reader's forum Public Has R ight To get Channel 12 by Juliu* Ostromecki I commend the opinion piece by Jane Ann Cunningham I Give u> the Channel 12-Dec. IS). N.J. Public TV is really a scandal, the management of four channels waste our money by bringing meaningless programs and constant interruptions of programs by announcing next programs? People appreciate PBS for its absence of any Interruptions. Is 4 a role of public tv to present very narrow programs for specialized groups of people like teachers? Cable tv - Teleprompter in our'area — is the only . means of getting television signals m Cape May and displayed a fine example of unabashed greed substituting Channel 53 (Atlantic City) for 5 (NY). Atlantic City is milking'millions from gamblers; do they have anything to convey to the public. Their programs consists only of old tun movies frequently interspersed by sleazy ads of businesses in sleazy AC where, according to what.we read in the press, the two main industries arc gambling and prostitution — if we do not count muggings. I wrote letters to the director of NJPTV who insolently stated that they will not only continue but expand present policies Oiir august governor Byrne did not bother to reply, and local politicians as usual speak With bbth corners of their mouths in order not to jeopardize their ‘political’' cash inflow. Maybe the incoming governor will do .something about that One more example of-atrocious policies of NJPTV is shifting around at most inconvenient times (midnight or Sunday church hours of two nationally recognized programs, Washington Week in Reyiew and Wall Street Journal and putting in their place amateurish and j nepotic programs I think, the public has a right to have one excellent station like PBS Charinel 12. Julius Ostromechi is a Cape May| resident. (Editor's note: The newspapers also received a let-ter-from an unidentified writer edmmending Cunningham's position, and expressing dissatisfaction with the cable companies' failure to provide Channel 12 programs.)

WAITING FOR ANOTHER DAY when temperatures soar and tourists clamor for the seaside, an empty beacli^ront bench reflects winter at the shore.

Something we have, then, which animals do not! f , How also do we account for the ethic of love for others as the highest exercise of our moral capability ; love defined as seeking the good of the other unselfishly? This ethic is taught by the prophets of the a|es and supremely by Jesus Christ, who taught it by both word and deed Is this & quality found in animals? NEITHER DO the roots of religion depend on the \ customs and beliefs that have grown up around it, impqrtant as they may be. If religion had arisen from fear or feelings of inadequacy, it would long ago have perished, when we learned to depend more completely on ourselves. On the contrary, faith in God and the way of lif<Mt makes possible flourishes best in the very men and women who are most capable, most confident of their own abilities, under God

Is That Really How It Began?

by Charles W. Marker The Herald printed in its Dec 23 d issue Mr Lodcrach's article, "So That's How It All Started " The article proposed to stt us straight ( n how religion

began

"Now consider religion — any re i|

ligion," the article

begins, then proposes to Irate the beginnings of religion back to a need for mutual ddfense, and to customs which, avows the writer, with too-great simplicity, "led

to our religious beliefs and practice •Traditions have caused us to lo<€ s

beginnings. We are so conceited w« think we are lords of creation We are not Animals we are, and animals we

remain '

Besides not explaining how religi m really gol started,

the statement is too flip and too na v faith or faiths — which counties; p ages have lived by. and sometimes d

agined beginnings fails to do.justic - to this virtually

universal fpet of human ©xapricnc*

IF WE ARE ANIMAlJi.'S^Mr. I cderach suggests (or

insists>. then how and why does ov ?i the urges of conscience 7 Why do v

have learned that we can be forgivm (by men and by God i for our sins and wrongs — wl y do we need

"scapegoats.- 7 " If there is no guilt, n .

«to which Mr Ix?derach refers)? Not every conscience is moved by the same urges Const ience may be untrained. even perverted But withir every hbman is the irtncr something that says. "I ougH to do right "

1 CAPR MAY

COUNTY

PuhIMiH Ktrrv WAlnttdat rtirVTBwjtM nr portion John It \minis It William J. Adams

nonnl’rlteina Darrell Kopp

tWalfc

it public

. DEADI.IT

News & Photos

'Advertising.

Classified Advertising ( %7-;i:iij For \. ws <>i \.h Vrllher parluipalinit trftrrtitrr'. nnr Ih SMl I.\NTKHN «ifl hr frtptmtlhlr mltpnntv ltp««r.iphiral rrrnro eli rrtrrtrs thr rluhl In rtlil jm Irtlrr m

sight of our humble

ve. To reduce the people through the died for, to such im-'

iry human being feel ! need — unless we

viewpoint

Editor

Advertising Director General Manager

Publisher

p'nprr'y rightt to* tho •' l'V°*'ho Soo«Ovo Cmp No

Thursday Friday - 3 p.m. . Friday-3 p.m.

i Using Information ' puhll.hrrMttUhr lll-IRM D

liahlr (nr niltinlnrmaOMi. in ant 1*Mir Hir rrtilnr if lrlr> Mihmlllrrl for putiUra-

LANTERN

I’tihlUhrd Ktrr> Mrdnr«Hj» H* Thr Se»«»»r I of port (ton

Twisting the Facts

by Jane Ann Cunningham It often seems that those who make studies (especially federal agencies), and those who interpret them slant the information to reflect their own bias. A headline in a recent edition of'a local paper read Study Says Rich Get Health Aid. The article began by saying the government spends as^much for health care for the rich as it does for th* poor when tax breaks for insurance and medical payments are taken into account. This statement is sure to Simulate outrage in those who make a career of castigating the present administration. When the report by the federal agency is examined closely, we observe a good example of the twisting of facts: The definition of poor is anyone receiving Medicare and Medicaid The definition of rich seenfis to be anyone who has a steady job. pays taxes, and deducts medical expenses. The money spent for health care for the poor are actual dollars paid from the taxes of the rich (everyone who pays taxes). The monty spent on health care for the 'rich* is money the taxpayer has paid out of his own pocket for ttw SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS

Religion began with what we all have, whether we acknowledge it or not — a "God-shaped blank in our souls.” Herd we find humanity's birthright, upreaching to Another, though often submergetTby our perservittes. or dulled by the indulgences of ntaterialistic and sensate culture. How did it get there? How, indeed, if we are animals and only animals! Is that why genuine religion cannot be stamped out; why Russia has never crushed religion, why China newer has? Is that why iq Africa religion is making astonishing gains in the devotion and loyhlty of both old £nd youngs .. One more question: '.'Life can come onl/Jrom life,", insists Mr. Lederach, and therefore its beginnings in an ancient ocean are sufficient to qccount for it. Perhaps. But does not leave God out? Where, then, did life begin? Charles W. Marker is a Court House resident. Still Waiting For Report on Clinic by Joseph Ward In my communication (to the County Board of Freeholders) dated Dec. 1, 1981 I requested that a final report be made public itemizing the County Health Department’s expenses relative to the operation of the County Arthritis Clinic from July 1, 1978 to January 1. 1981. Todate, I have received neither a confirmation of this communication or a reply to its request. According to the County Health Dept, memo dated Feb. 18, 1981 the County Arthritis Clinic was funded 100% by a federal grant of $14,124 obtained through the County Office of Aging. The total amount of money expended to operate the County Arthritis Clinic, according to this memo was placed at $8,704. The potential income of the County Arthritis Clinic, utilized by 134 patients during the period of its operation, based on the $25 flat clinic fee would produce an income total of $3,350. Based on the information provided by the two County Health Dept, memos dated Feb. 18, 1981 and the other memo dated Nov. 18, 1981 (eight months later) it is very difficult to understand how Mr. Thornton arrived at his conclusion that the County Arthritis Clinic "simply did not turn out to be cost efficient." For over a year Freeholder Gerald Thornton has adroitly avoided many requests for the holding of a public hearing to review all aspects of the County Arthritis Clinic due to the lack of physician referrals. Respectfully request that the Board of Freeholders comply with this second request for an itemized report, to the public, on the economics related to this public health clinic. Joe Ward, a consumer advocate from West Cape May. addressed his letter to the county governing body. medical expenses^and health insurance and deducted from his taxes. Those who conducted the study are equating the tax money spent on the poor with the tax money deducted for medical expenses by everyone else—money which hasn’t been collected, but which they obviously feel should be added to provide health care for the p^or. The majority of those who deduct health care from their taxes isrthe hardworking middle class which is already overburdened—paying state and federal income taxes, Social Security taxes and unemployment taxes. It is from their labor that the money comes to pay for the poor as well as to provide for their own families. Why should they be penalized by having their medical expenses taxed, when those medical expenses ar? often a financial burden to a family. The headline could have more accurately been Study Proposes Higher Taxes fdr Workers' Jane A'nn Cunningham of Avalon is former 1 publisher of the Herald. DAVID BOYD