Sunday, December 11, 2011

Winston-Salem Journal LTE's SU 12/11/11

Change over time
I started a company 10 years ago based on medical technology that we knew was going to change over time. It did, and while the company is much smaller now than it was, it is still profitable and employing people. I mention this in light of the recent caterwauling about the U.S. Postal Service. The arguments put forth are specious at best: No Saturday delivery — so what?
Bulk-mailers will lose a day in delivery. OK, they work to a schedule now; how does this change anything? Ship earlier or deliver a day later. So what?
The big deal is the loss of postal workers' jobs — that is all this is about. The ad being run by postal unions decries the "extra $5 billion they have to pay Washington," however, they seem to forget to mention that this is to fund their own pension and health-care plans. Imagine the audacity of anyone to think a government or quasi-governmental entity should be self-sufficient. Oh, the humanity!
I have no problem with the post office per se, but the technology has changed; it has the truly unfair burden of "last mile delivery" and should charge accordingly. It is also strapped with a no-layoff contract, which is ridiculous.
Germany privatized its post office in 1995. Yes, it costs more to send a letter, but it makes money, and it is not coming to the taxpayers to bail it out.
Time for a change.

KEN HOGLUND
Clemmons

Reconsider
In response to the letter "A direct violation" (Nov. 27) regarding the writer's belief that one needs a gun to protect himself in area parks, I could not disagree more strongly. Evidence shows that concealed-weapons laws do not make communities safer — quite the opposite. Violence, including homicide, has been shown to increase where individuals legally carry concealed weapons.
I wonder which parks this man and his family visit. What time of day are they visiting these parks, and how do he and his family behave toward other park visitors that causes him to feel unsafe — so unsafe that he needs a gun? I have been visiting Winston-Salem parks for 40 years and have never once felt threatened, even when I walk through wooded parks after dark.
Legalizing concealed weapons to be carried by the average citizen make us all vulnerable. I am afraid of the execution of belief systems like the letter writer expressed. This level of anxiety can lead to serious mistakes. I hope he will read some of the scholarly literature and reconsider his position.

LISHA MEJAN
Winston-Salem

Correspondent of the Week


More consideration
I want to touch on the subject of budget cuts in schools and how they affect me. Throughout elementary and middle school, I would go into my classes each day with around 20 other children. However, I am now a junior in high school, and each of my classes has 30 or more students in it.
That may not seem like something to make a big fuss over, but it does cause a few issues; the more students in my class, the less individual help I receive. The less help I receive, the greater my chance is of earning a lower grade. With more than 30 students in a class, teachers are more stressed trying to meet each student's needs.
It also takes longer for students to be given back their assignments. Therefore, students sometimes do not figure out what they have missed before the next unit starts, leaving them to fall behind in class.
With all of the negativity that comes from school budget cuts (my examples including only in the classroom setting) you would think that the government would put more consideration into what areas they cut money in.

HANNAH FRIDDLE
JUNIOR, REAGAN HIGH SCHOOL
Pfafftown

18 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Hannah,

    I think it's shameful that teachers and school administrators have used you as tool to promote their own personal agenda and to promote erroneous propaganda.

    Please ask your teachers to provide you with the data about funding and student/school performance. That way, when you write another letter to the editor about this topic, you won't make a fool out of yourself.

    Sincerely,
    Bucky

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  3. "All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"-(A)

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  4. "Work is the curse of the drinking classes." Oscar Wilde

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  6. Ms. Mejah,

    You're a classic liberal (not in the classical liberal sense). You crawl out from under a rock, and then you think you know everything. So what if you've been going to a park for 40 years, and haven't been accosted. It could happen tomorrow.

    Our world is much more violent today than it was just twenty years ago. Why? Well, there are a multitude of reasons. However, one good reason is because our Justice System has been corrupted, and it's virtually collapsed. Why has it collapsed? Because liberal Democratic judges have taken it upon themselves to release criminals from jail. We've got thousands upon thousands of criminals roaming the streets of the U.S. Plus, many violent drug traffickers are coming to the U.S. from Mexico daily and our government is doing nothing about it.

    I contend it's more important today to have the right to carry a gun, than it was during the 1800s.

    So, why don't you crawl back under your liberal rock Ms. Mejah and sleep for another 40 years? You'll be safer there if you do.

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  7. looks like somebody is going to wear out their pencil eraser again.

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  8. Hey Bobby, did you see those lame, gay You Tube videos in response to Perry's ad?

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  9. whitewall....what's going on with you? I cut you all the slack in the world, and now you are 'dissing' me? What's up with that?

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  10. It's too early in the day to have to turn into 'Pacman' in here. So I'm just putting you on notice whitewall.

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  11. In case you're wondering whitewall, I read all of your posts, and I think most of them are very pensive and accurate as a general rule. I wish I could say the same about the posts of 'Dotnet', and the infamous, moronic Rush A/K/A Kitty Kat.

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  12. Bucky...I'm wondering why so many "removed by author" posts over the last few days? Thanks for the notice.

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  13. Most have been by LaSombra A/K/A Reille Hunter. She's just trying to be coy.

    My removals, on the other hand, have been mainly for content. I may not have liked certain portions of what I posted.

    I've noticed a few 'jabs' coming from you lately. Put your knife back in your pocket, I'm on your side.

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  14. Again, you can't make this stuff up.

    Rick Perry’s Anti-Gay Ad Features Music Based On Gay Jewish Communist Sympathizer Aaron Copland http://colm.es/rrPCim #p2

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  15. Bucky said...
    I like the music in the background of Perry's video.
    dec 9, 4:44pm

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  16. Bobby, I like the music. So what?

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  17. Bobby, I hope you're not playing the old double identity trick. That would be like something Rush A/K/A Kitty Kat would do.

    Do you think Obama deserves to be reelected?

    54% said no
    46% said yes

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  18. Over 70% of the poll said the country is headed in the wrong direction. We've got to get Obama out of office. This country will be rioting in the streets if he gets reelected-my prediction.

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