Editor, Times-Union: I would like to respond to a recent series of articles in the Times-Union titled "Student Minority Populations On The Rise." According to David Slone's article, area superintendents have difficulty obtaining minority staff despite their best efforts. Slone quotes Dr. Harman: "We would welcome the opportunity to employ more teachers from the minority community."
Over the past 15 years, my wife (a local resident, minority, master's, certified at IPFW to teach in Indiana) has applied at these schools without success. Today, she is well employed outside the teaching profession. Apparently, these community leaders have made hypocritical statements to you, and your report is incomplete.
George Strohschein, Akron
EDIT
Editor, Times-Union: Mr. Silveus, you cannot claim to be a non-supporter of more taxes if you are in favor of the EDIT tax. Either you are against more tax or you are in favor of more tax.
A good many of us understand this tax very well and the vast majority do not want it. I spent three hours Monday knocking on doors and not one person was in favor of this tax. It is my understanding that our elected officials are to serve and to act according to the wishes of the majority of the people.
We do not need this tax. We do not want this tax, it is just another steal from all our paychecks to benefit the few and the mighty. Why should the county residents have to pay to support our industrial base? Industry can support itself.
We do not need to expand the base to keep our community strong. We do not have the manpower to supply new businesses. Watch the help wanted ads if you don't believe me. We don't have enough people to fill the jobs we have open now. We have more than sufficient industry to keep our community strong.
To Mr. Moore, why should the county taxpayers pay for infrastructure improvements so we can lure more business into the area with several year tax abatements? That hardly seems right to make the citizens of the community pay so that businesses can make a greater profit at our expense. Let the industries pay for their own infrastructure, they are the ones who will benefit from it most.
And who are you kidding, less tax rate? When was the last time you saw a reduction in taxes, any taxes? Those in government never lower taxes, they only find more ways to spend our money.
We have a sound economy and we don't need EDIT or higher property tax to keep it that way.
A brighter future for everyone including not only ourselves but our children and grandchildren would be freedom from oppressive taxation.
Deanna Newton, Warsaw
Death Penalty
Editor, Times-Union: On Crossfire, Jesse Jackson and Bill Press trotted out all the old liberal cliches against the death penalty. Here goes -
I. "Executing murderers won't bring their victims back." Whoever said it would? The purpose of execution is to prevent future victims, not resurrect past ones.
II. "Murder should be punished by life imprisonment." This is based on two faulty premises. One - that imprisonment will stop killing. It won't. The murder rate in prison is 10 times as high as that in the general society. Two - that a life-sentence means life behind bars. Very seldom. The average "lifer" spends only seven to eight years in prison before being released to seek more victims.
III. "When the Ten Commandments say, "Thou shalt not kill," that includes execution." The death penalty for murder was instituted before the Ten Commandments (Gen. 9:6). Also, the sixth commandment in mistranslated in the King James Version. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, in Greek and Hebrew the word in this verse is "murder," not "kill." (Mere Christianity, 106, 107; Ex. 20:13; Luke 18:20) Also, in the books of Moses, distinctions are made between murder and other forms of killing (Ex. 21:12-14).
IV. "Jesus was against the death penalty." I don't know where they got this one. Jesus quoted the Old Testament with approval on the death penalty (Matt. 15:4 cf. Ex. 21:17). Also, at the Last Judgment, Jesus will condemn the unrighteous "to the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt. 26:41). Those who don't accept Jesus as Savior will face Him as Judge.
Mike Royko, who was never accused of being a right wing radical, said in his column, "Don't Fret, Killer. It will soon be over" that there was nothing savage or bloodthirsty about giving murderers a taste of what they handed out to their victims.
