Letters to the editor

“Sanctity of marriage” crowd uses religion as a weapon

I support the right of those who organized the March 6 rally [in downtown Asheville] for the “sanctity of marriage” to have and voice their opinion. What gets me is that they hide behind the “sanctity” of religion.

The organizers of the rally refer to Leviticus 20:13 to support their stand against same-sex marriage. Why is this verse any more relevant than other Old Testament exhortations found just pages away: Exodus 21:7 condones the sale of daughters as slaves; Leviticus 15:19-24 prohibits intercourse during menstruation; Leviticus 25:44 condones taking foreigners as slaves; Exodus 35:2 requires execution for those who work on the Sabbath; Leviticus 11:10 prohibits the eating of shellfish; Leviticus 19:27 prohibits certain hair cuts; Leviticus 11:6-8 forbids the touching of dead pigs; Leviticus 19:19 prohibits planting two different crops in one field, and prohibits the wearing of cotton/wool blends?

And how can these folks claim that “traditional” marriage is sanctified when: 1) there is at least a 50-percent divorce rate in this country; 2) anyone can pull into a Vegas drive-through and get hitched by an Elvis impersonator; 3) President Bush’s own brother, [Neil], known for his frequent visits to prostitutes, is in the middle of being divorced; and 4) Newt Gingrich, another staunch supporter of the anti-gay-marriage movement, has himself been married three times and even served divorce papers on his last wife while she was in the hospital awaiting treatment for breast cancer?

Perhaps the reason these people are so outspoken for the “sanctity of marriage” is that they don’t respect gays or their lifestyles or their right to the same freedoms that they as heterosexuals have. If this is the real reason, then why don’t they have the courage and honesty to just say so?

— Patrick Boland
Asheville

Asheville now not the only town in the land of Kane-in

I now live in Eugene, Ore., a town remarkably similar to Asheville in many ways. I feel very at home here, but I must say there are many things I miss from my old hometown. Imagine my surprise and delight to see, in the window of the coffeehouse I now frequent, a poster advertising a Christine Kane show! I almost didn’t see it (glossy photo posters are not uncommon here). I had to do a double take to make sure I saw what I thought I saw!

Well, Christine, congratulations; I’m very proud to see the poster and say, “I know her!”

I hope I will be able to catch your show. You will get a very good response in Eugene, and I hope this won’t be your last show here. Asheville’s influence is being felt far and wide!

— John Myres
Eugene, Ore.

[Ed. Note: During Myres’ time in Asheville, he performed music under the name Jon 7.]

Eyewitnesses needed to February hit-and-run on U.S. 19 & 23

On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, I was driving my 1998 black Chevrolet Blazer on Hwy. 19 & 23, headed south into Asheville from the Weaverville area. It was approximately 1 p.m., and I had just passed the Weaverville exit when I noticed a red, standard-size pickup truck veer into my lane.

The person driving the truck actually forced my vehicle off the road and into the median. My vehicle flipped over four times before crashing in the median, where I was partially ejected from the car. My injuries are extensive, some requiring surgery. This accident left me with a broken collarbone and ribs, as well as a broken knee that will need surgery. I realize how lucky I am to be alive and [I am] extremely thankful; however, the coward driving the red truck decided he couldn’t stick around the scene for some unknown reason.

While lying on the ground, broken and bleeding, I could hear many kind people around me asking me if I was OK, risking their own lives to assist me until help could arrive. I then heard a man tell one of the witnesses, “I didn’t mean to run her off the road.” Apparently he thought the scene was under control when he saw I was still breathing and he left the scene before authorities arrived! What kind of a person would just leave the accident scene that he caused and go on with his daily life like nothing happened? My life will never be the same, and he needs to be held responsible for what he has done.

It happened around lunchtime — please take a moment and try and remember if someone you may work with, or are familiar with, came in and told you about an accident on Hwy. 19 & 23 that he witnessed. Does he drive a red pickup truck — a relatively new truck, very clean and undented.

The description of this man appears below, and was given to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, which assisted me at this accident. Please, if you have info that will lead to the positive identity of this man, contact me as soon as possible. If the coward who ran me off the road — changing my life forever — can read this, please check your conscience, and ask yourself if you would want someone to leave your wife or daughter bleeding and lying in a ditch after such an accident!

I am begging the public to help me. Please call (828) 230-0169.

Description: white male; late 20s to 30s; approximately 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 11; stocky build; short, brown “buzzed” haircut; wearing a blue sweatshirt; driving the red pickup truck, which is very clean and relatively new.

— Vicki Harris
Barnardsville