RSS06/29/09 Letters to the Editor
Yakima Herald-Republic
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Let's focus on the problem
To the editor -- Mayor Dave Edler tells us that the city and police are doing what they need to do. Councilwoman Sonia Rodriguez tells us that street gangs are spreading their criminal activity all over Yakima. The Yakima Police Department brings in an alleged expert to teach the police about outlaw bikers, while carnage is waged by street gangs. The expert talks about "organized crime," and beating people for an "offensive look."
The Banditos, the Unforgiven and other organizations such as the Lower Valley Riders, the Rez Riders, etc., are motorcycle clubs! They are hard-working, patriotic citizens. I have ridden with and attended Unforgiven or Bandito functions as a friend, not a member, for years. I have never witnessed any illegal activity. I am a professor of law and justice for 17 years at Central Washington University, a former police officer and a published street gang researcher.
The Banditos or Unforgiven did not put a bullet into a 16-year-old boy's head on South Fourth Street. They did not shoot three people this month and were not involved in seven instances of gunfire since May. They did not shoot innocent Marie Richmond. Yakima police are spending money listening to stories and looking at pictures of bikers while people die from street gangs.
MICHAEL OLIVERO
Yakima
Remembering the past
To the editor -- The June 20 article regarding the donations of Japanese history to the museum was wonderful. I remember WWII events well, although I was just a child at the time. I had several Japanese friends in school. After the war, one girl gave a report in speech class with diagrams of the internment camp where she and her family lived.
Another classmate, Tom Heuterman, delivered the Yakima Herald newspaper for many years, biking all over Wapato with his Doberman. He went on to Washington State College (now University) and returned to work as a reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic. He subsequently earned his doctorate after studying at the University of Washington and WSU. He taught journalism at WSU for many years before retiring. He later wrote several books, including "The Burning Horse," which relates the experiences of the Japanese people in the Valley during WWII. He had a book signing at the museum in Yakima.
There were many in the Valley who befriended the Japanese citizens and took care of their possessions during that time until they could return to the Valley. There is much unhappy history here, but the people survived and are the best of citizens and friends.
JOY DODEWARD
Yakima
Very true Michael.
Fact is, these street gangs are hard-core fanatics who's only creed is vice and violence. They constitute the largest organizations of domestic terrorists in our country. You talk about foreign terrorists and homeland security gets all in a tizzy, yet these groups operate with little restriction and fear, mainly because they are composed of "juveniles".
I have you to understand the transformation that occurs when a person reaches the magical age of 18. As though human beings under that age are absolutely incapable of knowing or understanding the ramifications of their actions. I'm sorry, but they know all too well, and use their age to their wicked benefit.
Until we are willing to genuinely get tough and deal with this problem, it will never end. Police training I'm sure has some value, but 1 neighborhood blanket party with a gangbanger as guest of honor would do more good than a whole year of 24-7 police training would ever do. It's time for actions, not words. These groups are violent and kill a multitude of people all over the country every year, not to mention their drug and prostitution operations. People want gun control? You think these groups respect the law and have legal firearms(remember, most are under 18)?
You want safer streets, the only way to accomplish that is to clean them of gangs. The graffiti, violence, and general criminal activity would end immediately if we only had the 'guts' to do that which is not 'politically correct'.
Right on, Elect!
If it was "the mob," or "organized crime," the cops would be all over it. But it's a group of "undirected youth," so their age is giving them free rein. Just like a pack of dogs, with no one to teach or control them, they roam the neighborhoods preying on the weak. Where's the Dog Whisperer when we need him!
I blame the parents and the lack of control they have over their kids from an early age. I realize we live in a world of single parents (40% of kids born out of wedlock!!!), or situations in which both parents must work, so I only see the problem growing.
Until we do something to make the parents realize they are the problem by not teaching their kids to respect others and get some goals in life, the problem will continue.
How many parents look down at their newborn child and say, "I can't wait until your old enough so you can be a gangbanger?" Very few, I'm sure, but until parents can look down at that child and say, "I can't wait until your old enough to help make your community a better place, graduate high school, go on to college, and be a success," these problems will continue.
All of it, either the prevention or promotion, begins at home.
AMEN Elect!!!! You said it all man!
Report ViolationWhen the adults demand accountability of there own, then the children might have a chance.
Report ViolationSciPhiMom, I made a like comment last week having to do with morals and what's wrong with things today... boy did I get blasted! But you are 100% correct! [in my opinion anyway].
The "village" raising our kids are doing a lousy job of it. Time to give raising the kids back to parents.
Orpheus - what are you talking about? - we haven't had a "village" raising our children since the early 70's. Somehow since that time, parents stopped wanting anyone to interfere with their children - golly, even with people I know well, I have to be VERY careful that I don't sound in the least bit critical when talking with them about their kids. It's like there would something really wrong with them, as parents, if someone acknowledges a problem. Additionally, many neighbors stopped knowing and talking to each other and there seem to be many who live in their own little world with minimal interaction with others. What "village"? Maybe that's exactly what we need to find again. Your nod of disrepect toward Hillary Clinton is obvious.
Report ViolationWhen I began my voyage from east coast liberalism to conservatitism, I discovered George Gilder.
He is the brillant man who defined Reaganonics.
His book on economics was the classic "wealth and poverty"
He also wrote a book that changed my views of social interaction, that being, "men and marriage"
If you are a conservative, it is a delight.
It takes "elect's" thoughts, above, and expands it to a book.
Men will control society. If they do not do it inside the house, they will control the streets and control the women by keeping them inside 12 hours a day.
The job for women is to control men in such a way that the men think they are in control when they are not.
(also see the term "honey-do list")
George F. Gilder (born November 29, 1939, in New York City) is an American writer, techno-utopian intellectual, Republican Party activist, and co-founder of the Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a conservative non-profit public policy U.S. think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design.
Its Teach the Controversy campaign aims to teach creationist anti-evolution beliefs in United States public high school science courses.
A federal court, along with the majority of scientific organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, say the Institute has manufactured the controversy they want to teach by promoting a false perception that evolution is "a theory in crisis", through incorrectly claiming that it is the subject of wide controversy and debate within the scientific community.
In 2005, a federal court ruled that the Discovery Institute pursues "demonstrably religious, cultural, and legal missions", and the institute's manifesto, the Wedge strategy, describes a religious goal: to "reverse the stifling dominance of the materialist worldview, and to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions".
YakRob...
"Additionally, many neighbors stopped knowing and talking to each other and there seem to be many who live in their own little world with minimal interaction with others. What "village"? Maybe that's exactly what we need to find again."
Also....
When was the last time you had 2 or 3 teen age boys show up at your door after a big snow fall asking if they could shovel your driveway? Or the teenager going through the neighborhood pushing his clunky lawn mower wanting to mow your grass for summer spending money? Or the last time a Brownie or Blue Bird showed up at your door selling cookies or mints? When was the last time you baked cookies or took flowers over to your new neighbor welcoming them? There have been many times us "old baby boomers" have been lamb basted by commenters here about our old fashioned way of thinking and have basically been told we were senile, or burnt out from our pot smoking, alchoholic, hypocritical way of living in the 70's. So, with that being said...your right YakRob...we DO need to get back to being neighborly. But....as long as the younger generation thinks the "senior boomers" are the cause of all of the problems these days, I doubt we will see a "Village" raising kids take place. It's sad, because alot of the "Good old days" really were good.
YakRob... the "village" I'm refering to is the government and schools. I fully and totally agree with you and Overfifty.
Also, remember when kids called adults "sir" or "maam"? Children used to respect and know respect, but that's when there were consequences for actions and children couldn't sue their parents because they got 'disiplined'.
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