Letters to the Editor 04-07-1997
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Petrosky - Vernon Zurcher - Prisons - Class President - Fatality - Education - Cross-Fire - Anti-Clinton
Petrosky
Editor, Times-Union:I am pleased to see that Kosciusko County Prosecutor David C. Kolbe, is willing to open a "public dialogue" regarding his dismissal of felony charges against the boy who killed my brother in an automobile collision last year. Perhaps some of my family's many unanswered questions can finally be addressed.
In his letter published April 1, Mr. Kolbe says that the young man's "speed before his brakes locked was approximately 58 mph" (meaning at least 58, as a reconstruction can provide only a minimum speed). If he was, indeed, going approximately 58 mph when his brakes locked, and they locked 119 feet from the intersection, as Mr. Kolbe claims, isn't that an awfully high rate of speed to be traveling when you're so close to a stop sign? Did the prosecutor consult a driver's training/defensive driving instructor to determine the "safe stopping distance" one must allow when slightly exceeding the posted speed limit?
The prosecutor contends that there was "some impairment" and "possible malfunction" of the boy's brakes. I obtained a copy of the mechanic's report; it doesn't indicate brake failure. The fluid was low. There was some rust and a small leak in the rear brake line. Did Mr. Kolbe consult an expert to help him understand this report? I did. I spoke with an experienced mechanic who holds a masters degree, and who taught auto mechanics and hydraulics at a junior college for three decades. He stated confidently that the combined evidence of this report, the skid marks at the scene, and the fact that the marks ran in a straight line until the apparent point of impact clearly indicate that the young man's brakes were working adequately. How did Mr. Kolbe determine brake failure?
In an audiotaped meeting with my family members on Feb. 19, Mr. Kolbe stated a very specific reason for making them obtain a court order to review the reconstruction report. Yet, in an April 1 South Bend Tribune article, he offers a totally different explanation for refusing, for over two months, to share this information. Which is true? And how could sharing the reconstruction report with my family affect the future refiling of charges?
In the March 31 Times-Union article regarding the appointment of a special prosecutor, Mr. Kolbe says of my family, "These folks are jut overcome with grief and it just does terrible things to people sometimes; they just cannot accept that I don't believe we can prove this case." Is the prosecuting attorney also a trained grief therapist, qualified to make such assertions about our feelings? What are the "terrible things" our grief has done to us? Is he perhaps saying that we have done something terrible by questioning his behavior? Yes, we have requested that the prosecutor conduct a thorough and aggressive investigation; we have asked that he act in a professional and ethical manner; we have made numerous inquiries regarding the collision that killed my brother. Is this so terrible?
And no, Mr. Kolbe, it's not that my family cannot accept your inability to prove this case. We cannot accept the fact that you didn't even try.
Teresa Petrosky Wallace Casper, Wyo.
Vernon Zurcher
Editor, Times-Union:Recently a very great man quietly slipped away from this life and into eternity. He did so without much public mourning or speeches regarding his character, but nonetheless he impacted hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives and I shall never forget him. A retired educator from Wawasee High School, Vernon Zurcher was my teacher, friend and inspiration. He urged me to expand my narrow, teenaged thoughts (which at the time consisted mostly of what to wear and who to "hang with" on Friday night) and taught me about life. Words (however politically incorrect now) like patriotism, respect, morality and love of country abounded in his classroom. He was no fence rider. Not concerned about "personal morality," he strongly believed in God and moral absolutes and taught them with such a fervor that at first stunned me and later earned my greatest respect.
His incredible zeal for teaching was tempered only by his love for us as students. Not only was he my history teacher, but also the dear man had the dubious duty of being my driver ed teacher three times in a row. Instead of washing his hands of me and failing me as I so richly deserved, he worked with me, patiently, calmly and when he realized my problem with driving stemmed from not an inability, but an insecurity, he worked with privately, giving up his personal time, to make sure I could turn that corner (without crossing lanes) and that I could relax and enjoy driving. To this day, every time I sit behind the wheel it's his voice that reminds me to check my mirrors.
Truly though, it was at history that he excelled. Unlike so many other teachers who made us blindly memorize dates, places and times, Vernon Zurcher had a higher goal. He wanted us to love our country. And in so earnestly teaching, we came to love him as well. Who of us that sat in his classes could ever forget the days when Karl Marx, George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln would visit our room? Mr. Zurcher took great joy in challenging what we so foolishly took for granted and if that meant donning a wig and acting a part to get the point across, he gladly did it.
Once, years after I graduated, I stopped by his home to try to somehow tell him thank you. I never could get it all out. How can you express gratitude for all the life-long lessons he taught us? Instead we chatted about his then-current project, a patriotic program that he was planning. As I left him that day, I shall always remember him best though, his hands dirty from the gardening that he so relished and his face beaming with the excitement of another project and in his eyes two tears glimmered as he waved good-bye. Yes, Mr. Zurcher, you were a great man and I thank you again from the bottom of my patriotic heart.
Leanne Coffman Warsaw
Prisons
Editor, Times-Union:Many adults today are being alerted to the demographic changes in America. Boomers know they, as seniors, will soon outnumber other segments of the population. They are pleased to know they are healthier and can expect a longer lifespan than their parents.
But they worry about those who will comprise the adult population of the next generations. More of them are in trouble. Fewer of them are prepared for the responsibilities of full citizenship. Those who get in trouble spend more time in prison. Those who have the fewest resources and less ability to surmount problems have more children and they have them younger.
I suggest that thinking adults do well to worry. Think about this testimony from the Indiana Department of Corrections to the Senate Budget Committee regarding budget needs for the future. Juvenile male prison population increased 70 percent in 20 years. It increased 28 percent just in the last five years. The base of juveniles at risk of crimes continues to grow. The number of arrests increases. Time in prison is getting longer.
Scared yet? Read on: The highest grade completed by 35 percent of juveniles in the corrections system is eighth grade. The average age is 16. The at-risk population is growing. Of them, 65 percent already have a history of substance abuse and 85 percent are at high risk to continue abuse.
Worry. But don't stop there. Do more than worry. Remember the basic principle of total quality management called the 1-10-100 rule. A problem solved before production costs $1; during production, $10; after production, $100. It's the same with people.
For every dollar we spend to turn at-risk kids around before they get into trouble we save hundreds of thousands and millions that would be spent later on punishment and restitution.
The Department of Corrections is asking for $250 million new dollars on top of their annual budget of $350 million. Youth Service Bureaus, whose focus is keeping kids out of prison, are asking for annual funding of $1.3 million. Call your state legislator today (House GOP 800-382-9841; House Democrats 800-382-9842; Senate 800-382-9467) and tell them how this mix of funding matches your priorities.
Virginia Blankenbaker Indiana State Senator, 1980-92 Board member, Indiana Youth Services Association
Class President
Editor, Times-Union:
To be president of the United States you must be (1) 35 years of age, (2) a natural citizen, (3) a resident for 14 years. These aren't difficult requirements. But to be eligible for junior class president at Warsaw Community High School, the qualifications are much tougher. My son got the necessary signatures required (50 student signatures and six teacher signatures), gave the interview and also the speech in front of the junior class. These were the requirements to be able to have his name placed on the ballot. However, he was told by the student council advisers and principal Crousore that they didn't think he could do the job and his name would not be on the ballot. The only reasons given were that his grades were not good enough (he has been on the A-B Honor Roll for the last nine weeks) and that he probably cannot handle the honor classes he is taking next year. They have failed him without giving him a chance. They have undermined his confidence and self-esteem by denying him the opportunity to participate in a democratic process that anyone who qualifies should have a chance at. So, in closing, I would just like to "thank" Mr. Crousore, Mr. LeMasters and Mrs. White for deciding what he can and cannot do and only hope that all students at WCHS do not have their self-esteem trampled on just because they may not fit into someone's little mold of who should represent what. I can always hope that he'll be president of the United States some day.
David Eppenbaugh Warsaw
Fatality
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing this letter due to the tragic death of my cousin, Michael Kim "Kemo" Petrosky on April 18, 1996. The comments from Prosecutor Kolbe in the March 31 and April 1 editions of the Times-Union are very disconcerting. Our family has every right to grieve. Would Prosecutor Kolbe be grieving if it were his son, daughter or spouse that had been killed? I honestly believe that anyone with a heart would grieve in this situation. If the young man in question had been driving drunk, would he have been prosecuted? Yes, because driving drunk is illegal. The young man in question was driving without insurance, an expired license plate and a suspended driver's license. The young man was driving illegally; he should have been prosecuted. The court system handed down a ruling telling him it was illegal for him to drive. He chose to drive illegally and in that decision he took another man's life. He had a choice on April 18, 1996, whether or not to drive illegally, yet Kemo did not have the choice whether or not he wanted to die. If the young man had walked up to Kemo on the street and shot or stabbed him to death this would be murder. A vehicle is a weapon too, and yet we allow drivers to use it against innocent people. When will we hold people responsible for their actions?
As for being unfamiliar with the road, this young man attended the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation and lives at the lake down the road. How could he have been so unfamiliar with the road? His brakes were bad? Come on, he left skid marks for more than 135 feet! If his brakes were bad, how could this be? And if he knew the brakes were bad, the car was unsafe for the road and should not have been driven. True, he is the only living witness. Why would he admit that he intended to run the stop sign if he is going to get into trouble? Kemo didn't live to tell his side. The family is asking for justice. Kemo died, but he will not die in vain.
Kemo was a wonderful and loving husband, father, son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend. How many more innocent people have to die in this county before it is stopped? The next time this happens, it could be your family. The county prosecutor is an elected official. Remember this when you vote.
Marilee S. Benzing Akron
Education
Editor, Times-Union:What is the purpose of education? In the year 1900 and before, going clear back to ancient times, philosophers and educators would all have answered: "The primary purpose of education is the formation of moral character." Next to that would be the transmission of our cultural heritage and learning how to think straight, that is, logic.
The fact that all these are seldom available options in modern public school education explains why it resembles the dodo bird even more than the dinosaur. Certainly there can exist no moral obligation on my part to support a system which usually denies that such things as morality even exist. Stamp out child abuse, privatize all government supported education.
Dr. Robert O. Adair Indianapolis
Cross-Fire
Editor, Times-Union:This is great! I haven't had this much fun for a very long time.
No, Mr. Yoder, I don't work for the Times-Union and I don't believe Deanna does either. We do share a common secret however. It's called a drop box. Sometimes it expedites things and sometimes it doesn't. It just depends on the letter flow.
Sorry Mr. Lundgren, but I don't recall using either "rescue" or "defend." My word was "support" and until I asked, no one did. I was begining to think Mr. Haines was the only liberal out there with a backbone. As far as my "thinking process" is concerned, well I better let that go. Most of my friends would agree with you.
As far as your opinions are concerned, I don't recall Mr. Gerard, Ms. Newton or myself saying anything about your not having a right to yours. But we also have ours and we will continue to express them. Anyway, gentlemen ] welcome to our little cross-fire.
Harold Kitson Warsaw
Anti-Clinton
Editor, Times-Union:Since the Cinton-Gore team moved into the White House, it has become, at best, the Grey House, stained by the reputations and behavior of the present occupants, whose misdeeds include Travelgate, the murderous partial birth abortion veto, the pilfering of Vincent Foster's office files, improperly receiving over 500 FBI files, and recently the Lincoln bedroom fiasco to name a few.
The complacent liberals sound like the little boy afflicted by pink-eye asking, "Why does it matter?" The same answer applies to both, "Because of the contagious infection within."
I respect the office of the presidency, tarnished as it has become, but as to the present occupant, I wish him ] ah ] well, but only if it's deep enough to keep him from further shady ventures that degrade the office he now temporarily holds.
Robert C. Nottingham Fort Wayne
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- Petrosky - Vernon Zurcher - Prisons - Class President - Fatality - Education - Cross-Fire - Anti-Clinton
Petrosky
Editor, Times-Union:I am pleased to see that Kosciusko County Prosecutor David C. Kolbe, is willing to open a "public dialogue" regarding his dismissal of felony charges against the boy who killed my brother in an automobile collision last year. Perhaps some of my family's many unanswered questions can finally be addressed.
In his letter published April 1, Mr. Kolbe says that the young man's "speed before his brakes locked was approximately 58 mph" (meaning at least 58, as a reconstruction can provide only a minimum speed). If he was, indeed, going approximately 58 mph when his brakes locked, and they locked 119 feet from the intersection, as Mr. Kolbe claims, isn't that an awfully high rate of speed to be traveling when you're so close to a stop sign? Did the prosecutor consult a driver's training/defensive driving instructor to determine the "safe stopping distance" one must allow when slightly exceeding the posted speed limit?
The prosecutor contends that there was "some impairment" and "possible malfunction" of the boy's brakes. I obtained a copy of the mechanic's report; it doesn't indicate brake failure. The fluid was low. There was some rust and a small leak in the rear brake line. Did Mr. Kolbe consult an expert to help him understand this report? I did. I spoke with an experienced mechanic who holds a masters degree, and who taught auto mechanics and hydraulics at a junior college for three decades. He stated confidently that the combined evidence of this report, the skid marks at the scene, and the fact that the marks ran in a straight line until the apparent point of impact clearly indicate that the young man's brakes were working adequately. How did Mr. Kolbe determine brake failure?
In an audiotaped meeting with my family members on Feb. 19, Mr. Kolbe stated a very specific reason for making them obtain a court order to review the reconstruction report. Yet, in an April 1 South Bend Tribune article, he offers a totally different explanation for refusing, for over two months, to share this information. Which is true? And how could sharing the reconstruction report with my family affect the future refiling of charges?
In the March 31 Times-Union article regarding the appointment of a special prosecutor, Mr. Kolbe says of my family, "These folks are jut overcome with grief and it just does terrible things to people sometimes; they just cannot accept that I don't believe we can prove this case." Is the prosecuting attorney also a trained grief therapist, qualified to make such assertions about our feelings? What are the "terrible things" our grief has done to us? Is he perhaps saying that we have done something terrible by questioning his behavior? Yes, we have requested that the prosecutor conduct a thorough and aggressive investigation; we have asked that he act in a professional and ethical manner; we have made numerous inquiries regarding the collision that killed my brother. Is this so terrible?
And no, Mr. Kolbe, it's not that my family cannot accept your inability to prove this case. We cannot accept the fact that you didn't even try.
Teresa Petrosky Wallace Casper, Wyo.
Vernon Zurcher
Editor, Times-Union:Recently a very great man quietly slipped away from this life and into eternity. He did so without much public mourning or speeches regarding his character, but nonetheless he impacted hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives and I shall never forget him. A retired educator from Wawasee High School, Vernon Zurcher was my teacher, friend and inspiration. He urged me to expand my narrow, teenaged thoughts (which at the time consisted mostly of what to wear and who to "hang with" on Friday night) and taught me about life. Words (however politically incorrect now) like patriotism, respect, morality and love of country abounded in his classroom. He was no fence rider. Not concerned about "personal morality," he strongly believed in God and moral absolutes and taught them with such a fervor that at first stunned me and later earned my greatest respect.
His incredible zeal for teaching was tempered only by his love for us as students. Not only was he my history teacher, but also the dear man had the dubious duty of being my driver ed teacher three times in a row. Instead of washing his hands of me and failing me as I so richly deserved, he worked with me, patiently, calmly and when he realized my problem with driving stemmed from not an inability, but an insecurity, he worked with privately, giving up his personal time, to make sure I could turn that corner (without crossing lanes) and that I could relax and enjoy driving. To this day, every time I sit behind the wheel it's his voice that reminds me to check my mirrors.
Truly though, it was at history that he excelled. Unlike so many other teachers who made us blindly memorize dates, places and times, Vernon Zurcher had a higher goal. He wanted us to love our country. And in so earnestly teaching, we came to love him as well. Who of us that sat in his classes could ever forget the days when Karl Marx, George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln would visit our room? Mr. Zurcher took great joy in challenging what we so foolishly took for granted and if that meant donning a wig and acting a part to get the point across, he gladly did it.
Once, years after I graduated, I stopped by his home to try to somehow tell him thank you. I never could get it all out. How can you express gratitude for all the life-long lessons he taught us? Instead we chatted about his then-current project, a patriotic program that he was planning. As I left him that day, I shall always remember him best though, his hands dirty from the gardening that he so relished and his face beaming with the excitement of another project and in his eyes two tears glimmered as he waved good-bye. Yes, Mr. Zurcher, you were a great man and I thank you again from the bottom of my patriotic heart.
Leanne Coffman Warsaw
Prisons
Editor, Times-Union:Many adults today are being alerted to the demographic changes in America. Boomers know they, as seniors, will soon outnumber other segments of the population. They are pleased to know they are healthier and can expect a longer lifespan than their parents.
But they worry about those who will comprise the adult population of the next generations. More of them are in trouble. Fewer of them are prepared for the responsibilities of full citizenship. Those who get in trouble spend more time in prison. Those who have the fewest resources and less ability to surmount problems have more children and they have them younger.
I suggest that thinking adults do well to worry. Think about this testimony from the Indiana Department of Corrections to the Senate Budget Committee regarding budget needs for the future. Juvenile male prison population increased 70 percent in 20 years. It increased 28 percent just in the last five years. The base of juveniles at risk of crimes continues to grow. The number of arrests increases. Time in prison is getting longer.
Scared yet? Read on: The highest grade completed by 35 percent of juveniles in the corrections system is eighth grade. The average age is 16. The at-risk population is growing. Of them, 65 percent already have a history of substance abuse and 85 percent are at high risk to continue abuse.
Worry. But don't stop there. Do more than worry. Remember the basic principle of total quality management called the 1-10-100 rule. A problem solved before production costs $1; during production, $10; after production, $100. It's the same with people.
For every dollar we spend to turn at-risk kids around before they get into trouble we save hundreds of thousands and millions that would be spent later on punishment and restitution.
The Department of Corrections is asking for $250 million new dollars on top of their annual budget of $350 million. Youth Service Bureaus, whose focus is keeping kids out of prison, are asking for annual funding of $1.3 million. Call your state legislator today (House GOP 800-382-9841; House Democrats 800-382-9842; Senate 800-382-9467) and tell them how this mix of funding matches your priorities.
Virginia Blankenbaker Indiana State Senator, 1980-92 Board member, Indiana Youth Services Association
Class President
Editor, Times-Union:
To be president of the United States you must be (1) 35 years of age, (2) a natural citizen, (3) a resident for 14 years. These aren't difficult requirements. But to be eligible for junior class president at Warsaw Community High School, the qualifications are much tougher. My son got the necessary signatures required (50 student signatures and six teacher signatures), gave the interview and also the speech in front of the junior class. These were the requirements to be able to have his name placed on the ballot. However, he was told by the student council advisers and principal Crousore that they didn't think he could do the job and his name would not be on the ballot. The only reasons given were that his grades were not good enough (he has been on the A-B Honor Roll for the last nine weeks) and that he probably cannot handle the honor classes he is taking next year. They have failed him without giving him a chance. They have undermined his confidence and self-esteem by denying him the opportunity to participate in a democratic process that anyone who qualifies should have a chance at. So, in closing, I would just like to "thank" Mr. Crousore, Mr. LeMasters and Mrs. White for deciding what he can and cannot do and only hope that all students at WCHS do not have their self-esteem trampled on just because they may not fit into someone's little mold of who should represent what. I can always hope that he'll be president of the United States some day.
David Eppenbaugh Warsaw
Fatality
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing this letter due to the tragic death of my cousin, Michael Kim "Kemo" Petrosky on April 18, 1996. The comments from Prosecutor Kolbe in the March 31 and April 1 editions of the Times-Union are very disconcerting. Our family has every right to grieve. Would Prosecutor Kolbe be grieving if it were his son, daughter or spouse that had been killed? I honestly believe that anyone with a heart would grieve in this situation. If the young man in question had been driving drunk, would he have been prosecuted? Yes, because driving drunk is illegal. The young man in question was driving without insurance, an expired license plate and a suspended driver's license. The young man was driving illegally; he should have been prosecuted. The court system handed down a ruling telling him it was illegal for him to drive. He chose to drive illegally and in that decision he took another man's life. He had a choice on April 18, 1996, whether or not to drive illegally, yet Kemo did not have the choice whether or not he wanted to die. If the young man had walked up to Kemo on the street and shot or stabbed him to death this would be murder. A vehicle is a weapon too, and yet we allow drivers to use it against innocent people. When will we hold people responsible for their actions?
As for being unfamiliar with the road, this young man attended the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation and lives at the lake down the road. How could he have been so unfamiliar with the road? His brakes were bad? Come on, he left skid marks for more than 135 feet! If his brakes were bad, how could this be? And if he knew the brakes were bad, the car was unsafe for the road and should not have been driven. True, he is the only living witness. Why would he admit that he intended to run the stop sign if he is going to get into trouble? Kemo didn't live to tell his side. The family is asking for justice. Kemo died, but he will not die in vain.
Kemo was a wonderful and loving husband, father, son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend. How many more innocent people have to die in this county before it is stopped? The next time this happens, it could be your family. The county prosecutor is an elected official. Remember this when you vote.
Marilee S. Benzing Akron
Education
Editor, Times-Union:What is the purpose of education? In the year 1900 and before, going clear back to ancient times, philosophers and educators would all have answered: "The primary purpose of education is the formation of moral character." Next to that would be the transmission of our cultural heritage and learning how to think straight, that is, logic.
The fact that all these are seldom available options in modern public school education explains why it resembles the dodo bird even more than the dinosaur. Certainly there can exist no moral obligation on my part to support a system which usually denies that such things as morality even exist. Stamp out child abuse, privatize all government supported education.
Dr. Robert O. Adair Indianapolis
Cross-Fire
Editor, Times-Union:This is great! I haven't had this much fun for a very long time.
No, Mr. Yoder, I don't work for the Times-Union and I don't believe Deanna does either. We do share a common secret however. It's called a drop box. Sometimes it expedites things and sometimes it doesn't. It just depends on the letter flow.
Sorry Mr. Lundgren, but I don't recall using either "rescue" or "defend." My word was "support" and until I asked, no one did. I was begining to think Mr. Haines was the only liberal out there with a backbone. As far as my "thinking process" is concerned, well I better let that go. Most of my friends would agree with you.
As far as your opinions are concerned, I don't recall Mr. Gerard, Ms. Newton or myself saying anything about your not having a right to yours. But we also have ours and we will continue to express them. Anyway, gentlemen ] welcome to our little cross-fire.
Harold Kitson Warsaw
Anti-Clinton
Editor, Times-Union:Since the Cinton-Gore team moved into the White House, it has become, at best, the Grey House, stained by the reputations and behavior of the present occupants, whose misdeeds include Travelgate, the murderous partial birth abortion veto, the pilfering of Vincent Foster's office files, improperly receiving over 500 FBI files, and recently the Lincoln bedroom fiasco to name a few.
The complacent liberals sound like the little boy afflicted by pink-eye asking, "Why does it matter?" The same answer applies to both, "Because of the contagious infection within."
I respect the office of the presidency, tarnished as it has become, but as to the present occupant, I wish him ] ah ] well, but only if it's deep enough to keep him from further shady ventures that degrade the office he now temporarily holds.
Robert C. Nottingham Fort Wayne
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