GLASGOW — Dear Editor,

Many times, I have been asked why do we want to stay in such a small town as Glasgow? As a pastor in the United Methodist Church, there have been ample times when we were given an opportunity to advance and go to a larger community, a larger church to minister, in the last 13 years.

If we didn’t know before we certainly do now, Glasgow is not only a beautiful place to visit, but we have found it a place to call home. We certainly do not know what the future holds for us, but we know who holds the future. We have invested ourselves into this community so much that Glasgow has become “home” to us. But even more importantly, the people of Glasgow during my mom’s recent illness, improvement, and your general overall concern for us over the last 13 years, have truly warmed our hearts.

For all those who have inquired, sent cards, well wishes, filled in for me at the local churches, and especially prayed for my mom, Koty Cooper, and all of us to get through this time, we heartedly want to say thank you.

You are what makes Glasgow and Barren County a great place to live and serve.

Much grace and thanksgivings,

Brother Bob, Lesa and Jacob Cooper

Glasgow



Stop the schoolyard bullies in Congress

Dear Editor,

Yet another fiscal showdown is about to begin and Republicans are bent on holding the economy hostage again, like they did last summer, to get their way.

Republicans want to bully us into believing cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits and other dangerous budget cuts “such as those that would take food aid from hungry children, weaken education and food safety and let our bridges and roads crumble,” are the only thing we should be talking about.

It’s time to stand up to their bullying. We can’t let them take our economy hostage by threatening to drive it into the ground.

Working families shouldn’t take the hit again so we can maintain expensive tax loopholes for Wall Street, drug companies, corporations that outsource jobs and the richest 2 percent of Americans.

The most serious economic challenge facing America is the continuing jobs crisis, not the deficit or the national debt.

Our priorities should be creating jobs by investing in infrastructure and education, raising wages, reducing inequality and increasing economic security for working people. And we can do it by first ending tax giveaways for Wall Street and the richest 2 percent.

William Smith

Glasgow