Let’s suppose for a minute:

Case 1: You lend a friend $5 and when he pays you back he gives you a $50 bill. Is it “You know what, it’s on them”? Or do you give back the $45? Would it be wrong to keep the $45?

Case 2: Somehow you are tricked into lending someone you don’t like $5 and when he pays you back he gives you a $50 bill. Is it, “You know what, it’s on them”? Or do you give back the $45? Would it be wrong to keep the $45?

Case 3: If you were the one who gave the $50 bill in error, would it be “You know what, it’s on me”?  Or would you expect the $45 back if you discovered the error. What if the recipient wouldn’t give it back?

I read the May 29 article about the “cheap” gas (due to a pump programming error at a Vicksburg Kangaroo station) and the quotation from the customer who said, “You know what, it’s on them.” Others should read it and then see if they can decode the message in this letter. As sad as it is to hear about people wanting to cheat or cheating a business with the attitude “it’s on them,” it’s sadder to read an article in the paper where the reporter doesn’t mention or challenge the moral failure in this event. I’m disappointed in The Vicksburg Post.

Ron Green

Vicksburg

Poor choices are poor choices

I read an article in a Jackson newspaper about the unfortunate situation regarding the high school basketball star in Vicksburg who is now facing an unwelcoming future.

Equally interesting were the reader responses to the story. One response that stuck out in my mind suggested that those who feel little or no sympathy for the accused are “so-called Christians and “hypocrites.”

I don’t know if the people who responded to the story are Christians or not.  I do know however, that for some reason there are those who are under the impression that Christians are supposed to be “nice” and nothing more. 

The truth is: What makes one a Christian is a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and acceptance of Him as Lord and Savior. It has nothing to do with “being nice.” Niceness might be a by-product of becoming a Christian, but it is certainly not the reason for becoming one.

Christians are intelligent, thinking people. They shouldn’t be expected to turn a blind eye to sin, and disobedience just to be considered nice. What offends God offends them, or it should.

Yes, forgiveness is always in order, but that does not mean criminals should go unpunished and turned loose to terrorize society.

Christians have a right and a responsibility to express righteous indignation against all wickedness, including abhorrent crimes. That does not make them hypocrites or unkind, but biblically literate and socially alert.

Make no mistake about it, being a Christian does not mean you are supposed to simply smile at everything, tolerate everything, do good deeds and act as if all is right with the world. Christians have a right to be angry — but not react in a sinful manner because of their anger. 

I don’t believe anybody finds pleasure in a young person choosing the wrong path in life. Poor choices can be costly, but they are still choices.

Perhaps Christians should try harder to share their values, even if it means being criticized. After all, it is the acceptance and practice of Christian values that would have made all the difference in this ill-fated situation.

Debra Anderson

Jackson

Emergency room a hangout?

In the few times that I have had to go to the River Region emergency room either for myself or with a family member or friend, the waiting room was full.

As I walked through the parking lot it appeared to be a parking lot at a night club. Crowds of people just “hanging out,” car stereos blaring and “bumping,” people yelling at their friends across the lot, lovers’ quarrels, peeling rubber out of the lot and I’ve even had someone attempt to pick me up.

It was obvious that they weren’t there due to an emergency situation.

Yes, there was an occasional security guard outside who appeared to be oblivious to all this and was more concerned about telling someone not to smoke on the property.

I don’t know when the emergency room became the place to hang out, but in my opinion, if you’re not hemorrhaging, have a broken bone, cannot breathe, in such excruciating pain you can’t stand or have a temp above 102, then the emergency room is not the place to be. It only contributes to the congestion and slows care to those who are in the above category.

We are fortunate enough to have a large selection of fine physicians who will be happy to take care of your non emergency needs, 8 to 5, six days a week, and usually without a two-hour wait.”

L. Lasalle

Vicksburg

Gender confusion noted

I am a 1994 graduate of Warren Central High School. I frequently tell others to come to Vicksburg for a visit because I think it is an incredibly great city.  However, I am deeply disturbed about the behavior of River Region’s staff.

My grandmother was admitted there after a medical emergency on Mother’s Day. As she had recently been treated at St. Dominic by a neurosurgeon and interventional radiologist, we requested transfer. That transfer finally occurred four hours later. Concerned about the lag time, I wrote the CEO requesting an explanation. That explanation came two weeks later with frequent references to my grandfather as patient. I’m not brilliant, but I can generally correctly identify gender. Apparently the CEO with the letters CPA, FACHE, MBA behind his name cannot. I really don’t know what to say other than would you rather have a 1994 Warren Central graduate who can correctly identify gender, or a CPA, FACHE, MBA who cannot, as your CEO? Further bad news — I’m not interested in the job!  Hope someone is!

On a brighter note, Donna and Claudia (sorry I didn’t get last names) both took excellent care of my grandmother!

Melissa W. Thomas

Vicksburg

Blink, and rights will vanish

There is an old saying, “use it or lose it,” which is applied to everything from mental prowess to muscular strength, household objects to diversified talents. What doesn’t get used becomes rotten, rusty, dusty, fragile, broken and useless.

Your grandfathers, your great-grandfathers, your great-great-grandfathers fought, bled and died to establish a free government “of the people, by the people and for the people” by means of freely voting for what they wanted for their country and how it should be accomplished. Their right to vote and express their desire was precious to them. They would travel miles by horseback or even on foot to reach town halls to voice their concerns and cast votes.

But now, you laid-back, inert excuses for citizens can’t bother to go to the polls. Why should you care? You’re too busy, have more important things to do that use your precious power of citizenship. Why bother? There will be enough voters without you. Personal responsibility is not cool these days.

The truth is that voting has become so easy to do it is no longer worth the trouble, no longer emblazoned in our minds that if not appreciated and used the right will be lost.

Non-voters should absolutely be ashamed of themselves. In Vicksburg’s election, there were 18,840 names on voter rolls and only 32 percent voted as patriotic Americans. That is disgusting. The weather was no excuse. It was a beautiful day.

Those who did not vote have fallen into a diabolic trap of not caring for their country. When you lose it, and you will with your attitude, you’ll have no one to blame but yourselves and your selfish disregard.

It is all well and good to enjoy all the fluff in our society, but every man, woman and child also needs to fully appreciate our core values and privileges and use them so they are not lost in the mad world we face today.

L.C. Giles

Vicksburg

Big margin tells a big story

To put our election in perspective, Obama won with 55 percent of the vote. Reagan’s landslide in 1984 was 57 percent. To come anywhere near an incumbent being beat by an opponent with nearly 63 percent, as Winfield polled, you have to go back to Richard Nixon’s victory over George McGovern in the 1972 presidential election, and that was still only 61 percent.

Douglas Arp

Vicksburg