Success in the rain

Editor, Smithfield Times

On behalf of the 1750 Isle of Wight Courthouse Board I would like to sincerely thank the cast and production members of this year’s court reenactment for being willing to forge ahead with our event this past Saturday. Our efforts were rewarded by attendance from brave souls who ventured out in the rain and wind to enjoy seeing four cases that were researched by Nicole Ballance and made into a play. 

We are so fortunate to have some of the best preserved records in the state of Virginia and so many talented people in our community who are willing to give of their time to present these dramatizations depicting life in the county in the last half of the 18th century.

Lanny C. Hinson
Director
1750 IOW Courthouse

Don’t Squander opportunity

Editor, Smithfield Times

Strongly consider the value in casting your first vote for a (major-party) woman presidential candidate, a woman of noble character and selfless commitment to civil service. That requires waiting out this election cycle. November 8, 2016 will truly be a sad day in history as scores of Americans across this great nation cast their vote for the first woman presidential candidate, with pens in one hand, while collectively holding their noses with the other.

Mark R. D’Etcheverry
Smithfield

The union with evil

Editor, Smithfield Times

What has happened to the minds of so many that they refuse to see truth any more?

Actually, there is a logical, understandable explanation. There is a progression as the unions with evil strengthen and good weakens. In today’s progressive society, many unions with God are gone and separation now exists. Many entertain thoughts that are in opposition to the spirit, or soul, and to the words of God. They allow these ideas to grow and strengthen through circumstances that arise in life and efforts of others to push and prod.

The union with evil, continues so that alienation and separation from good, from God and truth, is complete. At this time, the union with God, the ability to discern evil from good has decayed to the level that we see in one of the presidential candidate’s belief that a woman should have the right to kill her child right up to the day of birth. How anyone could conceive of this type of thought is only possible if one no longer has contact with that part of the mind that is good, or of God. No longer is there reasonable expectation of anything of truth, Godly substance, or good, to be seen from someone of this level of separation from God.

As this country and the world continues to slide down the slippery slope of self-destruction, those of us who can still discern between good and evil, truth and lies, can only pray to our God, by whatever name you choose to acknowledge, that God will come back into the lives of those not yet totally aligned with evil as it pursues dominance.

Mike Payne
Smithfield

Picking a president

Editor, Smithfield Times

After the Democratic and Republican primaries, I had a very rude awaking. The individual I voted for didn’t win. I thought to myself, how could the people in our country be so dumb. One candidate, was a self described socialist, and a conscientious objector, (we use to call them draft dodgers) and was able to win 22 states while trying to become our commander in chief. This left the door open for someone else to lead that party.

Now we have a Republican, who’s very successful, and a loud potty mouth and a bragger, running against a Democrat who is famous for not telling the truth, even under oath before Congress, and has a sub par record of leadership. There are many books that are on the library shelves showing that both of them are no strangers to rude language.

I’m looking at a world globe that has war clouds in just about every region imaginable. Major threats include Russia, North Korea, China, Pakistan. Minor threats (which we are no longer capable of handling) include Iran, Radical Muslim Terrorist (ISIS), Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Etc. Our military is now on the verge of being unable to defend this Country. Earlier this year, an aircraft carrier’s deployment had to be extended because the Navy could not put another carrier out to sea to relieve it. Our ground troops are at pre WWII levels.

Who then, is the best one to start the process to protect your sons and Daughters and their children, who will eventually have to defend this Country for the next 12-24 years?

I Know Who, Do You?

Earle Southard
Smithfield

Open house

Editor, Smithfield Times

On Saturday, Oct. 15 during the Smithfield Ruritan Car Show in the Smithfield Center Parking Lot, the newly purchased Portable Shower Facility for Mission of Hope clients will be open for public inspection between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Many thanks to several benevolent citizens; the employees of both Dominion Power in Surry and Smithfield Foods in Smithfield; the congregations of First Gravel Hill Baptist Church, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Sandy Mount Baptist Church, Smithfield Baptist Church, and Trinity United Methodist Church; the civic/social groups of the Garage Ministry, Smithfield Rotary Club, Smithfield Ruritan Club, VFW Post 8545, and the Women’s Club of Smithfield; as well as Grafik Trendz for their kind donations that made the Portable Shower facility a reality for us.

Nan York
President
Mission of Hope