Letters to the Editor: Thoughts offered on looking out and caring for others
Re: “Students safety should come first in gun debate,” Brian Crosby’s Whiteboard Jungle column, Feb. 24. Here’s something from a member of the older generation on the subject.
I was 6 years old and the second World War had just started. I had to carry a gas mask to and from school every day. We had to practice quick evacuation from the school in case we were bombed. We filed into a sand pit and leaned up against a wall of the pit; hopefully the bombers would not see us.
We learned the sounds of the different planes so that we would know if we had to roll into a ditch for safety. Well, this was wartime and we were lucky we got a warning if there was danger ahead.
I am so sorry that our children of today have to go through this “war” without a warning. We do what we have to do and hope that we are doing the right thing.
One day our school was closed. “Toys” had been dropped onto the school playground and if they were touched, they blew up.
The only advice that I can give is be aware of your surroundings at all times and carry on. I still am aware after all these years.
Patricia Tarallo
Glendale
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Like everyone, I’m reeling at the news of yet another horrific shooting of our children in this country. Since Sandy Hook, I’ve been riveted by the courage shown by the parents of those Sandy Hook children we lost, and have done my little bit to help them.
Today, I have to do more. Yes, there are calls to make to Congress, letters to write, money to donate, laws to change. We have lost 17 more of our children. Yes, they are our children. There is more we can do.
We in this community can think it couldn’t happen here. That’s what Parkland families who lived in the safest city in Florida thought. And now we are hearing that there were warning signs seen and felt by people who knew the shooter, signs that — if someone had spoken up — perhaps this 19-year-old could have been stopped.
There are steps we can do locally to increase our capacity as communities to look out for and care for one another. Sandy Hook Promise has a program called “Start with Hello” that does one simple thing — it makes sure no one eats alone. And there is another program, “Say Something,” that helps us recognize the signs of a potential threat and teaches us how to speak up.
These are free programs and do not take a lot of time from curricula. They could save lives.
I am a Sandy Hook Promise leader and I want to do more. If you are interested in bringing one of these programs to our schools, you can contact Sandy Hook at programs@sandyhookpromise.org directly. Gun violence is a huge systemic issue. One often feels helpless to bring about change. But let us each do one thing toward a solution. Let us never say we wish we had done more.
Mary Luck
Glendale
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Interesting commentary by Laura Friedman in last Saturday’s News-Press (“We can’t stand idly by when people can’t help themselves”). Another progressive/liberal response to a problem they created in the first place.
Her AB 1971 purports to “help the homeless if a lack of treatment may result in substantial physical harm or death.” No mention about consent from that homeless person.
And what is the actual difference between what she proposes and what exists now? They can only “take people into treatment without consent if they are deemed to be gravely disabled or pose a danger to themselves or others.”
Who decides if a person’s situation may result in substantial physical harm or death? In most cases, the first person in contact with a homeless person is a police officer. Are police officers trained to make those decisions? I don’t think the ACLU would agree that they are.
Friedman contends we have “more supportive and rehabilitative infrastructure than we had back then.” Just where is that infrastructure?
Her commentary includes the phrase “affordable housing.” I have yet to hear a good definition of that phrase. I contend the phrase should be “free housing.” It is incredibly hard for me to believe that a homeless person living in a tent outside the Union Rescue Mission could ever afford rent in a new apartment building.
I agree the homeless issue is complicated and tragic. I am just not sure that any further legislation is the answer. I tend to think it just makes politicians feel better with no practical results.
Jim Kussman
Glendale
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There is going to be an interesting lecture titled “Wildlife and You: Their Hope for the Future,” on Friday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m., at Brand Studios, in Brand Park, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale.
R.A. Conroy, an award-winning filmmaker, artist and author will discuss humane and natural solutions so we can co-exist with all animals and the benefits wildlife brings to our neighborhoods.
I have heard her speak before and was pleased to learn she will be speaking locally since we live in an area surrounded by creatures large and small. A former public lecturer for the New York Zoological Assn., she has tips and insights into animal behavior. The two-hour program is recommended for ages 16 and older.
Glendale’s Community Service and Parks Department has been putting on Friday night lectures at Deukmejian for several years and now will be doing some at Brand Park. Not only is this a free event, but snacks and drinks will be served. Reservations are needed. Call (818) 548-3795.
Carol Brusha
Glendale