Letters to the Editor 12-22-1999
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Good Kids/Bad Kids - Thanks To Firemen - Diocesan Shrine - Gun Debate
Good Kids/Bad Kids
This letter is in response to Laurie Hahn's 10 December 1999 editorial about good kids/bad kids coverage in the Times-Union. I have to agree fully that Warsaw, and today's society in general, has an obsession with sports. I remember hearing "stories" from WCS personnel about the lack of funding for sufficient books in our new high school library, when it opened, but the gyms were certainly good to go. How much financial debate, to no avail, centered around the school pool even though the local YMCA has undergone fantastic renovations over the past many years. In at least one of my recent "letter" submissions I tried to give praise to some local youth organizations with a good kids story, pointing out some of the bad kid stuff we hear about all of the time. I listen to TV news every morning while getting ready for work, I receive a Fort Wayne Sunday paper, since the Times-Union doesn't yet offer one, and I have to admit to Laurie's point that our local paper does a great job of reporting "good kids" stories but that's not the norm. Let's face it, dirty laundry seems to sell & regional & national news just don't seem to see that sensationalizing the bad stuff eventually winds up stereotyping kids to folks who don't have a local paper as fair as ours.The staff at the Times-Union seems to go out of their way to promote local activities, even if somewhat controversial, that regional or national news sources either wouldn't touch or would demonize per their political agenda. Can you imagine the byline that the L.A. times would have written to go with the Times-Union front page picture of a local conservation officer, dedicated to the youth of our area, and a Boy Scout leader teaching a young Scout the safe and proper way to handle a shotgun and shoot clay targets. I'd rather not even imagine because those "anti agenda" stories personally make my blood boil. Gary Gerard and Gary Nieter both fairly portray life in a rural based area, such as Indiana is, in a realistic way even if it isn't always politically correct and I'd personally like to wholeheartedly thank them for that. To Laurie and the entire Times-Union staff I'd simply like to say please keep up the good work. It's going to take many "column inches" to come anywhere close to breaking even with the other folks' P.C. agendas, THANKS!
Dave Roose, Warsaw
Thanks To Firemen
Editor, Times-Union:A big thank you to the Atwood Fire Department for hosting its holiday open house. The firemen (and the women behind the firemen!) had cookies and drinks for everyone; the kids got to talk to Santa Claus and got either an apple or an orange, plus some candy from him. We also got fire information while we were there and were all treated to a very nice gathering. It's nice to know these men volunteer their time to the fire department, and were also willing to give their free time for a few hours on a Saturday to make some kids very happy!
Thanks again.
Scott, Lori, Elizabeth and Emily Shepherd, Warsaw
Diocesan Shrine
Editor, Times-Union:My wife, Mary, and I appreciate the front page headlines you gave our Bishop's plans for a diocesan shrine at the Milford Catholic parish. Yes, that little "converted car dealership" shelter-for-God will someday be converted into a worthy habitat for Christ, our official shrine to Christ's Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, special Patroness of all Americas' Native Indians - Central, North, South (America).
Twenty-seven years is a long time for Christ, son of God, to be housed in a stable, "because there was no room at the inn," and $150,000 scraped together by poor parishioners does seem to be enough for a more suitable house of God. Our diocese is not poor.
Surely the wooded lot for the shrine can be cleared this winter, so that in-ground utilities can be laid this spring before fieldwork begins and our migrants are too busy to volunteer. Then, if the volunteering is merely a payback during the millennium, the Shrine may be finished by the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, next Dec. 12. Our Diocese is not poor, and these Hispanics have waited too long already. My wife and I saw their "barrio" church. Converted in 1972, a shame, it should have been replaced by a real church within the next year, except for racial discrimination blindness.
Withing the last six years, St. Mary's, Fort Wayne fire insurance payment of $6 million was divided - $3 million to build a new St. Mary's and $3 million for poor parishes of the diocese and Milford's is poor!
Then $3 million went into a facelift for the Cathedral. Then last year's diocesan report showed "other income of $2 million, interest," (on investments) besides parish assessments and Bishop's Annual Drive.
This Habitat for God must not be delayed for or cheapened by volunteer labor! The Catholic Church must show a preferential option for the poor - not racial prejudice against migrants, Hispanics and poor. Volunteerism creates more unemployment by stealing affordable labor. This area needs good paying jobs, not an invasion of volunteer scab labor.
Raymond I. Knight, Fort Wayne
Gun Debate
Editor, Times-Union:Good, we are on our way. First, let me thank those that responded to my initial letter. I stayed away from actual statistics as they seem to cloud the issue (the Internet is full of numbers and percentages). I hope our common goal can be a discussion of gun safety, with a mutual goal of "agreed upon positions." For example, new technology may allow us to personalize guns so that only the "lawful" owner can use it. If successful, the new computer chip would prevent a curious young child or a depressed 15-year-old from firing the protected weapon. This makes sense to me. Does it to you? OK, we are looking for ideas from all interested parties. Please try to shy away from statements that seem to say: "My way or no way." Thanks to all in advance.
Larry Hill, Pierceton
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- Good Kids/Bad Kids - Thanks To Firemen - Diocesan Shrine - Gun Debate
Good Kids/Bad Kids
This letter is in response to Laurie Hahn's 10 December 1999 editorial about good kids/bad kids coverage in the Times-Union. I have to agree fully that Warsaw, and today's society in general, has an obsession with sports. I remember hearing "stories" from WCS personnel about the lack of funding for sufficient books in our new high school library, when it opened, but the gyms were certainly good to go. How much financial debate, to no avail, centered around the school pool even though the local YMCA has undergone fantastic renovations over the past many years. In at least one of my recent "letter" submissions I tried to give praise to some local youth organizations with a good kids story, pointing out some of the bad kid stuff we hear about all of the time. I listen to TV news every morning while getting ready for work, I receive a Fort Wayne Sunday paper, since the Times-Union doesn't yet offer one, and I have to admit to Laurie's point that our local paper does a great job of reporting "good kids" stories but that's not the norm. Let's face it, dirty laundry seems to sell & regional & national news just don't seem to see that sensationalizing the bad stuff eventually winds up stereotyping kids to folks who don't have a local paper as fair as ours.The staff at the Times-Union seems to go out of their way to promote local activities, even if somewhat controversial, that regional or national news sources either wouldn't touch or would demonize per their political agenda. Can you imagine the byline that the L.A. times would have written to go with the Times-Union front page picture of a local conservation officer, dedicated to the youth of our area, and a Boy Scout leader teaching a young Scout the safe and proper way to handle a shotgun and shoot clay targets. I'd rather not even imagine because those "anti agenda" stories personally make my blood boil. Gary Gerard and Gary Nieter both fairly portray life in a rural based area, such as Indiana is, in a realistic way even if it isn't always politically correct and I'd personally like to wholeheartedly thank them for that. To Laurie and the entire Times-Union staff I'd simply like to say please keep up the good work. It's going to take many "column inches" to come anywhere close to breaking even with the other folks' P.C. agendas, THANKS!
Dave Roose, Warsaw
Thanks To Firemen
Editor, Times-Union:A big thank you to the Atwood Fire Department for hosting its holiday open house. The firemen (and the women behind the firemen!) had cookies and drinks for everyone; the kids got to talk to Santa Claus and got either an apple or an orange, plus some candy from him. We also got fire information while we were there and were all treated to a very nice gathering. It's nice to know these men volunteer their time to the fire department, and were also willing to give their free time for a few hours on a Saturday to make some kids very happy!
Thanks again.
Scott, Lori, Elizabeth and Emily Shepherd, Warsaw
Diocesan Shrine
Editor, Times-Union:My wife, Mary, and I appreciate the front page headlines you gave our Bishop's plans for a diocesan shrine at the Milford Catholic parish. Yes, that little "converted car dealership" shelter-for-God will someday be converted into a worthy habitat for Christ, our official shrine to Christ's Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, special Patroness of all Americas' Native Indians - Central, North, South (America).
Twenty-seven years is a long time for Christ, son of God, to be housed in a stable, "because there was no room at the inn," and $150,000 scraped together by poor parishioners does seem to be enough for a more suitable house of God. Our diocese is not poor.
Surely the wooded lot for the shrine can be cleared this winter, so that in-ground utilities can be laid this spring before fieldwork begins and our migrants are too busy to volunteer. Then, if the volunteering is merely a payback during the millennium, the Shrine may be finished by the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, next Dec. 12. Our Diocese is not poor, and these Hispanics have waited too long already. My wife and I saw their "barrio" church. Converted in 1972, a shame, it should have been replaced by a real church within the next year, except for racial discrimination blindness.
Withing the last six years, St. Mary's, Fort Wayne fire insurance payment of $6 million was divided - $3 million to build a new St. Mary's and $3 million for poor parishes of the diocese and Milford's is poor!
Then $3 million went into a facelift for the Cathedral. Then last year's diocesan report showed "other income of $2 million, interest," (on investments) besides parish assessments and Bishop's Annual Drive.
This Habitat for God must not be delayed for or cheapened by volunteer labor! The Catholic Church must show a preferential option for the poor - not racial prejudice against migrants, Hispanics and poor. Volunteerism creates more unemployment by stealing affordable labor. This area needs good paying jobs, not an invasion of volunteer scab labor.
Raymond I. Knight, Fort Wayne
Gun Debate
Editor, Times-Union:Good, we are on our way. First, let me thank those that responded to my initial letter. I stayed away from actual statistics as they seem to cloud the issue (the Internet is full of numbers and percentages). I hope our common goal can be a discussion of gun safety, with a mutual goal of "agreed upon positions." For example, new technology may allow us to personalize guns so that only the "lawful" owner can use it. If successful, the new computer chip would prevent a curious young child or a depressed 15-year-old from firing the protected weapon. This makes sense to me. Does it to you? OK, we are looking for ideas from all interested parties. Please try to shy away from statements that seem to say: "My way or no way." Thanks to all in advance.
Larry Hill, Pierceton
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