Letters to the Editor 10-05-1999
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Tattoo Parlor - Mad TV - Mental Illness - Dalton - Offensive Sign - Near-Death Experiences - Sports Photos
Tattoo Parlor
Editor, Times-Union:I am a local college student, and I was dismayed to read recently in the Times-Union that the woman who wishes to open a business in the downtown area of Warsaw, namely a tattoo and piercing parlor, with perhaps apartments and an art gallery, was denied a go-ahead, and her idea voted down.
I personally do not intend to ever have a tattoo or a piercing, simply because that's not my style. However, I'm sure someone else would love to get one, and I have no problems with that. This, however, is only a small point I wished to make, for the record.
What I wrote this letter for is to criticize the decision to keep said business from opening here. I understand that the city wishes to make the downtown area into a family-oriented business district, but there are already plenty of non-family oriented businesses present, such as bars, a firearms shop, and a movie theater where you can see an R movie. I have nothing against any of these establishments, of course. They are simply making their livings, and they do well.
Rejecting this new business venture does nothing to help the city bring more business downtown. I am sorry to say that I no longer have much to do with downtown operations, except to see a movie at the Lake, or perhaps go to Courthouse Coffee. This potential business would perhaps bring the next generation downtown, breathing some new life into it. At the least, it would be a good start.
Finally, I plan on owning my own business someday, and seeing this happen to that entrepreneur does not encourage me to open my own business downtown. Several of my friends in my business courses agree with my thoughts. I thank the Times-Union for receiving my thoughts.
Tim Keyes via e-mail
Mad TV
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to commend Jennifer Whitaker, age 11, for realizing the inappropriateness of MAD TV. I have attempted to watch MAD TV on a couple occasions but found the show quite repulsive. May I suggest to Jennifer and her mother the following alternative activities: play a boardgame, discuss the week's events in length, or do a Bible devotion together. I know that God will bless Jennifer and her mother in their choice of a more wholesome activity.
JoEllen Albertson, age 38, Warsaw
Mental Illness
Editor, Times-Union:Stigma: Something that detracts from the character or reputation of a person or group; a mark of disgrace indicating that something is not normal or standard. - Webster's New World Dictionary 2nd College Edition.
October is National Mental Illness Awareness Month. A small percentage of local people will drum up the courage to come to the annual "Screening for Depression Day," but many others will continue to suffer in silence. Even more people will try to convince themselves that they don't have a problem or will decide it is best to hide their illness from the world.
Why? Stigma is why. Intolerance and lack of understanding on the part of friends and relatives, as well as co-workers and supervisors, causes many people to hide their illness. The sad thing is, mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. It is a physical illness just as diabetes, heart disease and many other illnesses are. Mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It can be treated with medication and talk-therapy. It cannot be caught like a cold or the flu. A person is not automatically "dangerous" because they have a mental illness. The majority of these people have never been violent and probably never will be.
People with a mental illness can and do hold jobs. They can do anything "normal" people can do. They may be a janitor, a salesclerk, a nurse or doctor, or even a college professor or president of a company. Many people in our community are working side-by-side with someone who is being treated for a mental illness. You would never know they were ill unless the person felt comfortable enough to share that information with you. Unfortunately, the reaction of the public to a person with mental illness can cause that person to avoid seeking the treatment they need.
We, as a community, need to understand and accept those dealing with a mental illness. No more taunting or ridiculing; no more denying employment, and no more non-acceptance of them in our social lives simply because they have the misfortune to have an illness. We do not avoid those among us who are dealing with cancer or other diseases. Instead, we rally to their aid. The mentally ill deserve the same consideration from all of us.
As a community, we must work to enlighten and educate the people around us so that the "stigma" of mental illness can finally be removed from our friends and loved ones.
Once the stigma is removed, people will find it easier to admit there is a problem and to seek the help they need. Until we are able to raise awareness, many people will be afraid to seek assistance and will continue to suffer alone.
Warsaw has the good fortune to have a local chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. This group meets every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. NAMI is here to offer education, advocacy for the ill, plus moral support for the family and the ill family member.
Warsaw is a city with a heart, please help us to remove the "stigma" of mental illness. We all can benefit because mental illness can strike anyone, anytime. Mental illness doesn't differentiate between rich and poor, good and bad, or by nationality. It truly is the "equal opportunity" illness.
Karen Joyce, Leesburg
Dalton
Editor, Times-Union:I guess you people around Winona Lake are not happy yet, til you get everything out of your rich lives that you do not like, first the racetrack, which a lot of people of Warsaw, old days, really enjoyed. I am surprised you have not asked the fair to move too? Don't you have anything else to do but pick about something?
My dad, Charles E. McCombs, worked for years at Dalton Foundry and I am very proud of it. He now lays in Oakwood Cemetery with my mother. It was a job and he worked for many, many years for very little pay, let the industries and other memories of Warsaw for us who come back to visit now and then alone. Please. I drive by the foundry and think of my dad, I feel so bad, that you want them to go now. Why don't you go if you do not like where you live. Things have been around there a long time before you probably.
Betty Snyder via e-mail
Offensive Sign
Editor, Times-Union:To all you narrow-minded people ...
In passing through Warsaw Sunday, I noticed the sign at The Pit Stop you have been grumbling about.
Why would you be offended unless your mind is "In The Gutter?" Dirty! Dirty! Shame on you! Get a life!
U.L. Skipper, Osceola
Near-Death Experiences
Editor, Times-Union:I would like for those people who have suffered a near-death experience, at the fault of the other person, to write to me. I will give you a 33-cent stamp.
I would want an extremely detailed report on all of your pains and how long you have lived with these pains.
I find that some attorneys cannot imagine what you and I have to suffer each and every day, and they try to do their best to diminish your reporting, thus trying to save insurance companies thousands of dollars that really, legally, belong to the sad victims of these car/van crashes.
It is only a second or two needed to cause a car accident. It could be just stupidity, lack of sleep or not being a safe driver.
We victims need to have the law on our side, and not on the side of the perpetrator. Not long ago, a man was killed because he made a wrong turn at a wrong time. He is now dead forever. The relatives are in sorrow for the rest of their lives. The same perpetrator only gets a slap on his wrist.
Where is justice, we cannot find it anywhere, including Warsaw and Washington, D.C.
Albert Smith, Warsaw
Sports Photos
Editor, Times-Union:Once again I am disappointed in your choices of photos in the sports section of today's paper. As a mother of a Tippecanoe Valley football player, I was frustrated to see the photo of one of my son's teammates in a penalty situation after the Warsaw versus Tippecanoe Valley game. This morning, once again after the rivalry game between Warsaw and Wawasee, the Times-Union chose to print a picture of a Wawasee player committing a pass interference penalty. Is there a reason to embarrass these kids in the paper? Gary Nieter is a great photographer, and I'm sure he took more than three good photos, so I can only surmise that someone must enjoy seeing these players in their most embarrassing moments. Weekly, these student athletes work hard off and on the field to conduct themselves in a positive manner. I encourage the Times-Union to be more positive in their photo coverage of our area high school athletes.
Chris J. Cox, via e-mail
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- Tattoo Parlor - Mad TV - Mental Illness - Dalton - Offensive Sign - Near-Death Experiences - Sports Photos
Tattoo Parlor
Editor, Times-Union:I am a local college student, and I was dismayed to read recently in the Times-Union that the woman who wishes to open a business in the downtown area of Warsaw, namely a tattoo and piercing parlor, with perhaps apartments and an art gallery, was denied a go-ahead, and her idea voted down.
I personally do not intend to ever have a tattoo or a piercing, simply because that's not my style. However, I'm sure someone else would love to get one, and I have no problems with that. This, however, is only a small point I wished to make, for the record.
What I wrote this letter for is to criticize the decision to keep said business from opening here. I understand that the city wishes to make the downtown area into a family-oriented business district, but there are already plenty of non-family oriented businesses present, such as bars, a firearms shop, and a movie theater where you can see an R movie. I have nothing against any of these establishments, of course. They are simply making their livings, and they do well.
Rejecting this new business venture does nothing to help the city bring more business downtown. I am sorry to say that I no longer have much to do with downtown operations, except to see a movie at the Lake, or perhaps go to Courthouse Coffee. This potential business would perhaps bring the next generation downtown, breathing some new life into it. At the least, it would be a good start.
Finally, I plan on owning my own business someday, and seeing this happen to that entrepreneur does not encourage me to open my own business downtown. Several of my friends in my business courses agree with my thoughts. I thank the Times-Union for receiving my thoughts.
Tim Keyes via e-mail
Mad TV
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to commend Jennifer Whitaker, age 11, for realizing the inappropriateness of MAD TV. I have attempted to watch MAD TV on a couple occasions but found the show quite repulsive. May I suggest to Jennifer and her mother the following alternative activities: play a boardgame, discuss the week's events in length, or do a Bible devotion together. I know that God will bless Jennifer and her mother in their choice of a more wholesome activity.
JoEllen Albertson, age 38, Warsaw
Mental Illness
Editor, Times-Union:Stigma: Something that detracts from the character or reputation of a person or group; a mark of disgrace indicating that something is not normal or standard. - Webster's New World Dictionary 2nd College Edition.
October is National Mental Illness Awareness Month. A small percentage of local people will drum up the courage to come to the annual "Screening for Depression Day," but many others will continue to suffer in silence. Even more people will try to convince themselves that they don't have a problem or will decide it is best to hide their illness from the world.
Why? Stigma is why. Intolerance and lack of understanding on the part of friends and relatives, as well as co-workers and supervisors, causes many people to hide their illness. The sad thing is, mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. It is a physical illness just as diabetes, heart disease and many other illnesses are. Mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. It can be treated with medication and talk-therapy. It cannot be caught like a cold or the flu. A person is not automatically "dangerous" because they have a mental illness. The majority of these people have never been violent and probably never will be.
People with a mental illness can and do hold jobs. They can do anything "normal" people can do. They may be a janitor, a salesclerk, a nurse or doctor, or even a college professor or president of a company. Many people in our community are working side-by-side with someone who is being treated for a mental illness. You would never know they were ill unless the person felt comfortable enough to share that information with you. Unfortunately, the reaction of the public to a person with mental illness can cause that person to avoid seeking the treatment they need.
We, as a community, need to understand and accept those dealing with a mental illness. No more taunting or ridiculing; no more denying employment, and no more non-acceptance of them in our social lives simply because they have the misfortune to have an illness. We do not avoid those among us who are dealing with cancer or other diseases. Instead, we rally to their aid. The mentally ill deserve the same consideration from all of us.
As a community, we must work to enlighten and educate the people around us so that the "stigma" of mental illness can finally be removed from our friends and loved ones.
Once the stigma is removed, people will find it easier to admit there is a problem and to seek the help they need. Until we are able to raise awareness, many people will be afraid to seek assistance and will continue to suffer alone.
Warsaw has the good fortune to have a local chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. This group meets every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. NAMI is here to offer education, advocacy for the ill, plus moral support for the family and the ill family member.
Warsaw is a city with a heart, please help us to remove the "stigma" of mental illness. We all can benefit because mental illness can strike anyone, anytime. Mental illness doesn't differentiate between rich and poor, good and bad, or by nationality. It truly is the "equal opportunity" illness.
Karen Joyce, Leesburg
Dalton
Editor, Times-Union:I guess you people around Winona Lake are not happy yet, til you get everything out of your rich lives that you do not like, first the racetrack, which a lot of people of Warsaw, old days, really enjoyed. I am surprised you have not asked the fair to move too? Don't you have anything else to do but pick about something?
My dad, Charles E. McCombs, worked for years at Dalton Foundry and I am very proud of it. He now lays in Oakwood Cemetery with my mother. It was a job and he worked for many, many years for very little pay, let the industries and other memories of Warsaw for us who come back to visit now and then alone. Please. I drive by the foundry and think of my dad, I feel so bad, that you want them to go now. Why don't you go if you do not like where you live. Things have been around there a long time before you probably.
Betty Snyder via e-mail
Offensive Sign
Editor, Times-Union:To all you narrow-minded people ...
In passing through Warsaw Sunday, I noticed the sign at The Pit Stop you have been grumbling about.
Why would you be offended unless your mind is "In The Gutter?" Dirty! Dirty! Shame on you! Get a life!
U.L. Skipper, Osceola
Near-Death Experiences
Editor, Times-Union:I would like for those people who have suffered a near-death experience, at the fault of the other person, to write to me. I will give you a 33-cent stamp.
I would want an extremely detailed report on all of your pains and how long you have lived with these pains.
I find that some attorneys cannot imagine what you and I have to suffer each and every day, and they try to do their best to diminish your reporting, thus trying to save insurance companies thousands of dollars that really, legally, belong to the sad victims of these car/van crashes.
It is only a second or two needed to cause a car accident. It could be just stupidity, lack of sleep or not being a safe driver.
We victims need to have the law on our side, and not on the side of the perpetrator. Not long ago, a man was killed because he made a wrong turn at a wrong time. He is now dead forever. The relatives are in sorrow for the rest of their lives. The same perpetrator only gets a slap on his wrist.
Where is justice, we cannot find it anywhere, including Warsaw and Washington, D.C.
Albert Smith, Warsaw
Sports Photos
Editor, Times-Union:Once again I am disappointed in your choices of photos in the sports section of today's paper. As a mother of a Tippecanoe Valley football player, I was frustrated to see the photo of one of my son's teammates in a penalty situation after the Warsaw versus Tippecanoe Valley game. This morning, once again after the rivalry game between Warsaw and Wawasee, the Times-Union chose to print a picture of a Wawasee player committing a pass interference penalty. Is there a reason to embarrass these kids in the paper? Gary Nieter is a great photographer, and I'm sure he took more than three good photos, so I can only surmise that someone must enjoy seeing these players in their most embarrassing moments. Weekly, these student athletes work hard off and on the field to conduct themselves in a positive manner. I encourage the Times-Union to be more positive in their photo coverage of our area high school athletes.
Chris J. Cox, via e-mail
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