Football programs are not the same as 30 years ago

Football programs are not the same as 30 years ago

With all of the negative calls to Quickly about Coach Wally McCormack and the state of the Hobart football program, I feel it's time for the readers to hear another opinion. It seems the negative comments in Quickly outweigh the positive.

In all football programs, coaches of the 21st century face challenges that coaches of 50, 40 or even 30 years ago did not face. There are distractions such a video games, Internet, BlackBerrys, text messaging, Twittering. On top of that are the age-old distractions of divorce, loss of employment, teen pregnancy, having to work after school to help support the family and other personal issues. Hobart is not the only program at issue.

People do not stop to realize Hobart and other parts of the region are facing a changing demographic. Where family life was stable and families did not move from the region, the economy has forced families to relocate. The jobs at the local mills, railroads and other smokestack industries have been reduced or even abolished. People relocate more often now than was the norm even 15 years ago. Numerous families are unemployed, with chances of future employment bleak.

The glory days of the 1970s and '80s are history; we live in the present. People get spoiled when programs are successful and are not satisfied when these same programs are in a rebuilding phase. Winning is important, but molding future citizens into responsible adults is also important. Wally McCormack has to be coach, teacher, counselor, surrogate father and disciplinarian on a daily basis. He has an excellent staff that backs his efforts, all working seven days a week. Let's get behind our coach and team, Go, Brickies.

C.S. Wingo

Hobart

Catholic church went too far in hospital case

I have read where the Catholic church has expressed its arrogance in denouncing St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center of Phoenix for violating the church's teaching in a November 2009 case, calling surgery involving an 11-week pregnancy "an abortion."

It was revealed the patient suffered from pulmonary hypertension that could limit the functioning of her heart and lungs, hospital officials said, adding that allowing the pregnancy to continue could have exacerbated the conditions.

As a result, the Catholic bishop of Phoenix stripped the local hospital of Catholic affiliation after it ended a woman's pregnancy to save her life.

In essence, the church overruled the medical professional's opinion.

In the past, the church had some questionable decisions: the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and, recently, its narrow-minded view on abortion. The question arises, "Why have people been leaving the church?"

Recently, one positive from the church came from a committee of bishops, which declared that abortion should only be considered but not be the main issue in voting. Let's hope this decision opens the eyes of the hierarchy of the church.

Paul Hook

DeMotte

Tea party members should pay for their education

A TV item said the newly elected right-wing candidates in Congress will hold instructional classes on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the U.S. Bill of Rights. These classes will be conducted by a Supreme Court justice with reportedly right-wing views. The centrist and left wing view will

most probably not be brought forth, which would be "fair and balanced" as well as complete!These new members of Congress told the voters they were ready to serve and legislate a new direction for the United States. Now they want instruction on what their duties, limitations and procedures are.

This group stated they would eliminate "government waste, and excessive spending as well as wasting time." It would seem they should pay for this education out of their personal income, and for all instructors, classrooms, texts, associated needs and expenses. These classes should also be conducted on their personal time.

Gerald Jawor

Hobart

Tuesday