Letters to the Editor 01-14-2003
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Trading Freedoms - Great Photo - Making Amends - Good Samaritan - Optometry Career - Searching For Mother - Gift Of Sight
Trading Freedoms
Editor, Times-Union:The following was taken from the Warsaw Daily Times on Wednesday, August 25, 1948. W.G. Vollmer, president of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, touched on some important points. These points ring as true today as they did some 55 years ago.
"We should be on guard against the temptation to trade our freedom for the hollow security which we imagine a government can provide. A government cannot give the people security. That is a snare and a delusion. Only the people themselves can provide security by production, by thrift and by resourcefulness. The only thing a government can give the people is what it takes from the people. The government does not produce anything. It merely spends what the people produce. The government is a consumer of wealth, not a producer, as some would have us believe.
"What I have said here today does not embody anything that is new to you. It is largely a restatement, in a little different language perhaps, of the basic fundamentals of government to which all of us subscribe. But we need to repeat from time to time what freedom really means to us as a people and as a nation. It is easy to lose sight of these things and to take them for granted, just as we take freedom for granted. But freedom can be lost. It has been lost before.
"The process of losing it evolves slowly, almost imperceptibly. We should always remember that freedom does not come easily or cheaply. It cannot be traded off today and recovered tomorrow. History records the grim fact that the pathway of freedom is covered with blood, sweat and tears. As good citizens it is my job and your job to see that we do not trade off our freedom for a mess of contaminated porridge temptingly garnished as security.
"To safeguard our freedom we should: register and vote in all elections; interest and inform ourselves in the functions and activities of the various activities of government; suggest, commend and criticize our government to the extent our judgment may dictate; resist the temptation to trade freedom of action for artificial security; accept the responsibility of solving local problems rather than turning to Washington for the answer; remember that whatever the government spends it must first take from the people, and that the more the government spends, the less you and I have to spend on ourselves and our families. It is our responsibility to see that the good things of life which has come to us as a result of freedom are preserved and protected for our children. Ours is a grave responsibility, but if we shirk it, we and our children face graver consequences."
As stated, the people control the government. The government does not control the people. But is this really true now? Who is controlling whom?
Diana Puterbaugh
Claypool
Great Photo
Editor, Times-Union:Happy New Year to all of you at the Times-Union. Enjoy your paper each evening!
And - wow! How in the world did Gary Nieter catch that picture of a deer running between him and an oncoming car? Tremendous! Appreciate and enjoy his nature pictures on the front page so much. We who enjoy those pictures are blessed and encouraged as the rest of the first page has so much unpleasant reporting.
Keep up the excellent work, all of you.
Naomi L. Floor
Silver Lake
Making Amends
Editor, Times-Union:I am a former Warsaw resident who now lives in California.
As a teenager in high school, I contributed an article to the Times-Union, though I no longer have a record of the date of publication (circa 1984).
I am currently in a program in which I am required to make amends for issues in my past, and that leads to this letter.
I am very sorry to say that I wrote the article mentioned above and submitted it to the Times-Union as nonfiction, when, in fact, the story (about how teenagers spent free time in Warsaw) was a fabrication. The newspaper staff printed the story entirely unaware that the quotes were all fiction, however true the spirit of the piece may have been.
There was no malice in this, but I am fully aware that it was a gross abuse of trust of the newspaper's staff and readers, which I do not take lightly.
I don't know how I could make amends for this, but am eager to consider any suggestions you have.
Again, I am deeply sorry for this incident, and would like to set things aright if I can.
Douglas David Dwyer
Richmond, Calif.
via e-mail
Good Samaritan
Editor, Times-Union:My name is Garrett Titus and I live on Pierceton Road in Winona Lake. Thank you to the man who stopped to tell me about my dog Gator (who was hit by a truck Tuesday evening). Please don't cry because we found him and mommy took him to the vet. He will be OK.
Garrett Titus, age 5
Winona Lake
via e-mail
Optometry Career
Editor, Times-Union:To say "thank you" is too simple to express the appreciation and gratitude I feel after receiving all the cards, letters and phone calls regarding my retirement. Calls with kind words from patients as far away as California and Florida are really touching.
My career in optometry could not have been so fulfilling had I not chosen Warsaw to begin my practice in 1962. The community, surrounding county and neighboring counties have allowed me to meet thousands of patients who most often also became friends. That type of relationship is very special to me and really made work fun.
I always advise young people ready for high school graduation that "life will be pleasant and rewarding if you like your work and where you live." That has certainly been true for me and my family, but 40 years is long enough. It's time for other activities and time to leave the practice in the very capable hands of Dr. Tabitha Temple.
After she purchased the practice in February 2002, I reduced my schedule to two days per week so she could have the day-to-day control needed. I'm pleased to report that last year was our biggest increase in new patients to date (891), attesting to her ability and acceptance. Having worked together for five years, I can assure you she will offer the caring, honest, helpful eye care you deserve. May all her continued efforts be so rewarding.
Dr. Richard L. Carman
Optometrist (retired)
Warsaw
Searching For Mother
Editor, Times-Union:This is a story about a young man searching for his birth mother.
It all began May 30, 1968, the day I was born. I have been told my mother named me "Scotty" - the rest I do not know. I have been told that my mother was unmarried and a teen. She tried for a while to raise me for about a year or so. The Welfare Department put me in a foster home in Hartford City, however, my birth certificate states I was born in Huntington County. This is all I know about myself or mother.
At about 18 months old, I was adopted by an older couple who had a dairy farm in rural Wabash County. My adoptive parents emancipated me or terminated all rights to me at age 13.
I have tried for years to break the seal of my original birth certificate. Once you're adopted, your original is obsolete and never allowed to be opened again except for medical purposes. I guess a broken heart is not considered important enough, though. The state law makers back then probably never considered the possibility of a child not working out in a family after adoption. That child ends up growing up never having a family or having the right to know his birth mother and family.
Many nights I have cried, even as an adult, because of my broken, yearning heart to know the woman who gave birth to me. If you can't imagine what I'm feeling, just shut your eyes and think of all your loved ones. Now imagine you don't know any of them and you're all alone. Heartbreaking, isn't it? That's how I have felt my whole life.
I have a heart full of unconditional love for my birth mother and her family, no matter the reasons I was taken away. I wish she would've kept me; I know she loved me; she tried a short time to keep me. Not matter how poor she was, I know that the love she had would've been much more than I'd ever received from the adoptive parents.
I've tried the government's approach and reached dead ends. Now I'm turning to the public for help. Please, if anyone knows of details about this story and will help reunite me with any of my blood relatives, call Shane at 267-3051.
I love you, Mom, whoever and wherever you may be.
Shane Pierre Watson ("Scotty")
Warsaw
Gift Of Sight
Editor, Times-Union:Because of the generosity of a person who donated his eyes at death to the Eye Bank, Miriam Munson could see once again.
For a year or longer, she had difficulty seeing things clearly. But when she could no longer read the blackboard from her front-row seat in her high school class, she made an appointment with the family physician. Upon examination, her doctor found that she had keratoconus, a progressive eye disease which causes the cornea - the clear, outer covering of the eye - to thin and become cone-shaped. Left untreated, keratoconus can progress to blindness.
Miriam's doctor referred her to a corneal surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis and told her that only a corneal transplant could restore her sight. He replaced the defective cornea in her right eye with tissue provided by the Eye Bank. When her stitches were removed, she could see better than she had been able to see for a long time. After a few months, the surgeon replaced the defective cornea in her left eye, and Miriam was ecstatic at being able to see clearly once again.
It is true that one can give sight to another by donating his eyes at death. Corneal transplants have long been used to restore sight, but only the tissue from a human eye can be used. Indicate on the back of your driver's license that you will donate, or call 800-232-4384.
Berniece H. Dwyer
Milford
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- Trading Freedoms - Great Photo - Making Amends - Good Samaritan - Optometry Career - Searching For Mother - Gift Of Sight
Trading Freedoms
Editor, Times-Union:The following was taken from the Warsaw Daily Times on Wednesday, August 25, 1948. W.G. Vollmer, president of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, touched on some important points. These points ring as true today as they did some 55 years ago.
"We should be on guard against the temptation to trade our freedom for the hollow security which we imagine a government can provide. A government cannot give the people security. That is a snare and a delusion. Only the people themselves can provide security by production, by thrift and by resourcefulness. The only thing a government can give the people is what it takes from the people. The government does not produce anything. It merely spends what the people produce. The government is a consumer of wealth, not a producer, as some would have us believe.
"What I have said here today does not embody anything that is new to you. It is largely a restatement, in a little different language perhaps, of the basic fundamentals of government to which all of us subscribe. But we need to repeat from time to time what freedom really means to us as a people and as a nation. It is easy to lose sight of these things and to take them for granted, just as we take freedom for granted. But freedom can be lost. It has been lost before.
"The process of losing it evolves slowly, almost imperceptibly. We should always remember that freedom does not come easily or cheaply. It cannot be traded off today and recovered tomorrow. History records the grim fact that the pathway of freedom is covered with blood, sweat and tears. As good citizens it is my job and your job to see that we do not trade off our freedom for a mess of contaminated porridge temptingly garnished as security.
"To safeguard our freedom we should: register and vote in all elections; interest and inform ourselves in the functions and activities of the various activities of government; suggest, commend and criticize our government to the extent our judgment may dictate; resist the temptation to trade freedom of action for artificial security; accept the responsibility of solving local problems rather than turning to Washington for the answer; remember that whatever the government spends it must first take from the people, and that the more the government spends, the less you and I have to spend on ourselves and our families. It is our responsibility to see that the good things of life which has come to us as a result of freedom are preserved and protected for our children. Ours is a grave responsibility, but if we shirk it, we and our children face graver consequences."
As stated, the people control the government. The government does not control the people. But is this really true now? Who is controlling whom?
Diana Puterbaugh
Claypool
Great Photo
Editor, Times-Union:Happy New Year to all of you at the Times-Union. Enjoy your paper each evening!
And - wow! How in the world did Gary Nieter catch that picture of a deer running between him and an oncoming car? Tremendous! Appreciate and enjoy his nature pictures on the front page so much. We who enjoy those pictures are blessed and encouraged as the rest of the first page has so much unpleasant reporting.
Keep up the excellent work, all of you.
Naomi L. Floor
Silver Lake
Making Amends
Editor, Times-Union:I am a former Warsaw resident who now lives in California.
As a teenager in high school, I contributed an article to the Times-Union, though I no longer have a record of the date of publication (circa 1984).
I am currently in a program in which I am required to make amends for issues in my past, and that leads to this letter.
I am very sorry to say that I wrote the article mentioned above and submitted it to the Times-Union as nonfiction, when, in fact, the story (about how teenagers spent free time in Warsaw) was a fabrication. The newspaper staff printed the story entirely unaware that the quotes were all fiction, however true the spirit of the piece may have been.
There was no malice in this, but I am fully aware that it was a gross abuse of trust of the newspaper's staff and readers, which I do not take lightly.
I don't know how I could make amends for this, but am eager to consider any suggestions you have.
Again, I am deeply sorry for this incident, and would like to set things aright if I can.
Douglas David Dwyer
Richmond, Calif.
via e-mail
Good Samaritan
Editor, Times-Union:My name is Garrett Titus and I live on Pierceton Road in Winona Lake. Thank you to the man who stopped to tell me about my dog Gator (who was hit by a truck Tuesday evening). Please don't cry because we found him and mommy took him to the vet. He will be OK.
Garrett Titus, age 5
Winona Lake
via e-mail
Optometry Career
Editor, Times-Union:To say "thank you" is too simple to express the appreciation and gratitude I feel after receiving all the cards, letters and phone calls regarding my retirement. Calls with kind words from patients as far away as California and Florida are really touching.
My career in optometry could not have been so fulfilling had I not chosen Warsaw to begin my practice in 1962. The community, surrounding county and neighboring counties have allowed me to meet thousands of patients who most often also became friends. That type of relationship is very special to me and really made work fun.
I always advise young people ready for high school graduation that "life will be pleasant and rewarding if you like your work and where you live." That has certainly been true for me and my family, but 40 years is long enough. It's time for other activities and time to leave the practice in the very capable hands of Dr. Tabitha Temple.
After she purchased the practice in February 2002, I reduced my schedule to two days per week so she could have the day-to-day control needed. I'm pleased to report that last year was our biggest increase in new patients to date (891), attesting to her ability and acceptance. Having worked together for five years, I can assure you she will offer the caring, honest, helpful eye care you deserve. May all her continued efforts be so rewarding.
Dr. Richard L. Carman
Optometrist (retired)
Warsaw
Searching For Mother
Editor, Times-Union:This is a story about a young man searching for his birth mother.
It all began May 30, 1968, the day I was born. I have been told my mother named me "Scotty" - the rest I do not know. I have been told that my mother was unmarried and a teen. She tried for a while to raise me for about a year or so. The Welfare Department put me in a foster home in Hartford City, however, my birth certificate states I was born in Huntington County. This is all I know about myself or mother.
At about 18 months old, I was adopted by an older couple who had a dairy farm in rural Wabash County. My adoptive parents emancipated me or terminated all rights to me at age 13.
I have tried for years to break the seal of my original birth certificate. Once you're adopted, your original is obsolete and never allowed to be opened again except for medical purposes. I guess a broken heart is not considered important enough, though. The state law makers back then probably never considered the possibility of a child not working out in a family after adoption. That child ends up growing up never having a family or having the right to know his birth mother and family.
Many nights I have cried, even as an adult, because of my broken, yearning heart to know the woman who gave birth to me. If you can't imagine what I'm feeling, just shut your eyes and think of all your loved ones. Now imagine you don't know any of them and you're all alone. Heartbreaking, isn't it? That's how I have felt my whole life.
I have a heart full of unconditional love for my birth mother and her family, no matter the reasons I was taken away. I wish she would've kept me; I know she loved me; she tried a short time to keep me. Not matter how poor she was, I know that the love she had would've been much more than I'd ever received from the adoptive parents.
I've tried the government's approach and reached dead ends. Now I'm turning to the public for help. Please, if anyone knows of details about this story and will help reunite me with any of my blood relatives, call Shane at 267-3051.
I love you, Mom, whoever and wherever you may be.
Shane Pierre Watson ("Scotty")
Warsaw
Gift Of Sight
Editor, Times-Union:Because of the generosity of a person who donated his eyes at death to the Eye Bank, Miriam Munson could see once again.
For a year or longer, she had difficulty seeing things clearly. But when she could no longer read the blackboard from her front-row seat in her high school class, she made an appointment with the family physician. Upon examination, her doctor found that she had keratoconus, a progressive eye disease which causes the cornea - the clear, outer covering of the eye - to thin and become cone-shaped. Left untreated, keratoconus can progress to blindness.
Miriam's doctor referred her to a corneal surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis and told her that only a corneal transplant could restore her sight. He replaced the defective cornea in her right eye with tissue provided by the Eye Bank. When her stitches were removed, she could see better than she had been able to see for a long time. After a few months, the surgeon replaced the defective cornea in her left eye, and Miriam was ecstatic at being able to see clearly once again.
It is true that one can give sight to another by donating his eyes at death. Corneal transplants have long been used to restore sight, but only the tissue from a human eye can be used. Indicate on the back of your driver's license that you will donate, or call 800-232-4384.
Berniece H. Dwyer
Milford
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