To the Editor:

At the Boykins’ Town Council Meeting, Tuesday, May 14, 2013, town Mayor Richard Spier Edwards Jr. explained that it was against Federal Law to say a prayer at any such meeting and you may not want to say the name “Jesus” either. I wanted to state my opinion some kind of bad, but bit my tongue.

My anguish in regards to this was short-lived, for the silence was abruptly broken by one council member’s voice, as if the cavalry to the rescue, sabre drawn, and showing his colors for all to see. Though I was the only citizen in the audience at the council meeting that night, I bared witness for all Christian Americans.

The words this council member spoke were not said timidly. As a matter of fact, you could have probably heard them outside the building’s walls, and if you would’ve, I am sure you would have cheered as I did.

I will not quote word for word the statements of this council member, but I will tell you the council member, Mr. Freddy Felts, did not deny Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and, regardless as to what our current Federal Government might say, he exclaimed that he never would and that he would pray when he wants and how he chooses. Then he continued by stating that this country was founded on Christian beliefs, which over the last several years he sees more and more us turning our back on Jesus Christ.

I was in full agreeance with what he had to say and at that moment did not feel like I was the only citizen in the audience and felt I was in the America of my childhood with renewed hope that all is not yet lost. For this, I do thank Council Member Mr. Felts, and though I have been at many council meetings over my years here in Boykins, all of them combined could not come close in value to me than this one.

I am by no means a Bible-thumper. On the contrary, you could not set your watch nor calibrate your calendar on the frequency which you might see me in a place of worship on any given Sunday morning nor find any consistency to which place I might choose to go on those very rare occasions, for I have been to many, whether Baptist, Methodist, or Catholic. I have been pleased by my experiences at all of the above. I would not presume to state that I know this is right or wrong for a good Christian. I just know what’s right for me and am of the belief that church is something that I live and breathe each and every day of life.

All I know to be true allows me, with all confidence, to state clearly, hands down, that we live in the best country there has ever been, barring none. If one looks back in the book of human history, we are but a young country, founded by God-fearing Christian folks who stood up and said, “WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF WHAT AIN’T RIGHT.” If one were to look at the world today and all the other countries, founded on faiths other than Christianity, which have been around much longer than America, one would clearly see why even their citizens would rather be right here in the good old USA.

Though I would like to talk much more on this issue, let me cut it short and get to the point.

When someone invites me in to his house to break bread with him, I do not presume to tell him, “Throw out that chicken. I want lobster and steak.” Instead, I am grateful for being invited at all.

United States of America was founded as a Christian country, and because of the Christian beliefs is why we welcome all others of different faiths from their countries of persecution and, once here, will be treated equally, fairly, and honorably, but THIS IS OUR HOUSE! and I believe, once again, it is time for the silent, Christian majority to stand up and say, “WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF WHAT AIN’T RIGHT.”

David Anthony Stiglitz
Mount Boykins, Virginia