Letters to the Editor 07-14-1999
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Save Our Pets - Firearms Laws - Justice - Sanity In Government - Putt Endowment - Animal Shelter
Save Our Pets
Editor, Times-Union:Dogs - cats, animals
Why in the world do we kill these animals?
Why not charge $10 to adopt a cat, and $15 - $20 to adopt a dog? I believe more of these "Friends" would be adopted if fees were lowered.
Another idea! Why not get permission to have some of these "Friends" placed in retirement homes, where they would get lots of love.
Save out pets.
Al Smith, Warsaw
Firearms Laws
Editor, Times-Union:Thanks again, Mr. Gerard, for another great editorial. You make a very good point as to why there are so many firearms laws broken with impunity. I think I may be able to answer some of your question.
First off, let me say, I am in no way trying to justify this administration's record in this matter. As you say, it is "abysmal." However, when it comes to the Brady background checks, there are several problems concerning arrest and prosecution.
In the first place their figures are way over-inflated. Those figures represent the total first time stops of all firearms sales. What they still will not admit is that 75 percent of those stops are reversed upon review. They are mostly errors caused by people having the same name as a convicted felon or some other problems along that line. In other words, if they were to arrest everyone turned down the first time they would, by now, have the potential of some 185,000 lawsuits.
Another problem is that at this time there are laws that will prevent a person from purchasing a firearm that many people are simply not aware of. This may very well have been the case with Benjamin Smith. He was not, as I understand it, a convicted felon but had a restraining order against him and may not have known that this would prevent him purchasing a firearm. Another big one is the misdemeanor domestic abuse law passed in 1996. That law, for some reason, was never widely publicized and many people are simply unaware that a shoving match they had with their first wife 20 years ago now prohibits them from purchasing firearms.
But, as you say Mr. Gerard, there are entirely too many laws broken with impunity which, I think, confirms the notion that this has nothing to do with crime in the first place. It is nothing more than this administration attempting to conform to the United Nations mandate that all private citizens be disarmed.
Harold Kitson, Warsaw
Justice
Editor, Times-Union:This letter is concerning unfair justice. My questions are as follows:
1. How can a person continue to be arrested on possession, OWI, battery, etc.?
2. How can a person be on probation having more than one felony charge pending?
3. How can a person be arrested on some of these same charges again recently, bond out again and walk the streets?
This is why so many people are being hurt. I think it's pretty sad when, charge after charge, this person is slapped on the hand.
Someone is really laughing at our judicial system.
Tammy Keplinger, Pierceton
Sanity In Government
Editor, Times-Union:Laws, laws, laws. We have so many laws and we have become so accustomed to it that we no longer think about how stupid and intrusive so many of them are. Why does a gun dealer need a license? I'll tell you why a gun dealer needs a license. It helps pay the wages of the bureaucrats who come around to see if he has a license. Selling a gun or anything else should not be a crime. Why do we need a license bureau? Does getting a drivers license every four years make you a better driver? How many hundreds of thousands of auto accidents happen every year? Are we to believe that all these accidents happened because these drivers did not have license? Why do you need a drivers license? So some bureaucrats can have jobs. The examples of this kind of nonsense are endless. A person would be a fool to suggest that we don't need any laws but let's get some sanity back in government.
Charles Carnes, Vice Chair, Kosciusko County Libertarian Party
Putt Endowment
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing in response to the letter from Sharon Gaff. She seems to have missed the previous letters to the editor and articles relating to the circumstances surrounding the Putt Endowment. I will therefore, again, explain why this money was not used for the animals at the Shelter.
The Putts left the money to the Humane Society, which was in operation 25 years ago and is responsible for the building that now is the shelter. Mrs. Putt, I believe, was a volunteer at the shelter at this time. Since then, The Humane Society dwindled down to three members because membership was CLOSED. This board of three people made the decision to put the money from Mr. and Mrs. Putt into the Kosciusko County Foundation as a continuing trust. Funds will be allocated from the interest of the trust.
The Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County will apply for these funds in October. We can only apply once a year.
In a news brief in the Times-Union is was implied that anyone wishing to give donations to help the animals of Kosciusko County should donate to the Putt Fund. I want the public to realize that your donations will have an immediate impact on the suffering of animals in this county if you donate directly to the Animal Welfare League. We use the funds every day to help the unwanted animals in this county. The Putt Fund will only release money once a year. Let me assure you we need money today and tomorrow, and the day after! Not once a year.
The Kosciusko County Foundation is a good group of people who help many causes in Kosciusko County. They had no control in the decision on the Putt Endowment. The decision was made by Jim Butts, the President of the Humane Society, and its two other members.
I want to thank Sharon Gaff for her concern towards the unwanted and suffering animals at the shelter. Let me close by saying "please spay and neuter your pets." Be a responsible pet owner!
Margaret Kennedy, President, Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County
Animal Shelter
Editor, Times-Union:We're writing about the situation at the animal shelter in Warsaw. Wednesday, of this week, my daughter and I took dog and cat food over to the shelter to try to help with the problems at hand. It was a sad sight. The volunteers at the shelter do as much as possible with the tools they have, but only so many animals can be kept at a shelter of this size for any long period of time. After reading the article called "Humane Society," I was appaulled at how three people (Cathy Teghtmeyer, John Bauman and James Butts) could take from these poor animals. The money was NOT meant for their personal needs, but the needs and welfare of the animals that come to the shelter were what the Putts had intended for. We all need to avoid having any contact with these three individuals, let them eat cake. The community needs to pull together and support this shelter.
Michael and Heather Helton, Warsaw
via e-mail
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- Save Our Pets - Firearms Laws - Justice - Sanity In Government - Putt Endowment - Animal Shelter
Save Our Pets
Editor, Times-Union:Dogs - cats, animals
Why in the world do we kill these animals?
Why not charge $10 to adopt a cat, and $15 - $20 to adopt a dog? I believe more of these "Friends" would be adopted if fees were lowered.
Another idea! Why not get permission to have some of these "Friends" placed in retirement homes, where they would get lots of love.
Save out pets.
Al Smith, Warsaw
Firearms Laws
Editor, Times-Union:Thanks again, Mr. Gerard, for another great editorial. You make a very good point as to why there are so many firearms laws broken with impunity. I think I may be able to answer some of your question.
First off, let me say, I am in no way trying to justify this administration's record in this matter. As you say, it is "abysmal." However, when it comes to the Brady background checks, there are several problems concerning arrest and prosecution.
In the first place their figures are way over-inflated. Those figures represent the total first time stops of all firearms sales. What they still will not admit is that 75 percent of those stops are reversed upon review. They are mostly errors caused by people having the same name as a convicted felon or some other problems along that line. In other words, if they were to arrest everyone turned down the first time they would, by now, have the potential of some 185,000 lawsuits.
Another problem is that at this time there are laws that will prevent a person from purchasing a firearm that many people are simply not aware of. This may very well have been the case with Benjamin Smith. He was not, as I understand it, a convicted felon but had a restraining order against him and may not have known that this would prevent him purchasing a firearm. Another big one is the misdemeanor domestic abuse law passed in 1996. That law, for some reason, was never widely publicized and many people are simply unaware that a shoving match they had with their first wife 20 years ago now prohibits them from purchasing firearms.
But, as you say Mr. Gerard, there are entirely too many laws broken with impunity which, I think, confirms the notion that this has nothing to do with crime in the first place. It is nothing more than this administration attempting to conform to the United Nations mandate that all private citizens be disarmed.
Harold Kitson, Warsaw
Justice
Editor, Times-Union:This letter is concerning unfair justice. My questions are as follows:
1. How can a person continue to be arrested on possession, OWI, battery, etc.?
2. How can a person be on probation having more than one felony charge pending?
3. How can a person be arrested on some of these same charges again recently, bond out again and walk the streets?
This is why so many people are being hurt. I think it's pretty sad when, charge after charge, this person is slapped on the hand.
Someone is really laughing at our judicial system.
Tammy Keplinger, Pierceton
Sanity In Government
Editor, Times-Union:Laws, laws, laws. We have so many laws and we have become so accustomed to it that we no longer think about how stupid and intrusive so many of them are. Why does a gun dealer need a license? I'll tell you why a gun dealer needs a license. It helps pay the wages of the bureaucrats who come around to see if he has a license. Selling a gun or anything else should not be a crime. Why do we need a license bureau? Does getting a drivers license every four years make you a better driver? How many hundreds of thousands of auto accidents happen every year? Are we to believe that all these accidents happened because these drivers did not have license? Why do you need a drivers license? So some bureaucrats can have jobs. The examples of this kind of nonsense are endless. A person would be a fool to suggest that we don't need any laws but let's get some sanity back in government.
Charles Carnes, Vice Chair, Kosciusko County Libertarian Party
Putt Endowment
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing in response to the letter from Sharon Gaff. She seems to have missed the previous letters to the editor and articles relating to the circumstances surrounding the Putt Endowment. I will therefore, again, explain why this money was not used for the animals at the Shelter.
The Putts left the money to the Humane Society, which was in operation 25 years ago and is responsible for the building that now is the shelter. Mrs. Putt, I believe, was a volunteer at the shelter at this time. Since then, The Humane Society dwindled down to three members because membership was CLOSED. This board of three people made the decision to put the money from Mr. and Mrs. Putt into the Kosciusko County Foundation as a continuing trust. Funds will be allocated from the interest of the trust.
The Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County will apply for these funds in October. We can only apply once a year.
In a news brief in the Times-Union is was implied that anyone wishing to give donations to help the animals of Kosciusko County should donate to the Putt Fund. I want the public to realize that your donations will have an immediate impact on the suffering of animals in this county if you donate directly to the Animal Welfare League. We use the funds every day to help the unwanted animals in this county. The Putt Fund will only release money once a year. Let me assure you we need money today and tomorrow, and the day after! Not once a year.
The Kosciusko County Foundation is a good group of people who help many causes in Kosciusko County. They had no control in the decision on the Putt Endowment. The decision was made by Jim Butts, the President of the Humane Society, and its two other members.
I want to thank Sharon Gaff for her concern towards the unwanted and suffering animals at the shelter. Let me close by saying "please spay and neuter your pets." Be a responsible pet owner!
Margaret Kennedy, President, Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County
Animal Shelter
Editor, Times-Union:We're writing about the situation at the animal shelter in Warsaw. Wednesday, of this week, my daughter and I took dog and cat food over to the shelter to try to help with the problems at hand. It was a sad sight. The volunteers at the shelter do as much as possible with the tools they have, but only so many animals can be kept at a shelter of this size for any long period of time. After reading the article called "Humane Society," I was appaulled at how three people (Cathy Teghtmeyer, John Bauman and James Butts) could take from these poor animals. The money was NOT meant for their personal needs, but the needs and welfare of the animals that come to the shelter were what the Putts had intended for. We all need to avoid having any contact with these three individuals, let them eat cake. The community needs to pull together and support this shelter.
Michael and Heather Helton, Warsaw
via e-mail
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