Tomorrow marks historic day in Mahoning Valley

Tomorrow marks historic day in Mahoning Valley
EDITOR:
Thursday marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of the Pastoral Letter of the Ecumenical Coalition of the Mahoning Valley (dated December 12, 1977). In that letter, local religious leaders challenged the corporate decisions of the steel industry regarding the closure of plants and called for people of good will to work together to build a better and more just economy. These religious leaders challenged themselves to find ways to help preserve jobs. Mahoning Valley residents started bank accounts in which they deposited more than $4 million. This money was to be used to purchase common stock in the new company, if enough funding from other sources became available actually to open the mill.
The religious leaders who led this effort, Bishop James Malone (Roman Catholic), Bishop John Burt (Episcopalian), Bishop James Thomas (East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church), Rev. John Sharick (Eastminster Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church, USA), Rabbi Sidney Berkowitz (Rodef Sholom Temple), and Rev. Richard Speicher (Mahoning Valley Association of Churches) called people to action through their moral voice and planning. There were many other civic, labor and business leaders who worked with the Ecumenical Coalition to fulfill their vision of a renewed steel industry.
That effort failed but many lessons were learned -- namely, that economics has a moral base, people of various faiths and interests can work together, and a cooperative/employee stock ownership (ESOP) arrangement can be successful. Many of these lessons became part of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Pastoral Letter on the Economy during Bishop Malone's presidency of that body.
As part of our history, we must never forget the work of the Ecumenical Coalition.
BRIAN R. CORBIN
Youngstown
X The writer is director of the Office of Social Action, Diocese of Youngstown, and executive director of Catholic Charities Services.
Of war wimps, hypocrites and chicken hawks I sing
EDITOR:
First of all, I was never in the service, but I'm not a hawk, either. I wonder, has anyone ever made a study of the men in the media and government who are hawks, but were never in the service. The late columnist, Mike Royko, had a name for them. He called them war wimps. People that are gung-ho to fight wars, as long as it's somebody else or their sons doing the fighting.
Two people that fit this category are Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney. Cheney said the reason he didn't go to Vietnam was that he had more important things to do. Bill Clinton might have been a draft dodger, but at least he wasn't a war wimp.
Ann Womer Benjamin ran a dirty campaign against Tim Ryan, but what happened down in Georgia was really shameful. Max Cleland, the incumbent senator, lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam. The Republicans painted him as unpatriotic because he voted for union rights in the Homeland Security bill causing him to lose his senate seat.
What hypocrites.
GERALD MILLER
Niles
A Christmas assignment for members of Congress
EDITOR:
Before adjourning, Congress failed to approve extensions for 830,000 unemployed people in the United States.
I would like to see each congressman that turned it down take the names of the unemployed people in their own state over the holidays and find them jobs. They would use so much leather, they would need another raise to pay for a new pair of shoes.
JAMES G. RUBLE
Austintown