C. GATSBY'S Weblog: "you will learn the truth and the truth will make you free. John 8:32

I was born and raised in the Amish area, and I am deeply saddened by the shootings at the Nickel Mines Amish School in Pennsylvania.

The Amish are a very religious sect embracing God and peace. The Amish migrated to Pennsylvania to avoid European religious persecution and compulsory military service. They grow no mustaches because this was a symbol of Prussian military men. They loathe violence in any form. The Amish are very generous and kind and would help anyone in need.

However, Charles Carl Roberts IV invaded the Amish's peaceful sanctuary bent on molestation and brutality. According to Wednesday's article, Roberts "confessed in suicide notes to sexually molesting two young relatives 20 years ago and to having recurring dreams about hurting children again" -- far from the "loving," "exceptional father" portrayed by his wife.

School shootings should be reclassified as federal crimes, and all available resources should be utilized to prosecute these heinous criminals.

The Amish community has forgiven Roberts for his monstrous acts. Unlike any group of people in the world, the Amish harbor no hatred or ill will toward anyone, including those who have done grave harm to them. If more Americans embraced Amish values, America would be a much better country.

CHRISTIAN GATSBY

Bush and his fellow republicans have transformed their party, the party of Lincoln and honesty, into one of lies, deceit, and corruption.

Bush, who stated his White house had very limited contact with Felon lobbyist Abramoff, had nearly 500 contacts with him. Republican Representative Ney pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges related to his dealings with the corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Republican Congressman Delay had to resign over his indictment for conspiring to violate campaign finance laws, while two of his former aides were convicted in the Abramoff scandal. Numerous other republican lawmakers are under investigation for their ties to Abramoff.

Republican congressman Foley has resigned for soliciting male teenagers. Fellow Republican house members for years covered up his gross, criminal, pedophile behavior. Some republicans labeled it only as "nonchalant" chat.

Bush and his fellow republicans have consistently lied and misled the public about his war in Iraq. Bush and company falsified intelligence and deceived Americans on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and ties to al Qaeda. Now, Republicans constantly paint a rosy picture of the war, failing to acknowledge that all 16 intelligence agencies concluded that the Iraq war has helped fuel a new generation of extremists and increased the overall terrorist threat. Also, the top military officers cite that we are losing both wars, Afghanistan and Iraq, due to the constraints placed on them by Bush.

The “cut and run” politicians are Bush, who received preferential treatment in the National Guard, and Cheney, a five time draft dodger who ran from the Vietnam war.

Bush and his fellow republican cohorts have turned their back on the party of Lincoln and his platform of “honesty is the best policy” and have embraced lies, deceit, and corruption.

Christian Gatsby