Music will save us all

I just read a recent advertorial about the Des Moines music scene (“Music powered change in Des Moines,” July 5) and I have to say, Amen. My wife and I moved to L.A. in 2001 and returned in 2009 to find a city transformed. As the story points out, music had a lot to do with that transformation. I tip my hat to the Des Moines Music Coalition, the Des Moines Social Club, the Full Court Press crew and the insight of the city of Des Moines for making this transformation possible. I have always been proud of being from Iowa, but now when friends come to visit from other cities, I never have to apologize for the lack of options when looking for something to do.

Tyler Kamerman

Des Moines

Pay up!

I’m so glad to hear that Gov. Branstad is considering paying for his health care. Tell me, will that be out of his salary, or out of his pension that he receives for retiring from the job he’s not currently retired from?

Jeni Nosbisch

Des Moines

Help us to know

Are religious traditions of marriage the basis for Rev. Ratliff’s and the Vander Plaats of Iowa beliefs about gays? They appear to be violently opposed to gay people and their desire to marry the ones they love. Why? What is the basis of this obsession against gay people? Is it hate? Babies aren’t born with hate in their hearts. So hate must be learned. Is it fear? Do they fear their own feelings about the same sex?

They use the Bible to justify their beliefs. They quote the Bible as saying that “marriage is between a man and a woman.” There is nothing in the New Testament that says that. They quote Leviticus in the Old Testament where it says: “…shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind.” Nowhere in the Bible does it say that woman shall not lie with woman. The Bible phrase cannot be interpreted to mean that “man” includes woman because “woman” has never been interpreted to include “man.” Therefore, where does it condemn women who lie with women?

From the litany of sins set forth in the Bible, they have chosen just one incident to justify their hate. They say marriage has always been between a man and a woman. Not true. How many men in the Old Testament had multiple wives? Some men in southern nations still do.

It hasn’t been too long in the past that women were considered property. Parents even paid a dowry to get men to marry their daughters. Black people were not allowed to marry white people. What tradition are they referring to? Why are they obsessed with controlling the behavior of others even to the extent of destruction of some lives? I’m trying to understand. Jesus taught love. Jesus said: “judge not ….” If we could understand what really underlies the hate, we could try to deal with it in the way that Jesus asks us to do.

I.G. Shadduck

West Des Moines

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