Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

November 20, 2009

Letters to the Editor: 11/20/2009

Rethink proposal

I just want to comment on Amy Kerr Hardin's views about packin' heat in the classroom.

Personally, I would go with the small caliber and smaller piece. May not be as effective as the larger caliber, but all you have to do is use it more times to get the same effect. Plus it will be more fashionable.

Mr. Schmidt and others who think our youth need guns in the classroom have probably never seen up close what damage they can do. Just look at what happened in Texas and Orlando. These were grown men. How many lives could be lost in a classroom full of students?

Rethink this proposal or I do believe the voting public will rethink who they vote for in the next election.

Ernest Wawrowicz
Interlochen

Light is a menace

I am writing in regard to the traffic light turning into Northwestern Michigan College's main entrance, off of Munson Avenue. As community members, you may be aware of the danger that turning left into this campus poses. This has been a serious concern for students, staff and community members for several years.

Although many have complained of how dangerous this intersection is for those turning into the Dennos Museum and NMC campus, nothing has been done by the city to address this issue. Apparently, a serious injury quota must be filled in order to necessitate a turning light at this, or any other intersection. I find it appalling that the concerns of residents have no bearing on the decisions of the city.

Pam Jones
Traverse City

Keep up the rivalry

Are you kidding me? Moving the Traverse City Central/West football game to week seven is a terrible idea. Football is about passion, intensity and emotion. Add an incredible rivalry to the mix, and wow! Playing that game on the last day of the season only adds to the excitement.

Both head coaches expressed concern about their players being able to get revved back up for the playoffs after such an emotional game, but c'mon, these are young men with lots of energy and fire, and if they are fortunate enough to make the playoffs, I assure you they'll be plenty psyched.

Coach Wooer of West said, "I thought I knew what a rivalry was all about until last year. It's bigger than any rivalry I've ever seen!"

Playing this game in week nine is a huge reason this game is so exciting. One needn't look any further than the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry game, also played on the last day of the season, to understand the magic of two great rivals meeting in the season's final game.

Keep the Central/West game on week nine for the good of the schools, the community and the fans.

John P. Soper
Traverse City

Support reform

America is in trouble: record high unemployment, record low tax revenues, and ever-increasing budget cuts are dragging us down the wrong road.

One of the quickest ways to help the economy is to help our American automakers. Do your part by buying American for your next car, and by supporting health care reform. Health care costs are crippling our automakers and cost them more than the steel and rubber their cars are made of. Starbucks pays more for health care than they do for coffee beans!

Insure the uninsured and control outrageous hospital and drug costs and you will be taking steps to put our state's and our nation's economies on the road to recovery. Do nothing, and insurance costs will continue to soar, and more businesses will drop insurance coverage for employees (like Traverse City's largest auto dealer did last year).

Wendy Daniels
Bellaire

Students in harm's way

The only people who need guns on campus are the police, period! During the past 26 years I have had the privilege to serve on both large and small campuses, private and public universities. Thirteen of those years were spent in residence life.

Unfortunately and tragically, I have gone to a morgue to identify a student who had shot himself. Not only was this a tragic and devastating situation for our school community, but most of all, that family will never be the same.

Permitting concealed weapons on campus would put students, staff and faculty in harm's way. Residence hall staff are called upon to confront students all hours of the day and night, never knowing what is really behind that door or what confrontational situation they are walking into. Students have often times been using alcohol or other drugs, are angry or upset. Now, Sen. McManus wants to add greater accessibility to weapons to the mix.

I invite Sen. McManus or anyone who supports weapons on a campus to join residence hall staff for a week as they do their jobs. I believe they would have a quick change of mind.

Judy Nemitz
Traverse City

The writer has been an associate dean of students at Anderson University, director of residence life at Indiana Academy and Ball State University, and associate director of housing at Bowling Green State University.

Uninsured at risk

Congressman Alan Grayson, D-Florida, took to the floor of the U.S. House recently to read the numbers of the more than 44,000 Americans who die each year for lack of health care.

He cited the Urban Institute, which has published the number of uninsured people in America, and said that the American Journal of Public Health has determined what percentage of those Americans will die next year because they have no health insurance.

Rep. Grayson went on to say that, "since the Republicans are united in their opposition to this (health care reform) bill and are apparently proud of it," he has identified the number of dead in each Republican congressman's district.

Of note to readers in our area, here are the numbers for the districts of three prominent members of our state's Republican caucus: Dist. 2, Rep. Peter Hoekstra, 71 dead; Dist. 10, Rep. (and former Michigan Secretary of State) Candice Miller, 64 dead; and our own Dist. 4 Rep., David Camp, 83 dead.

The House has approved the health care reform bill; please call Rep. Dave Camp at (202) 225-3561 and tell him what you expect him to do about his numbers.

Jeff Wescott
Traverse City

Don't add to problem

Why is it that the gun-control crowd takes inference and exaggeration to the extreme? Michigan has a very strict requiremment for concealed wepons issuance, including background checks and mandatory firearms training.

I have as yet to read about a legally licenced individual going on a violent rampage anywhere. I hardly think McManus/Schmidt sponsored concealed weapons legislation is going to allow your child, "with poor impulse control," to run amok on campus with a firearm. Please consider my rights responsibly before attacking them. Thank you.

Daniel Isaac
Traverse City

Text Only