Letters to the editor — May 22

Illegal actions should have consequences

A rally followed by violence in Olympia is disgusting and embarrassing to the capital city and the cities north and south of it!

The Olympia police truly is a sad bunch of officers. They need some serious training in crowd and riot control.

Hey, if force is needed, so be it!

When my father corrected me, I didn’t like it or agree with it at the time. But it sure made me think twice of the consequences the next time when I tried to sit after his actions!

This is a perfect example of how things have gotten out of control without any deterrents in family life and in the schools.

Corrective actions have to be in place for all concerned — parents, teachers and society. This has been waived and forgotten by do-gooders at Child Protection Services and other agencies.

I realize there are abuses in some cases, but in the large majority there’s not! You want us to be parents, but authorities elect to throw us in hoosegow for our corrective actions?

And they wonder why our youths are disrespectful and defiant. Duh, it doesn’t take a college degree to figure that answer out!

Martin Andrews, Lacey

Lacey is a city without a heart

I thank The Olympian for castigating the Lacey City Council for passing a shameful ordinance preventing churches from providing encampment space for the homeless, even though Olympia and Tumwater have opened their arms to the homeless.

One of the council members voting for the ordinance had the temerity to suggest that even if 40 could not be housed inside the church under the odious requirements of the ordinance — maybe three or four homeless could.

Lacey has now changed from the “Tree City” (as it becomes treeless under over development) to the “City Without a Heart.”

Charles M. Chambers, Lacey

Don’t add to the isthmus mistake

Developers come from a place foreign to me, from a profit-first culture that ignores community values. This latest dream of transforming Olympia from a modest community of outdoor lovers to an enclave of high rise condo dwellers, doesn’t reflect my hope for our town at all.

I like Arts Walk, hometown sports, picnics in the park, walks around Capitol Lake, music in the parks, poetry readings, events at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. We live here because we DON’T enjoy life in a big city. High-rise condos will block our connection to sea and water and destroy our sense of being part of this lovely part of the world. That DOES NOT appeal to us.

If there is a need for more housing downtown, developments should be for the people living here and not to transform Olympia into a bedroom community for people with commitments to enterprises in other places.

Permitting one high-rise building was a terrible mistake (and a commercial failure). Let’s not add mistakes to that one.

The entire area, and the view of water and mountains that epitomizes the Northwest, lifts my spirits every time I see it, rain or shine, and I want it every day, for everyone who lives or visits here.

NO, NO, NO to the developer’s greedy dream of transforming our lovely waterfront and Capitol Lake into a high-rise horror like that in Seattle’s central district.

Jeanne Gordner, Olympia

Dalai Lama focused on compassion

Ever since the “Seeds of Compassion” conference last month, I keep reading letters to the editor that show some kind of fear toward the Dalai Lama.

First, it was “They’re sending our kids to a religious event.” Then it was comparing the message of compassion given by Jesus versus the Dalai Lama message. Then there’s the one written by Roy Standifer, which cracked me up the most. He thinks his holiness is some kind of character made popular by Hollywood.

Did any one of these letter writers go or listen to the conference? It was put on by organizations that spend their time teaching parents, teachers and child care workers how to teach compassion to our children by incorporating it into their own lives. Children learn by example from the adults in their lives. If we show compassion to others and our children see this, then they will be more compassionate.

The conference had nothing to do with any specific religion. The Dalai Lama was asked to speak on the subject of compassion not Buddhism. Christianity wasn’t mentioned specifically either because the conference wasn’t about religion.

What are the Christians afraid of? I watched the event on UWTV, and the Dalai Lama did not speak of Buddha as a god. He doesn’t presume to be God himself.

How can Jesus be the bringer of compassion and the Christians be so compassionless toward other beliefs? There’s only one God. What is wrong with different ways of worshipping?

Jody Greene, Olympia

Once-secure pensions are disappearing

In the May 11 edition of The Washington Post, an article describes how deficits are affecting the budget that provides pensions and health benefits to public retirees across the country. I urge all working people in this country to find this article and read it.

We hear, especially now with the presidential campaign in full swing, about the American way, what’s right and wrong and so on. Let me ask a question. Is it the American way or the right way to have hard-working, tax-paying citizens threatened with pension loss and loss of health benefits when they reach a retirement age? Is this the example that is being set for the future parents and leaders of our country?

Well, this disease of pension cutbacks or total loss started in the private industry years ago, and anyone who worked in the public sector thought they were safe. Just like a disease, it has spread and will get only worse, unless people unite and take charge of the situation.

Unless we want to be the next country making sneakers for 30 cents an hour, wake up! Hold your elected officials responsible. Arrange meetings with them and voice concerns. If you and co-workers are not union members, join one and let your voice be heard. Remember, your job, your future, your family. There are things to be done.

Dan Delaney, president, Return Eastern Airline Pensions

Take a risk, pin hope on a promising unknown

I am puzzled by Daniel A. Alexander’s letter, titled “No good choice for next president.” He says that a President Clinton or a President McCain would mean “more of the same,” and give us slim hope for an improved future.

That makes sense to me.

Then he implies that a President Obama gives no hope either; since he is an unknown, we don’t know what he’d do. He says Obama “might do good, but who knows?”

Isn’t something new always unknown? If we want something different, doesn’t that mean taking a chance on something that only might be good? I know that change can be intimidating, but I think that if I don’t risk choosing change then I, like Alexander, am forced to expect more of the same.

This time, I am willing to take a risk and pin my hope on a promising unknown.

Joslyn Trivett, Olympia