Letters to the Editor 06-30-1999
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Gun Control - Whitko Column - Gun Sales - Special Man - Values - Kids In Trouble - Soccer Article - Dog Rumors
Gun Control
Editor, Times-Union:Al Gore says it's easy for kids to buy guns. He should read the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, which is still the law in our nation. I read it. Here's what it says about minors buying handguns:
"It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer or licensed collector to sell or deliver any firearm or ammunition to any individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than eighteen years of age, and, if the firearm, or ammunition is other than a shotgun or rifle, or ammunition for a shotgun or rifle, to any individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than twenty-one years of age."
Here's what it says about anyone:
"It shall be unlawful for any person to receive, possess, conceal, store, barter, sell or dispose of any stolen firearm or stolen ammunition..."
We do not need another barrage of blank laws. It's time the automatic politicians exchange their empty talk clips with loaded fact clips.
Fact 1: The Supreme Court has ruled that it is NOT the job of police to "protect."
Fact 2: The right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Fact 3: Criminals wait for you to unlock your child proof gun before they mug you.
Gun control equals victim disarmament.
Libertarians say, rather than banning guns, the politicians and the police should encourage gun ownership, as well as education and training programs. A responsible, well-armed and trained citizenry is the best protection against domestic crime and the threat of foreign invasion. America's founders knew that. It is still true today.
P.S. That third fact might not be 100 percent true.
Daniel Stevens, Libertarian Party Kosciusko County
Whitko Column
Editor, Times-Union:As both a resident of Pierceton and as a parent with children in the Whitko School District, I take great exception to the article written by Jen Gibson and published in the Times-Union June 22. In this piece, she characterized the decision-making process the Whitko School Board took to choose Steve Pickett as "unethical." If Ms. Gibson truly believes this, she should have done the ethical thing herself and filed a complaint with the proper authorities. Instead, she chose to air her opinion in a very public forum. Moreover, as a reader, this appears to be an opinion based on incomplete knowledge and personal bias.
It sickens me to witness this trend of looking for tales of political intrigue seeping down to our local area. But, I guess controversy and conflict sells. Ms. Gibson is concluding that Mr. Patrick lost out because of "politics" and that the English department teaching position is but a pretext to hide the "truth" behind the School Board's actions. Well, I don't have to conclude. I know that the Whitko School Board had the best interests of our children in their hearts and minds when they chose Mr. Pickett to become coach of the boy's basketball team. I know this because I also know Whitko School Board member Deb Collier to be a woman of the highest moral character. I trust her and the other members. They were elected to make decisions, and that's exactly what they did. Ms. Gibson can second guess those decisions and the process all she wants, but if she is going to charge the Board with misconduct, she had better have more in her arsenal than a personal opinion masking as a sports column!
Ms. Gibson concludes the worst about our School Board. Fine, that is her choice. But perhaps she doesn't realize how much her opinion insults both Mr. Patrick and Mr. Pickett. In her way of thinking, neither man's experience or ability counts for anything. Instead, it's just school board politics. Well, here's my conclusion: When the Board and their search committee set out all the facts before them, one man, Steve Pickett, was the best fit for the job. And one more note to Ms. Gibson, Mr. Pickett won't need all that "luck" she wished on him because he'll have the support of the fine people who live in the Whitko School District.
H. Jordan Truman, Pierceton
Gun Sales
Editor, Times-Union:I just saw a "promo" on TV for a news show in which they stated that "Most of the guns sold to criminals in this country are sold by 1 percent of the gun dealers."
Representative Charles Shumer's comment was, "It's a pretty good bet that these sales are made illegally." DUH! Wake up "Chuckie" and all the anti-gun crusaders.
If the thousands of gun laws now on the books are not preventing these sales, then all the laws the Congress can pass are not going to remedy the situation.
Several years ago my daughter was attacked in her home by an intruder while her husband was at work. Had she not had a gun at her disposal, she would have at least been raped, and probably killed.
Her attacker is now serving 60 years in prison for the attack because she had the courage to go to court and testify against the perpetrator. It was a brave thing for her to confront him in a courtroom, but she will never get over the trauma, nor will the family be able to forget it.
Our law enforcement officers work extremely hard to identify and capture the suspects, only to have the offenders released or let off with a slap on the wrist for their crimes. Perhaps if the courts would enforce the existing laws, our crime rate would go down considerably.
Mary K. Omstead, Claypool
Special Man
Editor, Times-Union:In the late afternoon hours of June 23, I was able to travel to Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne and view the temple that used to house the spirit of a short humble man, who had a pleasant smile and a warm greeting for all of those he met.
He was a husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was the patriarch of the Castellanos family.
Flags won't be flown half-mast, because he wasn't a famous man to others. What made this man special is he loved his family and they loved him.
A lot of tears have been shed, and many more will be in the years to come. He was only 79 years old in February, old to some but not so old to others. Being 79 years upon this earth, I am sure he had pain but he wasn't one, like so many others.
To me there is no such thing as death in the sense of annihilation, in the sense that matter ceases to exist or that living things cease to have a conscious identity. Death is merely a change from one status or sphere of existence to another. My Heavenly Father said that he knew me before I was born, how about yours? To me that means I died to come to this earth to get this mortal body, and I will die again when my status changes.
I read this somewhere: "A man is not dead until he is forgotten."
Manuel M. Castellanos may not be with us, but the memories will keep him alive.
Roberto Ruiz, Warsaw
Values
Editor, Times-Union:While visiting in my son's home in Warsaw, I came across the Times-Union daily paper and was pleased to see the editorial (on the front page yet), "Local Man Works For Cause." How fortunate Warsaw is to have a newspaper editor with such high moral values. He surely must be a man of integrity. How wonderful it would be if our country had more editors of Gary Gerard's caliber! Keep the faith, Gary, you displayed in the paper dated June 19th.
James A. Burtoft, Akron, Ohio
Kids In Trouble
Editor, Times-Union:I'm writing to possibly give the community a wake up call. I'm currently incarcerated in the Indiana Department of Corrections. I'm also from Warsaw, born and raised. I also receive the Times-Union on a daily basis.
Everyday I read the paper, the subjects are or have been the same for the community. We have the big issue of the new jail. I believe that Kosciusko County needs a bigger jail and maybe the lady's argument about rehabilitation can be met.
I know the GED program in the jail is limited but if you're only there for a short time, why even start when you can do the same work on the streets.
I also know it's up to the trustee to clean the sheets because they have to do the work. On the other hand, you had the lady arguing the fact that Warsaw has nothing for the youth to do. They took a big step when they opened the skate park.
They got the boys and girls club but not all kids want to do sports activities. The skating rink was fun when we were in grade school.
You see, it's only the teenagers getting in trouble. I would like to suggest a dance hall for kids 12-18 to attend but in order to get in they must take a breathalyzer test because we see more drinking in Warsaw than marijuana smoking.
We just have to meet the needs of today's kids and until we ask what they like and produce it they will stay bored and soon cause trouble!
Thomas E. Seymour, Putnamville Correctional Facility
Soccer Article
Editor, Times-Union:Today, 6-24-99, in an article by Chicago AP headlined "U.S. Team Implements Alternative Plans Etc." I read the entire spread and not once was the sport mentioned. I later presumed that it probably was soccer after I noticed the front page of the sports section had a picture of a soccer ball. It seems one must be quite familiar with the athlete today to know what the AP wants us to read in his article.
H. Nicholls, Warsaw
Dog Rumors
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to clarify any rumors that my family is abusing and/or neglecting the family dog. On June 23, an anonymous caller reported to the North Webster Police Department to report that my family was neglecting our dog. To clarify the issue, our dog is a very expensive pure-bred AKC female Great Dane. It is common to see the formation of the ribs on the female, her mother was the same way.
Our dog is fed very well as she has a large appetite. She has had all of her shots, and has just been examined by our vet at the Animal Hospital of Syracuse on June 18. The vet reported that she is very healthy.
She receives her heartworm medication on a regular basis and is properly groomed constantly. She enjoys the outdoors, so we let her enjoy the sun and shade for about an hour at a time especially during nice warm weather.
Her life indoors includes her own room with a cushioned bed, her own stuffed lounge chair in the living room and fresh water and ice in her water dish. She is usually walked two miles per day to get her exercise as well as plays with our other animals.
I would like to invite this caller to stop by anytime if he or she has any questions about how to properly raise a pet.
Also, the caller may hear my newborn son cry every once in a while, please do not report us for child abuse and neglect.
So next time you feel the need to report a neglected and abused animal, please be sure to check out the situation and get your facts correct before reporting an incident to the police.
Michael Oberg, North Webster
[[In-content Ad]]
- Gun Control - Whitko Column - Gun Sales - Special Man - Values - Kids In Trouble - Soccer Article - Dog Rumors
Gun Control
Editor, Times-Union:Al Gore says it's easy for kids to buy guns. He should read the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, which is still the law in our nation. I read it. Here's what it says about minors buying handguns:
"It shall be unlawful for any licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer or licensed collector to sell or deliver any firearm or ammunition to any individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than eighteen years of age, and, if the firearm, or ammunition is other than a shotgun or rifle, or ammunition for a shotgun or rifle, to any individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than twenty-one years of age."
Here's what it says about anyone:
"It shall be unlawful for any person to receive, possess, conceal, store, barter, sell or dispose of any stolen firearm or stolen ammunition..."
We do not need another barrage of blank laws. It's time the automatic politicians exchange their empty talk clips with loaded fact clips.
Fact 1: The Supreme Court has ruled that it is NOT the job of police to "protect."
Fact 2: The right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Fact 3: Criminals wait for you to unlock your child proof gun before they mug you.
Gun control equals victim disarmament.
Libertarians say, rather than banning guns, the politicians and the police should encourage gun ownership, as well as education and training programs. A responsible, well-armed and trained citizenry is the best protection against domestic crime and the threat of foreign invasion. America's founders knew that. It is still true today.
P.S. That third fact might not be 100 percent true.
Daniel Stevens, Libertarian Party Kosciusko County
Whitko Column
Editor, Times-Union:As both a resident of Pierceton and as a parent with children in the Whitko School District, I take great exception to the article written by Jen Gibson and published in the Times-Union June 22. In this piece, she characterized the decision-making process the Whitko School Board took to choose Steve Pickett as "unethical." If Ms. Gibson truly believes this, she should have done the ethical thing herself and filed a complaint with the proper authorities. Instead, she chose to air her opinion in a very public forum. Moreover, as a reader, this appears to be an opinion based on incomplete knowledge and personal bias.
It sickens me to witness this trend of looking for tales of political intrigue seeping down to our local area. But, I guess controversy and conflict sells. Ms. Gibson is concluding that Mr. Patrick lost out because of "politics" and that the English department teaching position is but a pretext to hide the "truth" behind the School Board's actions. Well, I don't have to conclude. I know that the Whitko School Board had the best interests of our children in their hearts and minds when they chose Mr. Pickett to become coach of the boy's basketball team. I know this because I also know Whitko School Board member Deb Collier to be a woman of the highest moral character. I trust her and the other members. They were elected to make decisions, and that's exactly what they did. Ms. Gibson can second guess those decisions and the process all she wants, but if she is going to charge the Board with misconduct, she had better have more in her arsenal than a personal opinion masking as a sports column!
Ms. Gibson concludes the worst about our School Board. Fine, that is her choice. But perhaps she doesn't realize how much her opinion insults both Mr. Patrick and Mr. Pickett. In her way of thinking, neither man's experience or ability counts for anything. Instead, it's just school board politics. Well, here's my conclusion: When the Board and their search committee set out all the facts before them, one man, Steve Pickett, was the best fit for the job. And one more note to Ms. Gibson, Mr. Pickett won't need all that "luck" she wished on him because he'll have the support of the fine people who live in the Whitko School District.
H. Jordan Truman, Pierceton
Gun Sales
Editor, Times-Union:I just saw a "promo" on TV for a news show in which they stated that "Most of the guns sold to criminals in this country are sold by 1 percent of the gun dealers."
Representative Charles Shumer's comment was, "It's a pretty good bet that these sales are made illegally." DUH! Wake up "Chuckie" and all the anti-gun crusaders.
If the thousands of gun laws now on the books are not preventing these sales, then all the laws the Congress can pass are not going to remedy the situation.
Several years ago my daughter was attacked in her home by an intruder while her husband was at work. Had she not had a gun at her disposal, she would have at least been raped, and probably killed.
Her attacker is now serving 60 years in prison for the attack because she had the courage to go to court and testify against the perpetrator. It was a brave thing for her to confront him in a courtroom, but she will never get over the trauma, nor will the family be able to forget it.
Our law enforcement officers work extremely hard to identify and capture the suspects, only to have the offenders released or let off with a slap on the wrist for their crimes. Perhaps if the courts would enforce the existing laws, our crime rate would go down considerably.
Mary K. Omstead, Claypool
Special Man
Editor, Times-Union:In the late afternoon hours of June 23, I was able to travel to Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne and view the temple that used to house the spirit of a short humble man, who had a pleasant smile and a warm greeting for all of those he met.
He was a husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was the patriarch of the Castellanos family.
Flags won't be flown half-mast, because he wasn't a famous man to others. What made this man special is he loved his family and they loved him.
A lot of tears have been shed, and many more will be in the years to come. He was only 79 years old in February, old to some but not so old to others. Being 79 years upon this earth, I am sure he had pain but he wasn't one, like so many others.
To me there is no such thing as death in the sense of annihilation, in the sense that matter ceases to exist or that living things cease to have a conscious identity. Death is merely a change from one status or sphere of existence to another. My Heavenly Father said that he knew me before I was born, how about yours? To me that means I died to come to this earth to get this mortal body, and I will die again when my status changes.
I read this somewhere: "A man is not dead until he is forgotten."
Manuel M. Castellanos may not be with us, but the memories will keep him alive.
Roberto Ruiz, Warsaw
Values
Editor, Times-Union:While visiting in my son's home in Warsaw, I came across the Times-Union daily paper and was pleased to see the editorial (on the front page yet), "Local Man Works For Cause." How fortunate Warsaw is to have a newspaper editor with such high moral values. He surely must be a man of integrity. How wonderful it would be if our country had more editors of Gary Gerard's caliber! Keep the faith, Gary, you displayed in the paper dated June 19th.
James A. Burtoft, Akron, Ohio
Kids In Trouble
Editor, Times-Union:I'm writing to possibly give the community a wake up call. I'm currently incarcerated in the Indiana Department of Corrections. I'm also from Warsaw, born and raised. I also receive the Times-Union on a daily basis.
Everyday I read the paper, the subjects are or have been the same for the community. We have the big issue of the new jail. I believe that Kosciusko County needs a bigger jail and maybe the lady's argument about rehabilitation can be met.
I know the GED program in the jail is limited but if you're only there for a short time, why even start when you can do the same work on the streets.
I also know it's up to the trustee to clean the sheets because they have to do the work. On the other hand, you had the lady arguing the fact that Warsaw has nothing for the youth to do. They took a big step when they opened the skate park.
They got the boys and girls club but not all kids want to do sports activities. The skating rink was fun when we were in grade school.
You see, it's only the teenagers getting in trouble. I would like to suggest a dance hall for kids 12-18 to attend but in order to get in they must take a breathalyzer test because we see more drinking in Warsaw than marijuana smoking.
We just have to meet the needs of today's kids and until we ask what they like and produce it they will stay bored and soon cause trouble!
Thomas E. Seymour, Putnamville Correctional Facility
Soccer Article
Editor, Times-Union:Today, 6-24-99, in an article by Chicago AP headlined "U.S. Team Implements Alternative Plans Etc." I read the entire spread and not once was the sport mentioned. I later presumed that it probably was soccer after I noticed the front page of the sports section had a picture of a soccer ball. It seems one must be quite familiar with the athlete today to know what the AP wants us to read in his article.
H. Nicholls, Warsaw
Dog Rumors
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to clarify any rumors that my family is abusing and/or neglecting the family dog. On June 23, an anonymous caller reported to the North Webster Police Department to report that my family was neglecting our dog. To clarify the issue, our dog is a very expensive pure-bred AKC female Great Dane. It is common to see the formation of the ribs on the female, her mother was the same way.
Our dog is fed very well as she has a large appetite. She has had all of her shots, and has just been examined by our vet at the Animal Hospital of Syracuse on June 18. The vet reported that she is very healthy.
She receives her heartworm medication on a regular basis and is properly groomed constantly. She enjoys the outdoors, so we let her enjoy the sun and shade for about an hour at a time especially during nice warm weather.
Her life indoors includes her own room with a cushioned bed, her own stuffed lounge chair in the living room and fresh water and ice in her water dish. She is usually walked two miles per day to get her exercise as well as plays with our other animals.
I would like to invite this caller to stop by anytime if he or she has any questions about how to properly raise a pet.
Also, the caller may hear my newborn son cry every once in a while, please do not report us for child abuse and neglect.
So next time you feel the need to report a neglected and abused animal, please be sure to check out the situation and get your facts correct before reporting an incident to the police.
Michael Oberg, North Webster
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092