Pastor needs to walk in others' shoes

I am responding to the Rev. Steve Sheely's July 23 column, "Authentic, honest ways available to face problems."

I can appreciate the joy Sheely experienced hiking the Colorado mountains with his family. He obviously was blessed with good health and vigor. However, think of individuals less fortunate. I refer to those suffering every day with chronic pain. Living with pain challenges one's sanity and perhaps requires more stamina and courage than climbing a Colorado mountain. Many of these individuals still have to work and deal with daily responsibilities with diminished quality of life.

In my opinion, instead of browsing in a marijuana grocery store, the people of Durango, Colo., would have been better served by a pastor's prayers and compassion. I suggest Sheely get down from his "mountaintop experience" and walk in others' shoes and take the log out of his own eye before offering his "one size fits all" solutions.

I also take offense at Sheely's suggestion he could possibly evaluate another's spiritual growth and faithfulness if that person uses a "chemical shortcut."

His list of life-enhancing options are simplistic and unrealistic to an individual facing the harsh realization of severe, chronic pain.

Remember, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Carmella Vorbach

Bella Vista

Trump's ascension due to racial prejudice

A few days back, 50 Republican national security experts said that Mr. Trump, if elected, would be the most reckless president of the United States, and as if to prove that beyond reasonable doubt, Mr. Trump later said that if Mrs. Clinton wins and "gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know!"

This is nothing but an implicit threat to Mrs. Clinton's life.

Given the circus Mr. Trump is running, one may ask "where did this all begin?" I want to take you to where it all began. Mr. Trump, while declaring his candidacy, said Mexicans entering illegally into the United States are rapists and they bring drugs into this country.

I want to ask all the voters to answer the following question honestly. "Had Mr. Trump not explicitly pointed out Mexicans illegally entering into United States as rapists, would he have gotten Republican nomination?" In my honest opinion, the answer is "No, absolutely not!"

What does it indicate? It clearly indicates racial prejudice in many conservative voters, which I believe has been nourished by conservative news media outlets and talk radio. Another example of racial prejudice in conservative voters is seen recently when many Trump supporters indicated they won't have problems with the possibility Mr. Trump's wife could have worked illegally in this country because she is of European descent.

It is a sorry state of affairs.

Ani Marathe

Bentonville