(Editor’s note: The following letter was submitted before the Oct. 23 deadline for political letters but was not published due to an oversight by the editor.)

Wealth usually attained by effort, education, motivation

I would like to reply to Jerome Stanley’s letter “Pursuit of true democracy,” wherein he states there is a moral obligation for a true democracy to evenly distribute wealth. Democracy’s goal is equal access and representation in government. Communism advocates the equal distribution of wealth, so perhaps the letter would have been better titled “Pursuit of true communism.”

It is disturbing to listen to the attempts of the “under privileged” who try to convince us that success is bad. The wealthy may have attained their wealth by chance, but more likely it is by effort and education, and a motivation to succeed.

Since the billionaires tend to be a faceless mass, then realize that they represent .0003 percent of the U.S. population.We say we oppose discrimination, but I guess it is different when it comes to money and success.

What would happen if we were to get rid of billionaires and millionaires in the U.S.? Well, our taxes would increase, and we would lose the millions donated by the wealthy. That includes the $26 billion from Bill Gates, arts funding in Cincinnati, the Armstrong Student Center, Farmer School of Business and the nearly $800 million Miami currently has from donations. It is too large a loss to say it is worth the equality.

I was part of a delegation to China, and I can assure you that there is wealth inequality there. In 2012, India and China gained 175,000 millionaires. After having spent that time in China, I have repeatedly said that anyone who is overly critical of the U.S., I will buy them a ticket to China. The only catch is that it will be a one way ticket. Michael L. Schnipper, Oxford, Schnipper1@earthlink.net

Rising to the Challenge will continue in Oxford

The United Way of Oxford and Vicinity’s annual campaign theme is “Just Imagine and Rise to the Challenge.” In November, 1953, nine people imagined and rose to the challenge and began the Oxford Golden Years Club. From the nine founding members’ imaginations, Oxford Seniors has grown to a current membership of 573 members.

Through the years, Oxford Seniors has imagined and rose to the challenge to provide the supportive services it does today. These services include: Senior Transportation; Congregate Meals served at the Top of the Hill Café; Home Delivered Meals; Outreach; and Adult Day Care.

Oxford Seniors continues to “imagine and rise to the challenge” to address future needs. A group of dedicated individuals is developing the concept of an Oxford Village Network. It is imagined that a web-based communication system will link members of the Network to resources and events that will support them as they age. We have a tentative launch date for fall of 2013.

Oxford is a community of diverse people with a wide variety of interests, abilities and means. Oxford is a community of shared values — a giving community that looks out for the people that reside in it. Oxford is a community of vision as evidenced by the presence of this senior centered organization. Oxford is a community that influences us and inspires us, and a place to move to and to move back to.

Please support the United Way of Oxford and Vicinity in this year’s fund-raising campaign so that all of us can “imagine and rise to the challenge” of meeting the needs of our community. Joan Potter-Sommer, Oxford Seniors, Oxford

Hormell Book Celebration honored longtime teacher

Award- winning author Shelley Pearsall visited Oxford recently to culminate the seventh Annual Sandy Hormell Book Celebration. The yearly event honors Sandy Hormell, a longtime Talawanda and Miami teacher, whose love of books and education made her a beloved mentor and colleague. Although her life was claimed by ALS in 2004, her love of reading lives on in this special event.

While in Oxford, the author presented to an enthusiastic audience at the Oxford Community Arts Center followed by a reception and book signing at the Oxford Lane Library. She spent the next day at Talawanda Middle School showing students that nothing is impossible. During a writing workshop for interested students, Ms. Pearsall taught students how to create characters for their stories.

To prepare for this year’s celebration, Talawanda Middle School students read Ms. Pearsall’s book “All of the Above” as an all-school read aloud and discussed it before her visit with members of the Miami University Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education. Residents of the Knolls of Oxford and members of the Miami University Institute for Learning in Retirement discussed the book with fifth-grade ETC students from Kramer, Marshall and Bogan, after which participants visited over lunch.

Special thanks to the planning committee and to our generous partners. This special event couldn’t happen without you.

Ruth Pettitt, The Talawanda-Miami Partnership

Festival was cancelled due to wind, weather threat

The Sixth Annual Harvest MOON Festival on Oct. 14 was cancelled because of the weather. That day was windy with strong gusts and it looked like thunderstorms would be in Oxford by afternoon. Many people in our community had spent time arranging and preparing for that afternoon and the planning committee would like to thank each of them.

Hilary Swift designed our posters. Larry Slocum was standing by to be our Master of Ceremonies. Alfredo Huerta was going to talk about “GMO’s and Food Labeling Laws in the U.S.” Sidra McNeely from the Dayton chapter of the Weston A Price Foundation was going to give a talk about nutrition and Harv Roehling about organic growing, certification and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. The LCNB Bank was accommodating our request to use their long ladder so we could put up our banner over the stage.

Joe and Janet Streit were ready to load up the animals for the farm animal corner. Musicians were ready to perform: Amy Clay, Susan Pepper, Jonathan Bradshaw, Dale Farmer, Zack Davis and Frank Fitch.

Food demonstrations by Betty Quantz and Barbara Smith Hughes were ready. Soups were ready to serve that were home cooked by Sarla Waikar, Marilyn Elzey, Ann Geddes, Jane Flueckiger, Charlie Stevens, Gayle Shidler, Ruth Overly, Donna McCollum, Nani Ball, Barbara Smith Hughes and Lila Greer. Lettuce was harvested by Kristi Hutchinson. Bread had been baked by Pia Terranova and Debra Bowles donated gluten-free cornbread mix baked by Barbara Diehl. Cookies and cakes had been baked by Ann Fuehrer, Barbara Hamilton, Barb Broida, Linda Simmons, Jane Strippel and Neil Poppendeck. The popcorn machine from Gilman Do It Best Home Center was ready and we thank them for not charging us since the machine wasn’t used.Cider was coming from Scott Downing.

Other vendors were coming from the Oxford Uptown Farmer’s Market, Sherri Berger, Bob Rauen and Hokebe Farms, the Talawanda Farmer;s Market, Liz Brown, Ted Elliott, Linda Asmspaugh-Corson and Glenn and Jenny McFarland.

Children’s activities were ready to go thanks to the planning and the help offered by Heidi Schran and others from McGuffey School. MOON Coop, the MOON chapter of OEFFA, the Interfaith Climate Change Committee, the Butler County Bee Club, Three Valley Conservation Trust and the Weston A. Price Foundation were all planning to be at the Festival. There were students from Green Oxford and the Campus Ministry Center and many individuals from the Oxford community coming to help us set up and run things. Our thanks to every one of you!

Hope to see many of you at the Cultivating Community Celebration, Sunday Nov. 4, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Oxford Community Arts Center. Nani Ball, for The Planning Committee, MOON chapter of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association

We need to challenge destructive attitudes

On Oct. 15 The Oxford Press ran an article about a flyer found in Miami University’s co-ed bathroom: “Police, Miami investigate rape flier.” The flyer includes horrific suggestions like slitting women’s throats to “RAPE, RAPE, RAPE, its college boys live it up!”

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reports 720 people are sexually assaulted every day in the U.S. and only three percent of rapists will serve time in prison. USA Today reports 27 sexual assault cases since 2009 at Miami University.

Many factors contribute to these social injustices, but lets face it, we live in a sexualized world. Porn can be easily viewed with one click of a button. This form of entertainment produces an idealization of the bodies that degrade human beings to a mere object. The FBI estimates that pornography is discovered in 80 percent of violent sex crime locations or in the perpetrators homes. As a result to this growing mentality, sex is demoralized and becomes about self-gratification, not mutual enjoyment and respect.

The Ohio Domestic Violence Network has created a program called Engaging Men and Boys. It is a safe place for previous offenders to talk with other men about these issues. If we can challenge these destructive attitudes, then hopefully we can foster a change of perspective and therefore a change in action. Please consider supporting this new program and helping us teach men and boys how to deflect society’s heightened sexual messages and prevent the progression towards perpetration.Heidi Bishop, Marysville