Let’s applaud President Obama’s approval of equal rights to all citizens including homosexuals.

However, some quote the Bible such as Leviticus 18:22 saying to kill homosexuals.

Could they please clarify these Bible quotes ?

Exodus 35:2 says anyone working on the Sabbath shall be killed. Am I obligated to kill them?

Exodus 21:7 says I may sell my daughter into slavery. Today, what is a fair asking price?

Continue reading: Don’t follow all commands

In regard to the upcoming election, I feel your news coverage should emphasize how important it is for Republicans to consider who will do the best job of repairing our economy. In this respect, Dr. Ron Paul stands head and shoulders above other candidates. Others will allow our overgrown government to interfere in our lives, but Dr. Paul understands the importance of keeping taxes low and maintaining freedom for businesses and citizens. Given the importance of such American principles as liberty and self-determination, Ron Paul is the only option.

Peter Olson

Billings

When the U.S. Department of Education announced the annual grant winners for the TRIO Upward Bound program last month in Washington, D.C., the impact was felt by hundreds of students and their families in Montana. And it wasn’t good news.

Upward Bound has helped more than one million students from low-income families, where neither parent graduated from college, prepare, enroll, and earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degrees from institutions of higher education. Located on nearly 1,000 college campus sites across the country, Upward Bound programs provide much-needed after-school, weekend and summer college preparation and instruction to these students.

But due to a lack of adequate support from the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress this year, nearly 5,000 students and families across the country will lose the guidance and support services they need to achieve the college dream. Without Congressional support, the cut of $44 million, compared to last year’s budget, will force a number of Upward Bound programs to shut their doors and immediately terminate life-changing educational services to thousands of students and families.

As a result of these cuts, Montana lost four out of its nine Upward Bound programs, a loss of services to 245 students in 20 high schools, 28 percent of whom are Native American.  Both Montana high schools and colleges will feel the direct loss of $5 million federal dollar investment in college post-secondary preparation services to the Montana secondary school students.

It is estimated that the lost tuition and fees that are generated as a return on investment of the Upward Bound services, is as high as $10.9 million for Montana colleges. This cut will fall hardest on some of the most vulnerable populations in our state, including tribal communities such as Lame Deer, Northern Cheyenne Tribal School and St. Labre in Ashland on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.

Continue reading: Upward Bound faces cutback

I read with interest the Gazette’s March 28 article about the Port of Coos Bay Port Commission demanding citizens pay thousands of dollars for a public records request for a proposed coal export port. The plan for the port involves transporting coal in mile-long trains from the Northern Plains to Oregon for export overseas. While I believe that the port should be open with their plans, what really baffles me is the idea that our nation is making plans to export our finite resources.

According to the recent Billings coal export conference, coal companies plan to export 110 million tons of coal annually. If these plans proceed, we could be facing 40 additional trains per day traveling through Billings and every other Montana city and rail crossing along the route. We will lose time waiting for trains, while ambulances, fire engines, and police vehicles will be delayed responding to emergencies. We’ll also be impacted by coal dust, diesel fumes, noise, and safety concerns.

It is time we thought through this coal export idea and determine who it will benefit. Montanans whose towns will be divided by a wall of train traffic are certainly not going to be at the top of the list. If anything, we are going to be left paying for ways to mitigate the problems via personal health costs, and city, county and state taxes.

Lana Sangmeister

Nye

Continue reading: Think coal ideas through

The morning news the day after Super Tuesday: “Republicans are looking for the best candidate to beat President Obama.”

I thought the election was to find the best person capable of running the country. I thought we were voting on the best person to discern domestic and foreign policy. Sense when did the election become, find a warm body to replace the guy in office? I would hope there would be some informed choice for whom to vote.

So far, all I have heard is bad mouthing of the opposition, by the opposition.

Lauris Byxbe

Pompeys Pillar

Continue reading: Bad mouthing