Annual staff protected by freedom

I was glad to read the column by Kevin Wilson — “Clovisites ignore bigger picture — in Wednesday’s  newspaper. It was one of the few articles I’ve read regarding the yearbook that addresses the real concerns surrounding this controversy. 

I was amazed by the number of self-righteous people who quoted Bible Scripture and threatened retaliation by either calling their attorneys or not donating their  money. 

Another item completely missed by the majority of the letter writers was the issue of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. We are blessed in this country to have the right to express ourselves in writing. Freedom of the press is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens. 

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.”

So you may not like what I have to say, but I have the right to say it. The First Amendment also protects the yearbook staff, who took the important and brave step of acknowledging the lifestyles of students on the CHS campus. 

As a graduate of CHS in the early 1970s, I remember when Clovis citizens were concerned about boys wearing long hair and girls wearing pants to school. These things will pass with time and there will be other issues to write about, a right guaranteed to me by the Constitution of the United States.

Connie Belcher

Clovis

Pictures least of our problems

Poverty, at-risk youth, gangs, child neglect and abuse, animal neglect and abuse, theft, vandalism — these are but a few of the issues that occur right in our own back yard.

How about some of you concerned citizens rallying behind one of these causes instead of worrying about two pictures in a book that 98 percent of the population of Clovis won’t even see?

Carolyn Langan

Clovis

Bible provides much insight

Shareen Boone’s (“Bible holds meaning for many in Clovis,”) May 27 letter in CNJ quoted Scripture. She is not the author of those words, God is. If you take offense to them, take it up with God.

People everywhere stand up for what they believe in, no matter whose toes they step on, and it is called freedom of speech.

When a Christ follower stands up for what they believe in, the word of God, they are called hypocrites and judgmental, plus a few more names.

Hypocrites exist everywhere — inside the church and outside the church. Neither is right.

So in the end, when we all stand before God — and all of us will stand before God — how will he judge us? It will be by his standards, not ours.

I have discovered the Bible gives us every insight on how we should live our lives and the standard by which God will judge us.

Our family has experienced much personal pain and it was those inside the church who bathed us in prayer continuously, gave us a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.

Praise God for them.

I am a Christ follower — not a perfect one, but a proud one.

Marilyn Lancaster

Clovis