JAMES COOK
Times Editor

I was hoping to make this just a short column to discuss a few things on my mind. So bear with me just a few minutes.

First of all I want to say that the school board meetings have been, shall we say, more exciting of late. With more of the public showing up and staying to watch how the board works, or even just to voice their opinion, it has been a new experience.

Of course I have heard terms I usually don’t hear at meetings and there is the ever increasing sense that a more watchful public may be getting involved, but that is OK. That is what should happen art every meeting for every council and board. The voters asking questions and demanding answers from their elected officials. And those officials should have to listen, as long as things are within reason.

With that said, let me move on to an issue we should have seen coming. This week at the Stanton City Council meeting the Fairness Ordinance will once again be discussed. And though I try to remain neutral on most issues for the newspaper’s sake, this one I have to speak out on.

Now don’t get too excited. You may not like what I have to say.

First of all, since the Supreme Court’s ruling two weeks ago about same-sex marriages, there has been a lot of bitterness and intolerance on both sides. That has to stop. NO good can come from constant bickering, it never has.

But with that said, please try to follow my reasonings here for my next comments.

The main issue for such an ordinance is that the LGBT groups do not feel like their civil rights are recognized. I have even had members of those groups tell me this. But with the ruling and listening to constitutional attorneys discuss the issue, it seems that the civil rights recognition is now settled. So that, in my mind, would seem to defuse any need for a Fairness Ordinance, after all if the law says they can marry its going to be pretty hard to discriminate in most other areas as well.

But my biggest point is this and I have told many of my friends this same thing. On our Devotional Page each week is a list of churches. If I counted correctly, there are 55 of the 61 churches listed that sit inside the borders of Powell County. That is a lot of churches and Christians, as I assume those who attend those churches are Christians. That would make this “Christian County” one would think.

But there is also too much division between the churches over denominational issues or theologies. The simple answer to those problems is this: there is one God and one Bible. As long as we follow that, how can we go wrong. Sure we’ll make mistakes and commit sins, the word says we will. But forgiveness and love is what God is all about.

One sin is no worse than any other, God sees them all, wants us to move away from those ways and come to Him. That means we have to be able to show love as well, to everyone – yes I said everyone.

The main point I am trying to make is this: If we truly showed the love of God to others, treated others like the Bible says we should and truly become a God-fearing, Christian county, than we would be treating everyone fairly anyway. Therefore a Fairness Ordinance would not be needed at all.

Now this is just my opinion, but I believe the “Love Thy Neighbor” lesson I have been discussing here can be found in Matthew 23:39 and Mark 12:31.

We do not have to support things we do not believe in and we do not have to condone anything. We may be ridiculed, called intolerant or hated because we stick to our faith. But we have to exercise love at all times. Because we do have to follow God’s commandments and what is that old saying, “If Jesus said it, I believe and its so.” There are no exceptions to the commandment or God’s love.

I’m just saying . . .