(Thanks for the accolades Brian & buddies, I hope you're all safe.)

I've posted @ the TV6 site enough to feel obligated to explain myself and announce I'll post much less in the future. And certainly thank TV6 for upholding Free Speech better than any other news org in the region.

Having been lucky enough to have a dad who brought me to Chamber of Commerce meetings as a kid, I've had smarts instilled in me to be cautiously guarded of pitchmen addressing the community at large.

Whether religious or politics or sports etc, in my gut I can tell you ONE percent of these efforts (which are announced as press releases) are genuine and truly altruistic. The vast majoritys intentions are self-serving and years later you see the domino-effect of what it does to our community.

Yes my motives were called into question, and I do the same to others. Is it veneer or wood? We can't tell unless we scratch the surface.

I'm a supporter of trees being planted. We need the benefits of the trees.

What we don't need planted are seeds of narcissistic opportunism that assumes you don't have a right to ask if you're being "given" an ounce of wood or sold a pound of veneer.

So thanks to all the tree planters. I've been there and know how straining the work is after the first few hundred. Bless Al while you're at it :)

RE: That comment from Al Stockton, hi Al.

I'm a UP'er in the Army in Germany, studying Theology.

Al, is it YOU who needs a reality check when you attack a mother who was asking legitimate questions? Never mind her humor, which I totally enjoy and it reminds me of home.

You called her snide and condescending, and then you said that others have do be DOING something in order to be comparable to you people who are TRYING to do something.

Al, are you saying we need a target "token recipient", in which to direct our outward charity so that in doing so we can feel that we're better than others and we can call people names? This isn't the Christian message I learned in the UP. Maybe things have changed?

Brian J

p.s. Concerned Mother, I LOVE your humor and comments, you just "get it". Oh, my buddies said to say "Hi!"

I am not a Luthern, but if the Church would like to bless the trees that its people plant what harm is it? Often times when people bless things it is the people who are getting blessed. I do not know if you believe in prayer or not, but I think that the idea was that the trees would grow better and be more meaningful.
I could not ignore your snide remarks or condescending attitude, please give those people a break. They are trying to do a good thing, what have you done lately for somebody else?

Help me out, I've been to churches, plenty of them.
There's always at least one uplifting person of good spirit, never mind the Judases.

But does blessing a tree... erm... what happens?

And please, bear with me, I have anot erh question on top of that one.

Does God honor electricity? I mean, if the church band is playing, and the keyboardist has some Minimoog Voyager that has sounds that God couldn't make in nature, then is God impressed?

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally cool with planting trees, spent a summer planting them waay long ago.
But I never blessed any of them.

Did I plant a forest that is really the spawn of Satan? And for minimum wage?