Letters to the editor — Feb. 28

State employees have integrity

I take exception to the editorial written in the Opinion section of The Olympian which implies that scientists at the Department of Ecology feel pressure from management to alter their research findings in order to promote a political agenda.

Just because this happened at the federal level under the Bush administration surrounding the climate change issue, it does not mean that it is happening at the Department of Ecology. I have worked for this agency for over 17 years as a scientist both issuing water quality permits to industries and municipalities, and also doing scientific research.

Never once have any of my many managers asked, or even suggested, that I change the results of my reports or alter the conclusions.

Additionally, I do not know of any colleagues who have been pressured to alter scientific findings.

While I cannot say whether this has ever happened, it is definitely the exception, not the rule. This issue needs some perspective and balance. There are many of us that work in state government that have integrity.

Melanie Redding, hydrogeologist, Olympia

Thanks to leaders, Lacey has bright future

After recently attending the Lacey Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting, I felt proud to be a part of a model city. It’s been quite a journey for Lacey to go from a bedroom community to an economic powerhouse. I’ve been a part of Lacey since it was incorporated in 1966; so where Lacey has come from means that much more as I ponder the bright future of this great city.

What better time to bring an encouraging word to those folk that are the key leaders in this great city than now — right in the middle of us reading many articles and opinions that are bashing politicians, leaders, and dividing our country? We have much to be appreciative of.

I want to thank Virgil Clarkson for serving Lacey as mayor the past four years. He personally showed me honor and respect as a pastor and person in this community. Greg Cuoio has done an outstanding job as city manager, proving that he is an invaluable asset to our city.

The police department is one of the finest in the state, from Chief Dusty Pierpoint on down. Our fire and medic personnel are some of the finest as well.

Obviously there are many other individuals and departments that make up this wonderful city, and they need to be thanked.

As a pastor in this community, it is an honor and privilege to serve alongside the great men and women who make the city of Lacey what it is — a city with a very bright future!

Steve Bradley, Lacey

United States must have global view

Planet Earth has a pretty big election coming up this fall. A serious issue is going to be either worked on or ignored. The war we’re at shouldn’t balance on our disagreement with the president, it should balance on how circumstances will affect the globe.

Leaving Iraq is something we’re all anxious for, but without an infrastructure and a way to defend itself, it will end up in a pretty hazardous state. I’m not sure if parallels between Iraq and Afghanistan are equivalent, but if we’d leave Iraq, then they will compare pretty well.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, they left Afghanistan after several years of war and those who took over are known as the Taliban. It’s alarming to see what might happen to Iraq when Barack Obama becomes president. Then where’s the solution to terrorism?

Don’t get me wrong, fighting is necessary for the short term, but education may be a little effective as well. I’m no expert in Middle East culture, but values of human life need to be advocated over there. That’s the only way of fighting jihad in the long run. Otherwise Islamic extremists will continue to exploit more and more people.

Children need to be able to see the violence going on and not accept it as commonplace in their society. As a nation responsible for holding our finger in the dam, we need to concentrate on how our decisions affect the world, not just satisfying our bitterness toward the president.

Derek Devine, Lacey

Blame the shooters for campus deaths

About a year ago, Seung-Hui Cho murdered some people at Virginia Tech. A short time ago, Steven Kazmierczak murdered some people at Northern Illinois University. Who is responsible for these atrocities?

Should we blame the colleges for failing to predict the attacks?

Hardly. Most people with mental illnesses don’t commit murder, and college administrators can’t be clairvoyant.

Maybe we could blame the Second Amendment if black-market guns weren’t almost as easy to obtain as legal firearms.

We might blame violence in the media, but there’s not a shred of proof that mayhem in the movies causes murder on the campus. So whom should we blame?

I have a quaint, old-fashioned suggestion: Blame the shooters. They weren’t responsible for their severe mental illnesses, but they were responsible for how they carried these burdens. Cho and Kazmierczak could have reached for their phones and called a crisis hot line. Instead, they reached for their guns and killed innocent people.

Obviously, colleges need to beef up preventive measures. Campus security needs to be strengthened. So do campus mental health services. But as we work to make our students safer, let’s skip the blame games. The ones to blame have killed themselves.

James Grossmann, Lacey

Constitution limits powers of government

Regarding David Kunkel’s letter on noncitizen rights, I should point out that the government and Constitution, in general, do not grant rights. The Constitution limits the powers of government.

So, violating rights means the government is overstepping its powers. Remember, “We the People of the United States ... do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The Bill of Rights clearly lays out limits to government power. So citizenship status really has no bearing on rights. The issue is, did the government abide by our laws?

Stanley Jackson, Rainier

Libraries are key to quality education

As the principal of Tumwater High School, I would like to invite you for a moment to journey into our school’s library. As you enter this amazing learning environment, you will find a room filled with students actively involved and engaged in learning.

Whether accessing the multitude of online research options or diving into the world of books and literature, you’ll find students deeply committed to learning. This library, unlike what many of us hold in our past experiences of school libraries, is a magnet and hub for student learning.

I can’t imagine a better place than a high school library bustling with activity, teachers and students working together, and conversations focused on learning.

However, as good as this seems, this library could be even better. In this year’s legislative session, lawmakers are considering whether or not to approve additional funding for libraries in our state under Senate Bill 6380. This bill is new money that will augment, not replace, current library programs and budgets.

There will be no trade-off between library expenditures and other programs since this money is specifically earmarked for library staffing and resources.

Funding libraries is not a choice. Qualified teacher-librarians work to ensure that staff and students are competent users of ideas and information.

They strive to create a positive, welcoming atmosphere in the library that places value on learning. Needless to say, every student deserves and needs to have a fully staffed and equipped library as part of their education.

Scott Seaman, Tumwater