Letters to the Editor 05-16-2000
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Guns And Freedom - Reneker Museum - Stamp Out Hunger - Awkward Moment - Warsaw Seniors - China Trade - Anti-Gunners - Philharmonic - Silver Lake Speeding
Guns And Freedom
Editor, Times-Union:"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
This is about FREEDOM. Without an armed citizenry, we have no guarantee of FREEDOM.
The National News Media, which is about 89 percent anti-gun, does only negative news stories wherever firearms are involved. Any positive news about firearms is never mentioned. You must get all that information from those organizations which support the Second Amendment. When far less than one percent of the people and one percent of our guns are used for criminal purposes, what sense does it make to disarm the over 99 percent of the people who are not a problem? Those who are the problem will never turn in their guns, they are already outside of the law. Every state which has approved right to carry laws has had their crimes decrease to about half of what they were before the law was passed.
Those instances where citizens have protected themselves, or their homes and family with a firearm, are very rarely reported. This would not support their goal to eliminate all firearms. You only get this information from those who support the Second Amendment. Firearms, knives, hammers, a piece of pipe, don't kill people. People kill people. There has been a great lack of morals in so many of those in the generations following WWII. The killings, robberies, etc. is within the person, not the weapon that they choose. The person must be changed or confined in jails where they cannot harm us.
Our schools are safe. How many schools are there in the United States and how many schools have had these terrible incidents occurring? Very few, a small number - .002 percent (2 out of 1,000 schools), and it would not be that many. Our lives are full of risk. We have many people killed in automobile accidents, but eliminating the automobile is not the answer, anymore than eliminating firearms, knives, hammers, etc. is the answer. In Australia, where they confiscated and destroyed all guns in 1996, gun murders are up, firearms assaults are up, armed robberies are up, and home invasions are up. They who were in favor of destroying all guns will not report this because it does not support their promise that it would reduce crime.
Steve Abrams, 39, of Costa Mesa, Calif., drove his Cadillac into a day center playground in May 1999 and killed two children and injured five others. His statement was, "I was going to execute these children because they were innocent." The story was on page 8A, and was not even mentioned in most news broadcasts. If it had been a killing with a gun, the media would still be bringing it up as a reason for eliminating guns; would be showing the sorrowing people, showing the funeral, the church service, etc. When a life is lost people sorrow, no matter what weapon or incident caused the loss of a life. Any school or other tragedy with a gun is played repeatedly, by the media, day after day, week after week and month after month, to try and make people believe that eliminating guns will solve the problem.
Wallace Huffman
Warsaw
Reneker Museum
Editor, Times-Union:Last Friday, May 12th, Grace College celebrated the opening of its Reneker Museum of Winona History featuring the Homer Rodeheaver Collection. Hundreds of members of the community joined us in historic Westminster Hall.
During the ceremonies, we thanked Mrs. Betty Reneker for her generous gift which made the renovation of our museum wing possible. We also thanked Mr. Bruce Howe for providing the foundation of our museum collection - hundreds of artifacts associated with the amazing life of Homer Rodeheaver.
Now we would like to use this very public forum to express our appreciation to the Kosciusko County Foundation for its grant to the museum. The Foundation's support provided the equipment and furniture for our gallery space.
Finally, we want to thank the dozens of Kosciusko County residents who have donated financial gifts as well as unique historic pieces to our collection. We invite the rest of our community to visit The Reneker Museum of Winona History in order to enjoy the results of a wonderful community-wide effort to preserve our heritage.
Steve Grill, Museum Director
Carol Forbes, Assistant Director
Grace College
Stamp Out Hunger
Editor, Times-Union:Just read the article about "Stamp Out Hunger Day," thought I would just share a little story of my own. Let me intrude myself. My name is Jeff Rose, I am a board member on the Mentone Youth League. A couple of months or more we got talking at a meeting that the community has been so generous with donations that we need to give something back as a way to say thank you. We decided to have a food drive on opening day and donate all the food collected to Helping Hands. Just to spice it up a little, the team with the most food collected will receive a pizza party.
You are wondering why I am sharing this with you? Our opening day is Sat. May 13th. I haven't heard of this hunger day tillÊ today. I just thought it was a little interesting that it worked out on observance of Stamp Out Hunger Day. Thank you for taking the time chat with me, see you in the funny papers, ha ha ha. As if you haven't heard that before.
Jeff Rose
Mentone Youth League
via e-mailÊ
Awkward Moment
Editor, Times-Union:Last Monday I watched on television Cardinal O'Conner's funeral mass. President Clinton and Vice President Gore, along with other dignitaries, were in attendance. Cardinal Law from Boston gave the homily. He emphasized the fact that Cardinal O'Conner was a staunch supporter of Pro-Life. This statement, according to the TV commentator, created an awkward moment for President Clinton, as he has consistently been a pro-abortionist including more than once vetoing partial birth abortion legislation. He could have avoided the awkwardness by not being there.
Bernard Moore
Leesburg
Warsaw Seniors
Editor, Times-Union:I'm sure that your readers and especially the board members of the Council on Aging are tired of these pesky letters concerning the state of affairs at the Senior Activity Center and wish that the complaints would just go away. On the contrary it is very important that these legitimate grievances are heard.
While it's true that none of the allegations against Mr. Felger can be proved, it is clear that from the number of unhappy seniors who turned out at the recent board meeting and who were quite vocal in their objections to Mr. Felger that things are indeed amiss. It seems obvious however that, like President Nixon, he just plans to "stonewall" the seniors' complaints.
The senior center is a very important asset to our town and to a great many people who go there for exercise and lunches at minimal expense, who enjoy the companionship of other seniors, who depend on Social Security and Medicare information and who look forward to having their blood pressure and cholesterol checked periodically. The administrator should do more than just desk work, however important that is. He or she should sit down with the seniors sometimes for lunch or for a game of bingo, should call some of the regulars by name, should give them a smile and listen to their concerns.
If the attributes of friendliness, compassion and good humor are not compatible with Mr. Felger's personality, then he should resign and look for some other part-time job to enhance whatever retirement benefits he already has. If he doesn't resign or at least change his attitude toward Warsaw's seniors, then it is incumbent on the board to replace him.
Milly Boley
Warsaw
China Trade
Editor, Times-Union:On the 22nd of May, the Congress of the United States of America will once again vote on allowing the citizens of the U.S.A. the same ability to trade with China that the Chinese people already have when trading with the U.S.A.
Learning from history, an important attribute in today's society would show us that regardless of the time spent by some politicians and the labor movement positioning themselves against the Chinese government's position on human rights, we have affected no change in their conduct. They continue to sell in our market with impunity to import restrictions and their products can be purchased at nearly all local stores.
The Chinese people cannot grow enough food to feed themselves and currently must pay as high as a 65 percent tariff on agricultural commodities imported from the U.S.A. to supplement their food supply. Without Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China we will not be able to achieve a balance of trade; as the most effective means of trade balance is agricultural products when dealing with Asian economies. Should our representatives select to deny the PNTR, all the competing economic groups will step in to fill the needs and our purchases made at local stores will go to fund commodities which the Chinese purchased from Brazil or the E.U.
Please consider the importance to Kosciusko County and northern Indiana, by encouraging your representative in the U.S. Congress to vote for this pending measure. District 3: Tim Roemer, 202-225-3915. District 5: Steve Buyer, 202-225-5037.
Craig V. Latham
Kosciusko County
Farm Bureau Inc.
Anti-Gunners
Editor, Times-Union:If after what went down on Mother's Day there's still anyone out there with any question about where the anti-gunners are headed, they had better get their heads out of the sand.
Those people are very afraid Al Gore is not going to make it and they know if Bush does their agenda is dead for the next four years. They are going to pull out all the stops to push every bit of legislation they can get over the next seven or eight months. And let me tell you, if they get the momentum, they can get a lot accomplished in that amount of time.
We need to get on the offensive now! Write, fax, e-mail or telegram Senators Lugar and Bayh and Representatives Roemer and Buyer and let them know in no uncertain terms we want and need no new firearms legislation. Remember, be polite and courteous but firm.
Also, if you are not already a member you need to join one of the pro-Second Amendment groups at once: good - NRA at 877-672-2000; better - GOA at 703-321-8585; best - both. Get involved folks. Time is running out.
Harold Kitson
Warsaw
Philharmonic
Editor, Times-Union:The Fort Wayne Philharmonic was privileged to have recently performed two educational concerts at the Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw for students in grades six and eight. Earlier, the string ensembles performed programs in seven elementary schools in March. We wish to send cheers and thanks to the (companies and organizations that sponsored the performances).
Thanks for the wonderful student audiences and their intelligent questions to the orchestra and conductor.
We look forward to our return on July 2, 4 p.m., to perform a Patriotic Pops Concert at the amphitheater at Winona Lake.
Colleen Benninghoff
Regional Touring Director
Silver Lake Speeding
Editor, Times-Union:As we sit in our home in the 300 block of Silver Lake, we are appalled at what we see. A lot of traffic, which is a minor issue, but the speed of cars and semis going down the street is a frightening sight.
The speed limit is 30 mph. The average of vehicles is at least 40 to 50 mph. As far as speed control on 15, it is rare. Once in a blue moon an officer is sitting at Dr. Runkle's parking lot, apparently just sitting. We fear stopping to turn intoÊour driveway thatÊwe may be pounded in the back end by some speeding jerk. Yes, jerk.
We watch in fear as a young child attempts to cross the street.Ê Going out to check your mail is a scary experience, not to see what is in the mailbox, but stepping off the curb or reaching in to your mailbox fearing some jerk will go speeding by and take off your head or an arm or lose control of their vehicle and running a person down. We also watchÊan elderly woman cross to her mailbox and fear she will not make it back across because jerks are failing to obey the speed limit. What is it going to take to slow traffic down on St. Rd. 15 in Silver Lake?
It is not an exaggeration, just come spend any given day or evening on our front porch or go outside and mow lawn for about an hour and the number of speeders is phenomenal.Ê I do not believe police control is the answer. It is hard to monitor a 2- to 3-mile stretch 24 hrs. a day. What about a family getting rear-ended, or a little child getting hitÊon their bicycle? Some may say the chance of that happening is rare but think again.
What is the chance of an airplane crashing into a tree along the same stretch of road? Maybe a petition needs to go around to all living along 15 in Silver Lake to see just what one can do? Perhaps speed bumps need put up for reminders that children and other persons live in these homes they fly by constantly.
What is the answer? Does anyone out there have an idea? I believe it is time to stop these speeding jerks from going through Silver Lake as if the town does not exit. Perhaps rather than the town council trying to get a nice park in for our children maybe worry about the speeders so your child can safely cross the road to get to a park. Thank you.
Garry and Janet Wright
Silver Lake
via e-mail
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- Guns And Freedom - Reneker Museum - Stamp Out Hunger - Awkward Moment - Warsaw Seniors - China Trade - Anti-Gunners - Philharmonic - Silver Lake Speeding
Guns And Freedom
Editor, Times-Union:"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
This is about FREEDOM. Without an armed citizenry, we have no guarantee of FREEDOM.
The National News Media, which is about 89 percent anti-gun, does only negative news stories wherever firearms are involved. Any positive news about firearms is never mentioned. You must get all that information from those organizations which support the Second Amendment. When far less than one percent of the people and one percent of our guns are used for criminal purposes, what sense does it make to disarm the over 99 percent of the people who are not a problem? Those who are the problem will never turn in their guns, they are already outside of the law. Every state which has approved right to carry laws has had their crimes decrease to about half of what they were before the law was passed.
Those instances where citizens have protected themselves, or their homes and family with a firearm, are very rarely reported. This would not support their goal to eliminate all firearms. You only get this information from those who support the Second Amendment. Firearms, knives, hammers, a piece of pipe, don't kill people. People kill people. There has been a great lack of morals in so many of those in the generations following WWII. The killings, robberies, etc. is within the person, not the weapon that they choose. The person must be changed or confined in jails where they cannot harm us.
Our schools are safe. How many schools are there in the United States and how many schools have had these terrible incidents occurring? Very few, a small number - .002 percent (2 out of 1,000 schools), and it would not be that many. Our lives are full of risk. We have many people killed in automobile accidents, but eliminating the automobile is not the answer, anymore than eliminating firearms, knives, hammers, etc. is the answer. In Australia, where they confiscated and destroyed all guns in 1996, gun murders are up, firearms assaults are up, armed robberies are up, and home invasions are up. They who were in favor of destroying all guns will not report this because it does not support their promise that it would reduce crime.
Steve Abrams, 39, of Costa Mesa, Calif., drove his Cadillac into a day center playground in May 1999 and killed two children and injured five others. His statement was, "I was going to execute these children because they were innocent." The story was on page 8A, and was not even mentioned in most news broadcasts. If it had been a killing with a gun, the media would still be bringing it up as a reason for eliminating guns; would be showing the sorrowing people, showing the funeral, the church service, etc. When a life is lost people sorrow, no matter what weapon or incident caused the loss of a life. Any school or other tragedy with a gun is played repeatedly, by the media, day after day, week after week and month after month, to try and make people believe that eliminating guns will solve the problem.
Wallace Huffman
Warsaw
Reneker Museum
Editor, Times-Union:Last Friday, May 12th, Grace College celebrated the opening of its Reneker Museum of Winona History featuring the Homer Rodeheaver Collection. Hundreds of members of the community joined us in historic Westminster Hall.
During the ceremonies, we thanked Mrs. Betty Reneker for her generous gift which made the renovation of our museum wing possible. We also thanked Mr. Bruce Howe for providing the foundation of our museum collection - hundreds of artifacts associated with the amazing life of Homer Rodeheaver.
Now we would like to use this very public forum to express our appreciation to the Kosciusko County Foundation for its grant to the museum. The Foundation's support provided the equipment and furniture for our gallery space.
Finally, we want to thank the dozens of Kosciusko County residents who have donated financial gifts as well as unique historic pieces to our collection. We invite the rest of our community to visit The Reneker Museum of Winona History in order to enjoy the results of a wonderful community-wide effort to preserve our heritage.
Steve Grill, Museum Director
Carol Forbes, Assistant Director
Grace College
Stamp Out Hunger
Editor, Times-Union:Just read the article about "Stamp Out Hunger Day," thought I would just share a little story of my own. Let me intrude myself. My name is Jeff Rose, I am a board member on the Mentone Youth League. A couple of months or more we got talking at a meeting that the community has been so generous with donations that we need to give something back as a way to say thank you. We decided to have a food drive on opening day and donate all the food collected to Helping Hands. Just to spice it up a little, the team with the most food collected will receive a pizza party.
You are wondering why I am sharing this with you? Our opening day is Sat. May 13th. I haven't heard of this hunger day tillÊ today. I just thought it was a little interesting that it worked out on observance of Stamp Out Hunger Day. Thank you for taking the time chat with me, see you in the funny papers, ha ha ha. As if you haven't heard that before.
Jeff Rose
Mentone Youth League
via e-mailÊ
Awkward Moment
Editor, Times-Union:Last Monday I watched on television Cardinal O'Conner's funeral mass. President Clinton and Vice President Gore, along with other dignitaries, were in attendance. Cardinal Law from Boston gave the homily. He emphasized the fact that Cardinal O'Conner was a staunch supporter of Pro-Life. This statement, according to the TV commentator, created an awkward moment for President Clinton, as he has consistently been a pro-abortionist including more than once vetoing partial birth abortion legislation. He could have avoided the awkwardness by not being there.
Bernard Moore
Leesburg
Warsaw Seniors
Editor, Times-Union:I'm sure that your readers and especially the board members of the Council on Aging are tired of these pesky letters concerning the state of affairs at the Senior Activity Center and wish that the complaints would just go away. On the contrary it is very important that these legitimate grievances are heard.
While it's true that none of the allegations against Mr. Felger can be proved, it is clear that from the number of unhappy seniors who turned out at the recent board meeting and who were quite vocal in their objections to Mr. Felger that things are indeed amiss. It seems obvious however that, like President Nixon, he just plans to "stonewall" the seniors' complaints.
The senior center is a very important asset to our town and to a great many people who go there for exercise and lunches at minimal expense, who enjoy the companionship of other seniors, who depend on Social Security and Medicare information and who look forward to having their blood pressure and cholesterol checked periodically. The administrator should do more than just desk work, however important that is. He or she should sit down with the seniors sometimes for lunch or for a game of bingo, should call some of the regulars by name, should give them a smile and listen to their concerns.
If the attributes of friendliness, compassion and good humor are not compatible with Mr. Felger's personality, then he should resign and look for some other part-time job to enhance whatever retirement benefits he already has. If he doesn't resign or at least change his attitude toward Warsaw's seniors, then it is incumbent on the board to replace him.
Milly Boley
Warsaw
China Trade
Editor, Times-Union:On the 22nd of May, the Congress of the United States of America will once again vote on allowing the citizens of the U.S.A. the same ability to trade with China that the Chinese people already have when trading with the U.S.A.
Learning from history, an important attribute in today's society would show us that regardless of the time spent by some politicians and the labor movement positioning themselves against the Chinese government's position on human rights, we have affected no change in their conduct. They continue to sell in our market with impunity to import restrictions and their products can be purchased at nearly all local stores.
The Chinese people cannot grow enough food to feed themselves and currently must pay as high as a 65 percent tariff on agricultural commodities imported from the U.S.A. to supplement their food supply. Without Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China we will not be able to achieve a balance of trade; as the most effective means of trade balance is agricultural products when dealing with Asian economies. Should our representatives select to deny the PNTR, all the competing economic groups will step in to fill the needs and our purchases made at local stores will go to fund commodities which the Chinese purchased from Brazil or the E.U.
Please consider the importance to Kosciusko County and northern Indiana, by encouraging your representative in the U.S. Congress to vote for this pending measure. District 3: Tim Roemer, 202-225-3915. District 5: Steve Buyer, 202-225-5037.
Craig V. Latham
Kosciusko County
Farm Bureau Inc.
Anti-Gunners
Editor, Times-Union:If after what went down on Mother's Day there's still anyone out there with any question about where the anti-gunners are headed, they had better get their heads out of the sand.
Those people are very afraid Al Gore is not going to make it and they know if Bush does their agenda is dead for the next four years. They are going to pull out all the stops to push every bit of legislation they can get over the next seven or eight months. And let me tell you, if they get the momentum, they can get a lot accomplished in that amount of time.
We need to get on the offensive now! Write, fax, e-mail or telegram Senators Lugar and Bayh and Representatives Roemer and Buyer and let them know in no uncertain terms we want and need no new firearms legislation. Remember, be polite and courteous but firm.
Also, if you are not already a member you need to join one of the pro-Second Amendment groups at once: good - NRA at 877-672-2000; better - GOA at 703-321-8585; best - both. Get involved folks. Time is running out.
Harold Kitson
Warsaw
Philharmonic
Editor, Times-Union:The Fort Wayne Philharmonic was privileged to have recently performed two educational concerts at the Lakeview Middle School in Warsaw for students in grades six and eight. Earlier, the string ensembles performed programs in seven elementary schools in March. We wish to send cheers and thanks to the (companies and organizations that sponsored the performances).
Thanks for the wonderful student audiences and their intelligent questions to the orchestra and conductor.
We look forward to our return on July 2, 4 p.m., to perform a Patriotic Pops Concert at the amphitheater at Winona Lake.
Colleen Benninghoff
Regional Touring Director
Silver Lake Speeding
Editor, Times-Union:As we sit in our home in the 300 block of Silver Lake, we are appalled at what we see. A lot of traffic, which is a minor issue, but the speed of cars and semis going down the street is a frightening sight.
The speed limit is 30 mph. The average of vehicles is at least 40 to 50 mph. As far as speed control on 15, it is rare. Once in a blue moon an officer is sitting at Dr. Runkle's parking lot, apparently just sitting. We fear stopping to turn intoÊour driveway thatÊwe may be pounded in the back end by some speeding jerk. Yes, jerk.
We watch in fear as a young child attempts to cross the street.Ê Going out to check your mail is a scary experience, not to see what is in the mailbox, but stepping off the curb or reaching in to your mailbox fearing some jerk will go speeding by and take off your head or an arm or lose control of their vehicle and running a person down. We also watchÊan elderly woman cross to her mailbox and fear she will not make it back across because jerks are failing to obey the speed limit. What is it going to take to slow traffic down on St. Rd. 15 in Silver Lake?
It is not an exaggeration, just come spend any given day or evening on our front porch or go outside and mow lawn for about an hour and the number of speeders is phenomenal.Ê I do not believe police control is the answer. It is hard to monitor a 2- to 3-mile stretch 24 hrs. a day. What about a family getting rear-ended, or a little child getting hitÊon their bicycle? Some may say the chance of that happening is rare but think again.
What is the chance of an airplane crashing into a tree along the same stretch of road? Maybe a petition needs to go around to all living along 15 in Silver Lake to see just what one can do? Perhaps speed bumps need put up for reminders that children and other persons live in these homes they fly by constantly.
What is the answer? Does anyone out there have an idea? I believe it is time to stop these speeding jerks from going through Silver Lake as if the town does not exit. Perhaps rather than the town council trying to get a nice park in for our children maybe worry about the speeders so your child can safely cross the road to get to a park. Thank you.
Garry and Janet Wright
Silver Lake
via e-mail
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