LETTERS: Tressel and Pelini make winning team; Islam hardly religion of peace; Stay true to pink, blue

Never underestimate the value of winning football team at YSU

I am excited about the two relatively new employees at Youngs-town State University. Though they have entirely different approaches to communication, both are winners.

President Jim Tressel is both able and honorable. YSU needs stability in the administration. Tressel was at YSU for 15 years initially.

The community requires a winning football team and will respond accordingly. When Coach Tressel’s teams were winning national championships, Stambaugh Stadium was overflowing with spectators (no longer the case). The community and YSU were brought together as never before or since. The city needs positive recognition to offset the negative from gangsters and political offenders.

I believe YSU is lucky to have Bo Pelini as football coach. His resume shows that he has been a winner on the highest level of college football competition.

I also believe that YSU owes a debt of gratitude to the universities at Akron and Nebraska for its recent hirings. YSU interviewed Jerry Faust as did Akron about 25 years ago. Faust chose Akron; YSU got Tressel. The next few years clearly favored YSU. Recently Akron hired another president, and YSU again, fortunately, got Tressel.

The University of Nebraska fired Bo Pelini while still owing him big contractual money, thus enabling YSU to afford him. With two nationally known winners on board, why not support YSU wholeheartedly?

Marilyn Chuey, Poland

Islam hardly religion of peace, love

The Vindicator printed a let-ter recently from a Muslim defending Islam as a religion of peace and love, founded by a man who “taught love and peace,” traits which we Christians attribute to Jesus. The writer stated, “he never called for the death of his opponents.”

Seriously? Muhammad is commonly referred to as the “Warrior Prophet.” Islam was founded by the sword and is maintained by the sword.

Is the writer exercising the Quran- approved behavior of lying to infidels to convince them that Islam is a religion of peace? This is being done in our public school system across America when they allow Muslim representatives in to teach our children about Islam, often using female Muslims, with nobody there to question or oppose what they say.

The writer would have you believe that the terrorist acts, such as the Charlie Hebdo attack, are performed by a very few misguided extremists that do not represent true Islam. Really?

What about the army of the Islamic State that is sweeping across the Middle East today, slaughtering Christians and others to establish a caliphate and impose Shariah law? Muhammad would not be “shocked and horrified to see what was being done in his name.” This is how he did it.

Do not be lulled into passiveness by smooth tongues that may one day give your children four choices: convert to Islam, run away, become a slave, or die. The goal of Islam is to convert the world.

What is the penalty for leaving this religion of love and peace? Death.

Donald K. Allen, Youngstown

Colors are role reminders for kids

I accept Editor Todd Franko’s recent dare and do ask Professor Nicole Mullins of Youngstown State University to rethink pink. And I did serve as a Marine Corps drill sergeant.

As Franko cited Mullins in his column, “Pink is not just a color. Some experts believe it conveys a role and a life.” Indeed it does. That is just as true for blue for boys.

Pink is a reminder in color that her role in life is by divine design and purpose, mothers of past, present and future generations. That is a basic truth. And for boys, in blue they, too, share a purpose in color. To love, protect and defend that girl in pink, the world over, we will call mother. To that color and task I will remain.

Louis Mamula, Lowellville