Wow, as a conservative, I can't believe what I am reading here.

What a bunch of phony "airhead" Republicans we have here.
What are they thinking?

Where is their belief in less government and spending?
And to think I helped them get in office.
I am absoulutey appalled.

What kind of message do they think they are sending here?
Well, guess we no longer have a two-party system do we?
Might as well go bury my head in the sand.
Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Richard Drake

COUSINS CHARGED WITH CAPITAL MURDER IN KFC CASE

Sitting and reading the Tyler Paper on the internet.
After reading about the KFC murder case finally getting ready to get closure, justice,and give the victims family peace.

I started crying for joy and happiness.

I know how the those families have felted for 22 years.
I am a mother of a victim who was murdered and the case has gone unsolved for almost five years.

My name is Sharon Bratton and my son Travoski Johnson was found dead in the trunk of his car on Feb 25, 2001 in Laneville Texas.

There was an arrest made but no indictment.

I hope the person or persons who murdered my son will read the ariticle and know that one day he or she will be headline news of the Tyler Paper.

If you speak to the victims family, tell them God makes no mistakes.

and God may not come when you want him but he is always on time. And I know that my day will come where I will get my closure, justice and peace.

Sharon Bratton

DO YOU BELIEVE TRAFFIC ON BROADWAY IMPROVED?

I believe the "improvement" of South Broadway was a huge waste of money and has reduced accessibility to many stores.

The medians have prevented me from shopping at the stores where I want to go, and the poor design has made it impossible to leave the French Quarter and travel south.

Shame on you TxDOT; you hurt our businesses and wasted a great deal of money.

Lori Amaya

GETTING HER GOAT

I enjoyed the article about Mrs. Callicoat and her goats.
We have meat goats rather than dairy goats - but we, too, enjoy our herd.

The babies provide lots of live entertainment and relaxation.

Each goat has its own distinct personality, which usually keeps life interesting.

Avis Huizar

HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

I read your story on the internet about the highway to heaven.

I am an American contractor in Kuwait and at the risk of the wrath of all the feel-good Christians of the area,
I wanted to ask a question about the highway to Heaven.
Before I ask it I would like to note in the Moslem world there are also many

highways to Heaven, just like there are in Tyler.
I know because I have seen them here.
Just like in Tyler you can go out your door and travel a few miles and be able to come across a place of worship every few streets.

Between swinney town near Arp to Tyler on Highway 64 to Green Acres Baptist Church there are 14 churches of different denominations that are filled to capacity of people who say they love God.

They are in monetary value worth millions of in God we trust dollars.

it is the same way here in the middle east only their money has phrases such as "We Seek God's Assistance."

The point is if there are so many people who claim to love God and worship him, Where has the love in the world gone?

I submit since love is so lacking, and the Bible we all as Christians claim to believe in so much, plainly states God's character is defined as love.

It appears to me not as many people know God as makes the claim to know him.

Since when you love someone you demonstrate that by your actions not your words.

You don't get to know someone unless you spend time with them learning who they are.

that can't be done listening to a preacher tell 10 minutes of get them warmed up cute jokes and stories and having 20-minute feel good sermons that are done in time to make it to the restaurants before they are full.

An arab scholar once said if all Christians acted like Christians then the whole world would be Christian.
How true that is.

I submit perhaps one should spend more time in the word since words reveal character.

And, thats the object we all should seek is the character of God and try to be like him in our lives and actions instead of our words.

Chuck Barnett

RAVES, RANTS & ROSES, NOV. 15

Oustanding job Tyler, Texas.

It was just a month ago I saw the funds for the expansion of the Noble E. Young skatepark were approved and
yesterday I was able to ride/fall on it for the first time.
I'll be taking my son and one of his friends tomorrow to make their first runs.

City of Tyler, Chamber of Commerce, Parks and Recreation Dept. and anyone else who had a part in a "job well done," thank you.

Scott Cottingham

I am heart sick.

Once again we have been doggy dumped on.

I came home yesterday to find two beautiful loving sweet dogs left in our yard.

The animals appear to be well taken care of, looking very healthy and well loved.
So why would anyone dump them?

This is not the first time in the 15 years we have lived in the country, Smith County, this has happened.
Over time we have had well over two dozen dogs left for us to feed, find homes for, spay and neuter, or take to the pound to be "put down."

True, we don't have to take care of the animals, we could be as heartless as the people who are leaving them, but we have a heart, and so do the dogs.

Some of the best animals we ever owned are drop offs.
I wish there could be a law passed.
Everyone who has an animal has to get it neutered, or spayed.

Stop the parking lot give aways, the compulsive puppy shopping.

Really consider all pros and cons of being a pet owner.
The cutest puppies sometimes make ugly grown dogs, who potty on the floor and chew up your shoes, bark and disturb the neighbors and, you.

Be ready for years of commitment.
Each animal would have to have a computer chip, so the owners can be traced.

Also, everyone who dumps an animal gets fined, or jailed.
The two we now have are a black, male Lab, and a female Pit.
Sweet sweet dogs.

They seem to have been kept indoors, they jumped in my car, so we think they are used to riding.

Do you know of anyone who recently "lost" two dogs?
Please report them.

I will be checking with the Smith County Animal Shelter.

Norma Mott

RAVES, RANTS & ROSES, NOV. 8

This is a rant for the person or persons who went through our neighborhood stealing the college flags flown by us and our neighbors.

In some cases they took the poles and ripped the holders off of the trees or houses.

The proper thing to do would be to return the flags, get a job and go buy your own.

Shawna Tankersley

READER BELIEVES OIL PROFITS NOT EXCESSIVE

To the gentleman writing about gun control, I believe some exaggeration exists on your part. First, the 2nd Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms.

So what constitutes an "arm?" Certainly handguns and rifles are, but also fully automatic weapons, grenade launchers, bazookas, anti-aircraft guns, land mines, ICBM's and weapons grade plutonium are all "arms." So where is line drawn? Second, I would like a list of these radio and TV stations.

I regularly listen and watch both and have yet to hear a single commercial supporting anti-gun legislation.

Third, you refer to the "Clinton-Gore people" wanting a "massive expansion of investigative and surveillence powers to be given to the federal government," yet it was not the "Clinton-Gore people" that passed the largest infringement on civil rights, the USA PATRIOT Act, that was the "Bush-Cheney people."

Among other things it allows the FBI to gather information on anyone "showing a reasonable necessity" to obtain such information.

This information includes telephone logs, internet transactions (including internet call logs), book store purchases, and library records.

This goes beyond the established probable cause statute and what's more the government does not even have to tell you that you are being investigated.

Finally, in regards to those "paid lobbyists and celebrity activists," it is worth noting the NRA is largest lobbying interest in the country and is headed by one of the biggest celebrity activists, Charlton Heston.

It continues to amaze me the far right wing insists upon portraying themselves as victims of a left wing conspiracy, when the right is in total control of the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government and have been for some time.

It boggles the mind.

My mind is boggled.

Joseph Elliott

VZ WARRANT OUT FOR ALLEGED SCAM ARTIST

How is it a person who has been arrested more than 46 times and has more than 30 outstanding arrest warrants is out of jail?
Is there not a point where one is deemed habitual?

Cobb Branch

SUBMIT YOUR OPINION

Your readers would be interested in this: Johnnie Stevens, an 85-year-old World War II veteran, may lose his New Jersey home.

The eminent domain rule is being misused to tear his house down so they can build luxury apartments.

Mr. Stevens, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, has cancer and said he just wants to live in peace for however long he has left. But, of course, as any property owner, he wishes to do so in his own home. That's certainly not too much to ask.

This gentleman needs our help and whoever these jokers are in New Jersey who are behind this development need a good kick in the pants.

I hope to hear an update on "Hannity and Colmes" that Mr. Stevens not only will get to "live in peace," as he asked on their Nov. 17 FoxNews TV show, but will receive a written apology from these lawyers and developers as well as the state of New Jersey for not coming to his aid.

The weird aspect of this story, or even weirder, is they have already torn down a Head Start building next door to his property and we're just now hearing about these tragic circumstances. So where were our journalists during this story?

Oh yeah, covering the Cindy Sheehan camp-out in Crawford or the Scooter Libby investigation. Meanwhile, there's been little follow up to this really cool law our Supreme Court upheld a few months back.

Eminent domain, in this case, should-and will-be revisited once we achieve a more lucid, common sense bunch of robed folks on the currently misnamed court. Lord willing, it will be illegal to misuse such a law ever again to make anyone, much less an elderly Black veteran with cancer, homeless.

Charlotte Heldenbrand

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