Weep for those who would destroy us?

6/26/2002

When are the bleeding hearts going to stop worrying about civilians killed during a U.S. military strike against the low-down snakes who were behind the attacks on Sept. 11?

Have these people forgotten about the innocent people, mostly U.S. citizens, who were killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on the four aircraft?

There is an element of people in the world, especially the Middle East, who hate the United States of America and its citizens. They burn our flag and our President in effigy. These are the people you are going to weep for?

These “innocent” people mentioned in a recent letter in The Blade are the same ones who help Osama bin Laden and derelicts like him find food and shelter.

Weep for these people? I don't think so. I will not cheer either, but I will be extremely pleased when they are brought to justice.

KEITH E. WAGLER

Leipsic, Ohio

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I am a parent in the Bowsher district. Bowsher has joined a national educational reform initiative called High Schools That Work. This is a program specifically put in place to help students achieve success within the classroom and on mandated state tests. As a parent, I was asked to join one of the four main committees formulated to help make Bowsher's involvement in HSTW a success.

After joining this committee, I have learned some disturbing things. Bowsher teachers and administrators have worked hard, gone to several conferences, and taken precious time in planning to implement many ideas which the HSTW model suggests are known to be successful.

The disturbing news is they are not being implemented. I was given several examples of really great ideas, but was told either the board or the union told them no, with relatively little explanation. Here's a school that's trying to join in educational reform and the “higher-ups” are not allowing it.

I will give you the most recent example. Bowsher wants to start a mentor/mentee program where every student will be assigned an adult mentor - faculty and staff. Remember the faculty and staff want to do this because they recognize its worth. Twice a month each mentor would meet with his or her group of students and go over current concerns - problems with homework or college application deadlines, etc., things some parents might not know. This would not be counseling, but practical school-related issues that could only help the kids.

The teachers' union has told Bowsher that it has not “followed procedure.”

What kind of bureaucracy is it where you have to jump through hoops to help your kids?

BRIGID MATTHEWS

Autumn View Court

Chapter 7. Chapter 11. Chapter 13. Chapter 20. All ways to dodge responsibility for overindulgence and a way to make lawyers more money. Let a few of these over-spenders go under and it will put the “fear” into the rest before they spend over their income. We watch our legislators do this every day and think that “someone else” should take care of us.

Affluenza has us by the throat in this country. Accountability is the only medicine to cure it!

JIM BROWER

Oregon