Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 16 December 1999 — Page 2

The Muncie Times, December 16, 1999, page 2

EDITORIAL Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, peace in the new year

Another hectic year has come and almost gone. Soon we will be bidding farewell to the year 1999 and welcoming the birth of a new year, a new decade, a new century and a new millennium. It is great to be alive at this time when so many exciting things are happening. It is great to be alive and to dream about whet the 21st century will bring and to be alive to witness the transition from this year to the year 2000. These are heady times indeed—and they will get headier. But as we get ready to end 1999 and look back upon a politically divisive year during which the Republican-led U. S. House of Representatives impeached President Clinton but the U.S. Senate failed to remove him from office, let us hope and pray for calmer seas ahead. Next year, the country will elect its first president of the new millennium and the problems that the coming

The Muncie Times accepts and publishes “Letters to the Editor” under the following conditions: M The letter must indicate the writer’s name, address and phone number where the writer can be reached during the day. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published. M If the writer wishes the letter to be published under a pseudonym, that wish will be

years will foist upon us. But now is not the time for politics and promises. It is a time to think about the last Christmas and Kwanzaa celebrations of this decade, this century and this waning millennium. At this time of the year, let us not forget those who are less fortunate. Hovering on the horizon are the Christmas holidays, the Kwanzaa celebrations and the New Year festivities. Each of these or any combination of them, is cause for numerous occasions to celebrate, even over-indulge and be happy. That is what many of us will do between Christmas and the New Year. We will eat too much, while blithely promising that we will lose the extra pounds in the New Year. We will drink too much. We will have too much fun. We will spend too much money on too many toys, gadgets, clothes and other items that we do not need. Too many of us see Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s as nothing more than

honored. However, the writer’s full particulars must be included in the letter, along with the suggested psedonym. * Letters must be brief, preferably no more than 300 words long and should, if possible, be typed and doublespaced. Hand-written letters will also be accepted. M The editor reserves the right to edit all letters for brevity,

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an opportunity to party and have fun. That is not the way it should be. This is the time when we should be demonstrating unflappable and unprecedented generosity. We, at The Muncie Times, are urging all Munsonians and Delaware County residents to reach deep into their pockets and think of those who are less fortunate than them. Let us put such people on our lists, instead of leaving them as afterthoughts. Let us reach out to them in hope and prayer. There are people in our communities who do not know where the next meal will come from. There are people who have no roof. They are homeless. They do not know where they will sleep from day to day, an especially depressing prospect during the winter. They do not have the luxury of planning what they will buy to cook and eat over Christmas. They do not have to worry about losing weight.

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accuracy, taste, grammar and libel. i§ All correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. 9 Unsolicited manuscripts will only be returned if the writer includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope with correct postage.

They do not have the luxury of making up Christmas or Kwanzaa presents to buy and give to relatives and friends. They do not have the time to think about the New Year, because their present lives are brutish, dark and seemingly hopeless and helpless. Their children and grandchildxen cannot even hope for a Christmas or Kwanzaa toy. Yet these are also God’s children. They may have fallen, for whatever reason, on hard times. But they are people with feelings, wants and desires. They also want nice things, nice food and a chance to rest and relax with their families. Just because some of them are down on their luck, is no reason for them to be denied a chance to participate in the Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year festivities. Instead of putting on extra pounds to be shed after the holiday season, we should resolve to eat and drink less, so we can give more to those who are needy or underprivileged. Those of us who are a little more fortunate than our brothers and sisters, of whatever faith, should dig a little deeper in our pockets

and wallets. We should be more willing to share our good fortunes, no matter how small. Let’s give a little more to the Salvation Army bell ringers, to the Santa Clauses, to the Muncie Mission and other groups that help the less fortunate. There are many groups in our communities that are collecting money, toys, clothing, including coats, canned goods, turkeys, hams and other perishable commodities. We should give generously to try and share the spirit of giving and celebrating with others in our community. Each year, especially around holidays such as these, there arise the scum that want to cash in on our generosity. Beware of their telephone and other solicitation scams. Be sure that the groups you donate to are legitimate and have tax-exempt status. The genuine ones will be more than glad to share that information with you. Meanwhile, the Publisher, Editor and Muncie Times Staff wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Memorable Kwanzaa and a Most Prosperous and Peaceful New Year. We look forward to serving you again in the year 2000 and beyond

MUNCIE TIMES STAFF

Publisher Bea Moten-Foster Editor John T. Lambkun Advertising Bea Moten-Foster and Richard Casey Layout Chris Birke and Shana Looney Typesetting Kelly Benford and Samantha Overbay

Contributors: Dr. WJ. Duncan, Tabatha A. Tower-Harris, Bea Moten-Foster, Bernice PowellJackson, Dr. T.S. Kumbula, John Lambkun, Judy Mays and Hugh Price. The Muncie Times is published twice monthly at 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, Ind. 47303. It covers the communities of Anderson, Marion, New Castle, Richmond, and Muncie. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. Telephone (765) 741-0037. Fax (765) 741-0040.

The Muncie Times appreciates your support and your business! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please call us at 741-0037 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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