Help prevent domestic violence

8/6/2007

Domestic violence is a national epidemic and we have been hit particularly hard here in the greater Toledo community, with three murder-suicides this summer alone. The Blade s reporting on these deaths, along with a seemingly endless stream of local and national stories about violent crimes committed against intimate partners, highlights the need for domestic violence prevention work.

Lucas County is fortunate to have a vehicle for primary prevention of intimate-partner violence in the DELTA Project, spearheaded by the Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center. This project seeks to bring the entire community together to strategize how to effectively end intimate-partner violence by partnering with schools, government agencies, religious institutions, social services, and businesses to work collaboratively toward a healthy and respectful society.

There is good work being done in our community to stop the cycle of violence before it starts, but change cannot take place in a vacuum. The entire community needs to make prevention a priority in order to get some relief from the pervasiveness of our domestic-violence problem.

Rebecca Facey

DELTA Project CoordinatorFamily & Child Abuse Prevention CenterStranahan Square

The book review about atheist author Nica Lalli in the religion section of The Blade on July 14 seemed odd. Isn t atheism the absence of belief? How does that qualify as religion news? The Blade wouldn t print a sports item in the business section, would it?

On the other hand, someone continues to place want ads for escort services on the sports pages. It does make one wonder about The Blade s desire to be accurate and precise.

Rev. Earl A. Loeffler

Dorr Street

Women s rights have come a long way. I was there when Title IX was made into law, back in 1977. Indeed, I was privileged to have the experience of writing about those dynamic times as publisher of the first women s sports newspaper in Washington in 1976.

Despite the initial celebration, I found out first-hand how slowly public opinion accepts change. I couldn t sell an ad.

Today is a different story, as we all know, not only in sports but in all parts of society. But like a kettle of popcorn with kernels yet to pop, the Lucas County Democratic Party s use of strippers as bartenders shows there is still work to be done. A political organization that promotes its leaders to govern is accountable for recognizing the highest in both male and female human beings at all times.

Ironically, or maybe not, at this time we have a woman candidate with a legitimate chance to become the nation s first female president. Women s rights will be at the forefront of the upcoming election, and you can bet Toledo isn t alone in the battle for true equality. How the county Democratic Party, women leaders, and Mayor Carty Finkbeiner proceed from this revealing event in our own backyard will be an example on the national stage.

On the final cover of that women s sports newspaper, was a photo of a young female athlete sitting crossed-legged in what is called meditating lotus position. Placed on the gym floor in front of her was a basketball, a baseball mitt, and a volleyball. The caption read, In the act of being, everyone is equal.

Alan Cohen

Sylvania

The powers-that-be who oversee parochial schools have to be laughing all the way to the bank. They and the corrupt politicians in Columbus are swiping much-needed funds geared for the public schools.

In case people have forgotten, public school funds are not earmarked for pay-to-pray. It is unconstitutional and usurps the effective educational plans and budgets of public school districts every year.

To the naysayers of public schools who criticize its quality of instruction, you simply do not know what you are talking about. We will provide any student at any time a first-rate, state-mandated education.

Public school teachers have a calling to teach, deserve to be paid well, and have no reason to apologize for dedicated efforts.

Greg Jones

Sylvania

The only thing foolish in relation to the Tiahrt Amendment is the inaccurate editorials like NRA puppets in The Blade July 19. Obviously, the author did not take the time to read the Tiahrt Amendment, because it is very clear that the language was designed to protect the brave men and women in our police departments.

The editorial has the underlying claim that the amendment limits law enforcement to get only limited information from the ATF about guns used in crimes and that wider-reaching gun data would be refused. This is simply untrue. The sharing of gun-trace data is permitted in any criminal case where a gun was used to commit a crime. Such sharing of data is explicit in the language of the Tiahrt Amendment: this proviso shall not be construed to prevent (b) the sharing or exchange of such information among and between federal, state, local, or foreign law-enforcement agencies, federal, state, or local prosecutors, and federal national security, intelligence, or counterterrorism officials.

Further, nothing in the language has ever prevented this aggregate data from being released. This year s bill language encourages the public sharing of aggregate data on the use of guns in crimes, a clear point missed in the editorial piece.

The facts are clear; the Tiahrt Amendment is a product of working with law enforcement not the gun lobby to protect those who protect us.

Such inaccurate and incomplete opinions expressed by the NRA puppet editorial must be corrected.

Congressman Todd Tiahrt

Kansas, 4th District

With Mayor Carty Finkbeiner so upset that Wood County is trying to steal jobs from Toledo/Lucas County, maybe he should do what he does best when the heat gets turned up, fire the economic development director. Oh, that s right, Carty is the economic development director.

Clyde Appleby

Ottawa Hills

Carty Finkbeiner is ranting, raving, and threatening Wood County about stealing a business from Toledo. Think back a year or so when Mayor Finkbeiner struck up the band, placed a billboard with a fish on it, and wined and dined Bass Pro. This paints a picture of what goes around, comes around.

I believe life for Carty would be much less stressful if he lived by the Golden Rule.

Ron Recknagel

Perrysburg Township

Despite what Carty Finkbeiner may say, Wood County did not pirate, pilfer, or poach Owens-Illinois or any other company. Toledo simply lost them.

It s about time the mayor stopped whining, crying, jumping, shouting, and swearing. Stop the whining and start wooing. A good start would be to incorporate Toledo s businesses into Toledo.

When he chose a California WiFi company instead of the local Buckeye Cable, other companies got the message loud and clear. Our mayor wants your taxes, not your business.

Sue Morris

Heatherdowns Boulevard

So the City of Toledo recently handed over $10 million for the Marina District. Nice, but couldn t they have handed over $9.5 million and given the rest to the Toledo police and firefighters to purchase new vehicles?

Having the officers go around begging for cars in this Toledo Jeep city is pitiful.

Robin Russell

Lambertville