Mom uses loss to save other lives

9/19/2009

I would like to take this opportunity to commend someone in our community, Wanda Butts, who is making a difference in the lives of children. In August, 2006, Ms. Butts' 16-year old-son John Joshua Butts drowned while on a raft.

Through her grief, Ms. Butts started the Josh Project, a program to teach inner-city children and adults how to swim and other life-saving water safety skills.

Even though her heart was broken, Ms. Butts knew she had to do this so that no other mother and no other family would have to go through the pain she was going through. Because of her efforts the Josh Project has been featured on HBO. Because of her efforts a coach at Norfolk State University in Virginia started Josh Project 2. In honor of her son, Ms. Butts is making the world a safer place for children and families.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and my friend Ms. Butts is a heroine.

Terri Burke

Wreford Court

An interesting comparison can be drawn between the public outbursts of Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards and Joe Wilson during President Obama's speech last week. Both outbursts are obviously unacceptable behavior. However, Mr. Wilson is being assailed by the Congressional Black Caucus as a racist for his "You lie!" comment.

Nothing of the sort has been said about Kanye West, even though his point was made loud and clear that the award presented to Taylor Swift, a white country singer, should rightly have gone to Beyonce Knowles, a black pop/hip hop singer. I wonder why no one is crying racism at Kanye West while Joe Wilson is getting assailed for his "racist" comments. Does racism not work both ways?

Kevin Decker

Whitehouse

I saw a news report on Kroger offering to provide shuttle service from a soon-to-be closed unprofitable site to its nearest profitable store to appease the residents of the neighborhood it is leaving.

If the residents of this neighborhood are not frequenting this particular store enough for it to make a profit, why does Kroger need to do anything but shutter its doors and focus on neighborhoods that do utilize its products and services enough for Kroger to make a profit?

Kroger is not a charitable food bank. It's a for-profit business responsible only to its shareholders. Shareholders are kept happy by an increase in stock value or dividends paid. Making a profit is necessary for either of these two things to happen. If there is a profit to be made in that location from that service, you can bet the space will be taken by an entrepreneur in waiting. Maybe that entrepreneur is even one of the residents of this neighborhood who is so confident of this outcome.

Beth Beach

Holland

The Blade's Sept. 6 story on canning brought back memories when as a child of 9 years old, my grandmother and I would go into the basement and take tomatoes out of boiling water then them peel with our bare hands to make sauce for spaghetti.

Thanks for the memories.

Rose Schad

Violet Road