Adding insult to tragedy

Last year I tragically lost my husband to suicide. I contacted people to have him removed from paperwork, plans, policies, etc.

When I contacted my auto insurance company (one I had been with for over 20 years), I was told that this would increase my insurance rate by over $200. The lady I spoke to told me why don't we wait until my next renewal process and do it at that time and maybe the rate will decrease enough to have less of an effect.

Still distraught, I agreed, and it didn't even occur to me to question this logic. So my renewal time coming up, they contacted me again and told me that yes, my rate is going to increase because now I am a widow.

I asked if they were in the habit of punishing everyone who loses a spouse. She said we aren't punishing you; we just have to charge a higher rate because you are no longer married. I was then told that if I wanted a small discount, I could pay for a defensive driving course.

I just can't believe that I am so much more dangerous a driver in their eyes because I am now a widow, with two elementary school children, and that they expect me to pay for babysitting and for a course that combined will cost me more than the discount.

Why are they allowed to get away with these things? How can they make sense of this? Has anyone else ever heard of this?

Quiet blessings

A morning by the river downtown ... the white egret pruning, sparkling water, rafters playing, a mom on her bike pulling her laughing baby behind her, turtles sunning, sweet grandfathers taking pictures, children under the sprinklers, busy squirrels and birds, Harmony Park see-saws, out of town buses arriving, men fishing, colorful flowers, friendly "good mornings," God's creations, God's peace.

Should be ousted

Perdue’s recent remarks to the audience at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference disqualify him from upholding his oath of office and mandate his removal from the Senate for cause. It is unthinkable that this moron would cite Psalm 109:08 from the New Revised Standard Version of the “Bible” as support for his prayer that Obama’s days “be few.”

Since his ignorance is irrefutable, his “prayer” reference neglected to include that the Psalm calls for his children to be orphans; his wife to be a widow; that his children wander about and beg; that they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit; that a creditor seize all that he has; that strangers plunder the fruits of his toil; and that no one do him a kindness nor anyone pity his orphaned children. So much for the wisdom and inspiration of this “good” book excerpt.

Perdue’s abettors argue that the prayer was a “joke” and that the media are responsible for the outrage by “pushing a narrative to create a controversy and that is entirely what the American people are tired of.”

Oh no, pure idiot. Americans are sick and tired of the hatred and encouragement to violence that inspires too many Republicans, and it will only end when they are removed from elective office. But in Georgia, Perdue, Trump, Cruz and Rubio are Psalm-exempt, and therein lies the indictment.

Freedom of faith

The movement to deconstruct our culture and our Judeo-Christian heritage is evident in the deconstruction of marriage, the redefinition of human sexuality, and the imposition of new norms of secular liberal progressive orthodoxy. We observe this deconstruction on religious speech on college campuses, concerted efforts to remove religious freedom from public places and the public forum, and the undermining of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act with the harassment of the Little Sisters of the poor whose only crime is taking care of the frail, the elderly and the dying.

The citizenry is now focused on the "separation of Church and State," a phrase not in the Constitution, leading 'public school officials teaching children they can not mention God in school, pray before meals or wear religious symbols." What is difficult to comprehend is the acquiescence of some parents.

In stark contrast we have Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, who recently challenged the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Service on the words “religious worship” rather than "religious freedom" on the citizenship examination. He went on to say: "Worship confines you to a location. Freedom of religion is the right to exercise your religious beliefs — it is the ability for Americans to live out their faith, or to choose to have no faith at all."

"It is a small victory," conceded Mr. Lankford. However, the defenders of religious freedom must relish every victory no matter how small.

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Adding insult to tragedy."