taking a lot of criticism along with Barack, my beloved UCC church denomination has also.


Matt Flinner
Berlin, Ohio

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Obama, Wright, and Racism in America' by Leo Hartshorn:

I voted for Obama in the Ohio primary. I believe that Rev. Wright's comments were taken out of context. As a pastor, I would not have made the comments about Bill Clinton "ridin' dirty" with Monica Lewinsky from the pulpit. But what am I supposed to think when Obama made the comment about his grandmother being a "typical white person?" That is offensive to me as a white person. Perhaps I am not educated enough, not liberal enough, too conservative and too sensitive to understand what he really meant. Is it alright for someone who comes out of a culture that has been marginalized and persecuted to make those comments? Are we not to bless those who persecute us and do unto others as we would have them do unto us? It seems as though there are double standards: a white person could never say "a typical black person" and get away with it. I'm not upset because I could never say that. I'm upset because we seem to value the victim mentality of some people. We never hear the stories of minority men and women who are successful teachers, doctors, pastors and others. We only hear how tough someone had it and how unfair life is. As a Christ follower, I believe that we should never take the path of racism or the path of entitlement. This article has made my decision to no longer vote very easy. I am afraid that Christians are using the politics of both sides to push a social agenda that is not in line with the teachings of Christ. I have probably rambled on too long, but I have had enough with liberal entitlement and conservative use of force. I thought that not holding a person's race and culture against them was the right thing to do. But according to this article, I am way off.


J. Denny Weaver
Madison, WI

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Obama, Wright, and Racism in America' by Leo Hartshorn:

Thanks to Leo Hartshorn for a very good article on Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright.


Gary Olsen-Hasek
Salem, OR

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Angels in Our Midst' by Valerie Ong (<http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=479>):

I think it is great that this couple was so wonderfully welcomed by the Mennonite congregation described. After reading the article I wondered why they couldn't pray at their residence? Will they be engaged in dialog about who Jesus is to them and to their hosts? Are they welcomed to worship with their hosts?

How does evangelism relate to this sort of situation with refugees of a different religion which also is by nature seeking converts? Or does the congregation have sufficient universalistic understandings of salvation that they wouldn't think of evangelism as relevant?


A Karen from Kowthulei
Bangkok, Thailand

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Living in a Strange Land' by Max Ediger (<http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=458>):

Dear Max, My mom and my younger brother and two sisters left last week to U.S for resettlement program. We live in over 20 years in refugee camp in Thailand and my younger brother and sister grew up there. Living in refugee camp like living in prison, no freedom and no dignity.

I saw my mom, brother and sisters last time in Bangkok hotel, close to airport. We had a worship and we pray that we will meet each other again. When I had been with them I am very happy and when they stated to leave and took the bus to airport nothing happen to me. But when they arrived in U.S. and my mom called me and I want to cry, I don't know why I want to cry. Before, every year I visited them four or five times and the end of the year we had family worship ceremony but now it is difficult to visit them and have family worship ceremony again.

My mom asked me to go with them but I said I can do some thing for my people here and I can survival.

As your article, we (my family) want to go home, home without fear, discrimination, oppression and exploitation. We want to go home with freedom, joyful and peace.

I hope one day, I can live together with my family in our homeland and sing a song of peace. Land call Kaw Thoo Lei.

Thank you for your article.


Max responds:
I know this young man well and feel his pain. I also know that he has tremendous commitment to his people and great courage to continue the struggle for justice.


Jennifer Davis Sensenig
Pasadena, CA

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Book Review--Send Forth Your Light (Willard Swartley)' by Muriel T. Stackley (<http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=471>:

Thanks, Muriel. It's always good to hear from you in the churchwide media. I just wanted to mention a couple of other books by Willard-- Mark: The Way for All Nations and Story Shaping Story--both of which are quite helpful in learning to read scripture.


Rose Zook
Dalton OH

In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Celebrating Creation: Earth Day 2008' by Lisa Amstutz (<http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=481>):

I really like what Lisa Amstutz had to say in her Earth Care column. This year for Earth Day 2008 I took along on my walk an extension gripper (that thing you use so you don't need to bend over) and a garbage bag. I picked up all the litter along my usual path. It was my small part in keeping God's creation clean. We grandparents can make such a difference. Soon our extended family will be camping together. This is a time that is always treasured by the grandchildren and set in nature. We adults have the best influence in teaching children to cherish the world our Lord has created.