The Coastal Point encourages the exchange of ideas. Letters to the editor must be signed by the author with phone number included for purposes of verification. Please send your letters to P.O. Box 1324, Ocean View, DE 19970.

Darin J. McCann

My life is full of empty promises,
And broken dreams.
I’m hoping things look up,
But there ain’t no job openings.
I feel discouraged, hungry and malnourished,
Living in this house with no furnace, unfurnished.
And I’m sick of working dead-end jobs with lame pay,
And I’m tired of being hired and fired the same day.
— Rock Bottom, Eminem

When white rapper Eminem burst on the scene several years ago, he was an enigma. He was foul and flagrant in his disregard for following the standards of society, alienating himself from many of the Fortune 500 companies and adulthood in general, while his talent and ability to connect emotionally with many young people of all races made him as in-demand as any star in any field.

Eminem wrote about feeling alone, of being raised by a single mother who was addicted to drugs and didn’t care much about him, and of the anger he felt toward his father — who had abandoned the family when Eminem was a baby. He talked about dreaming of being a rapper, and the violence and rage he often encountered because of his skin color. He was introspective and profound one minute, and crude and deplorable the next. Sad and thoughtful, then funny and clever. Always pushing people’s buttons, and often encountering hatred for his words and thoughts — often intentionally, as he knew sparking animosity would generate more attention to his work, as well as a feverish defense of his writings by his followers.

Me? I’ve always kind of connected to him, but I never really defended the guy to anyone. Hey, I believe a person has a right to free speech, and I’ll fight for that right for the rest of my life, but I also feel a person has to be accountable for what they say when they implement that right. Besides, I never really agreed with his homophobic or mysoginistic lyrics, anyway.

What attracted me to Eminem’s lyrics were the songs he wrote from the heart to tell his life story. I was fascinated by his struggle to make a career out of the thing he loved doing and voyeuristically curious about his up-and-down relationship with his ex-wife (who he has since re-married and re-divorced again). But what really got me was his descriptions of his economic struggles and ensuing hopelessness — feelings I went through myself in my early 20s.

Because of my own experiences, I’ve always kind of empathized with people who are just having troubles making ends meet. Oh, I’m not a wealthy man now, but not being able to afford that weekend ski trip to Italy does not depress me the way not being able to afford my next meal or electric bill once did. So, yes, I do relate to being broke, and I usually try to help out when I can.

However ...

Now, I’m really not one to judge people for what they have to do to keep on keeping on. It’s not really my concern what someone does, as long as it doesn’t impact my way of life in any way. That being said, Mark Giorgio of Florida recently crossed the line in terms of doing anything for money.

Giorgio, according to an Associated Press story, was counting his money while walking across the U.S. 41 bridge over the Manatee River in Florida when a $20 bill floated out of his hand, over the railings of the bridge and landed 50 feet below in the water.

Giorgio dove in to retreat the aerodynamic sawbuck.

“I got my money back,” Giorgio told the Sarasota Herald Tribune. “Twenty bucks is a lot of money when you’re broke.”

Indeed, it can be a lot of money. But is there a limit to the tests and tribulations you’d put yourself through in the form of personal survival? If the $20 is really about sustaining one’s life, is it worth jeapordizing your ... why am I even arguing this point right now? Mr. Giorgio, you are an idiot.

You jump off a 50-foot bridge for a bet if you’re young and inebriated, and the stakes are much more than $20. You jump off a 50-foot bridge because you’re a professional rock diver and are preparing for a world-wide competition that could net you thousands of dollars. You jump off a 50-foot bridge because your only copy of the Coastal Point slipped out of your hands and went tumbling into the sea.

You do not jump off said bridge for $20, knucklehead.

Mr. Giorgio, you are a digression.

Project shows planning needed

Back and forth. Then forth and back.

We’ve all seen the dance between developers and governments play out before us over the years regarding what’s permissable and what’s not concerning zoning laws. Case in point is the recent struggle between developers of the proposed Estuary project and Sussex County government.

Lawyers for the Estuary group argue that their plan falls under the parameters of Sussex County zoning laws, so approval should be a no-brainer. The group is not asking for an “up-zoning” or any flexibility by planning and zoning or the county council, so there is no reason the project should be denied.

However, members of the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) and Sussex County Council argue that the project might conform to written law, but not necessarily the spirit of the law — opining that the law was not particularly designed to take projects of this size into consideration.

Thus, the project currently sits in a state of deferred limbo.

Well, we can see where both sides have valid arguments. The developers invest heavily into purchasing land and comprising plans and feasability studies, and the county must look at laws regarding the rights of individuals to do with their land as they see fit — as opposed to limiting the plans of groups or individuals who buy up massive parcels.

It’s a pickel, but one that must be handled swiftly and with no uncertainty.

We have a planning and zoning commission filled with quality and intelligent individuals. We also have a populace in this area that is flush with smart people who have retired from posts that would qualify them to throw their ideas into the mix. Together, a committee could be formed that looks at a true long-term planning code that would take all instances into consideration — regarding individual rights, the needs of developers to be able to make profitable projects that both employ workers and could reduce housing costs throughout the area and the welfare of individuals to not have the community’s face forever changed by the prospect of unadulterated overdevelopment.

It is an extremely huge project that would require time, money, effort and compromise. It would also take a commitment by all parties that the letter and spirit of the law would be one and the same. This would not eliminate all future arguments, but it would certainly give a starting point.

Not opposed to religion, it’s to favoring one
Editor:

Thomas M. Keeley III is energetic in his support for Christian prayer in schools. Contrary to what he claims, it is not that I, along with others, are arguing for the removal of all references to religion in our schools and other public institutions. Rather, we oppose references or conduct that indicate a preference for or promotion of Christianity over other religions in public institutions or at publicly funded events.

In 1790, George Washington wrote the following in a letter to a synagogue in Newport, R.I.: “It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

This concept of neutrality is reinforced by language in the Treaty of Tripoli (1797), signed into law by President John Adams and passed unanimously by the Senate. The Treaty stated, in part, “the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” It went on to say, “The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or a Mohammedan nation.”

Tolerance is one of the founding hallmarks of our country and observing tolerance means religious neutrality in official government activities. Neutrality should not be equated with hostility toward religion. Rather, neutrality shows respect for all religions to ensure full freedom and practice thereof, without governmental bodies showing preference for one over another.

Mary K. Ryan
Frankford

Dorfman expresses thanks to voters
Editor:

I would like to thank all those folks that voted for me in the recent Bethany Beach election. I appreciate your trust and faith in me and I promise to listen to your concerns and ideas, while working hard to represent all the citizens of our town. I also would like to take this opportunity to welcome newcomers Steve Wode and Tracy Mulligan to the Council. I look forward to working together for the betterment of our town.

Jerry Dorfman
Bethany Beach

Windmill Road a sore spot for reader
Editor:

Thank goodness for the patience and tolerance of the Sussex County citizenry. Windmill Road has been torn up for months and there is no indication that it will be restored in the future. For those readers who are not aware of the location of Windmill, it is a short but critical link between Bear Trap Dunes and Route 26.

Fred Kelley
Clearwater

Town of Bethany Beach has aesthetic charms
Editor:

As the color begins to fade on all the beautiful flowers that have graced the streets and islands around Bethany Beach, I want to thank the Bethany Beach town employees and residents, for providing us with a spectacular array of color all spring and summer.

As a resident of the greater Bethany area, I enjoyed the beauty of your efforts and thought that the hard work involved in providing such a display should not go unnoticed.

As friends and relatives came to visit us this summer, they constantly commented on how pretty it was in Bethany Beach. The array of gorgeous color welcomed all of our visitors to the area and I wanted to let you know it was greatly appreciated by visitors and residents alike.

Thank you.

Sue Clarke
Bethany Beach

Hocker gets reader’s vote to keep his seat
Editor:

I have lived in Sussex County for 13 years now, having moved here October 1993.

One of the first persons that I met was Gerald Hocker, at his place of business, which has now been greatly expanded. He was a gentleman then and is a gentleman today. It has become obvious that Rep. Hocker excels in the business world, not only providing a comfortable income for his family but also providing jobs for many in Sussex County and surrounding communities.

Are there other accomplishments too numerous to mention? Yes. Would I re-elect Rep. Hocker as state representative? Absolutely.

Ronald F. Atherton
Frankford

Bethany candidate offers thanks
Editor:

I wish to thank everyone who voted for me in the recent Bethany Beach election. My congratulations to the newly elected members of the town council.

Charles Gravatte
Bethany Beach