Missing person update

Dear Editor:

Following is an update on my missing brother, David Cook from Amsterdam, Mo.

It was one year ago, Nov. 19, that David Cook, was last seen. There is still no explanation as to what happened to him, but one thing that the family is certain about, is that David had cattle stolen from his property near Virginia, Mo., between June and November 2008 when he went missing. They believe he had cattle stolen from other locations as well.

The most recent development is that David's story is scheduled to air on the "America's Most Wanted" TV show on Dec. 12, 2009. The show is on Saturday nights at 8 on the FOX network. David's Missing Person's Web page on the "America's Most Wanted" Web site will be updated soon with more current information.

The reward is now $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for David's disappearance.

Luck will run out for those responsible for David's disappearance as this puzzle is completed, and you may hold the one piece still remaining. We need your help.

If you know anything about what might have happened to David, please call the Missouri State Highway Patrol at (816) 622-0800.

Judy Transue

Say what?

Dear editor

Everyone who is familiar with the city of Nevada knows that the name of our community is not pronounced like the name of the state that lies far to the west of us. We even have buttons for people to wear to make sure everyone knows how to pronounce it. We are not going to change the pronunciation, because someone new to our community is offended by it. I have even heard people politely corrected when they have mispronounced it. Our emphasis on the pronunciation is made because it is simply correct, not because it is politically correct. We are not concerned if someone is offended by how we say it -- we simply say it. Why? Because it is right!

That brings me to the point of this article. Why is there such a politically correct spin put on everything these days? For example, why are we told to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" because someone of another faith or no faith at all might be offended? Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Although it has become highly commercialized by the world, it is still a religious holiday to the Christian faith. Every religion has its day or days to celebrate its faith. I'm not offended by those who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan or any other religious holiday. They don't have to revert to saying something different to keep me from being offended. Simply because someone is offended by the words "Merry Christmas" because they don't believe in Jesus Christ or they worship by a faith other than Christianity is not a valid reason for me not to say "Merry Christmas."

We have schools all across this nation banning Christmas plays and traditional Christmas music, because someone might be offended. Retailers large and small display signs with the words "Happy Holidays" and substitute other music for Christmas music playing in their stores to avoid offending people and losing business. I recently read of one school district that does not allow candy canes, because they are associated with Christmas and might be offensive.

Regardless of what our president says, we are still a Christian nation founded on Christian-Judeo principles by men who believed in and were influenced by those principles. Some will argue that not all the founding fathers were Christians, and to that I would have to say you are correct. Nevertheless, they still signed the founding documents that formed this great Christian nation. I guess they did not see a need in being politically correct.

Say "Merry Christmas" because it is simply correct!

Mike Hutchens

Nevada