Letters to the editor for July 8

A high school senior says thanks

My name’s Iliyana, and I’m a 2020 graduate of Insight School of Washington (ISWA), and I’m thankful to look back on high school with amazing memories.

It’s funny, because I never thought I would miss high school. Before I transferred schools, I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and stress, and actually had sleep paralysis almost every night. At ISWA, I finally felt connected to a community, and my teachers took the time to help me on an individual basis. They supported me in and out of class, too.

ISWA’s flexibility meant that I could dedicate time to explore my passions without interfering with my academics. I fell in love with writing poetry, and want to be a published author one day. Because of ISWA’s flexibility and personalized learning, I wasn’t held down and had much more freedom, which I know has taught me to be independent and confident in my own academic and artistic abilities.

While the future isn’t certain, I know mine is very bright. Thank you, ISWA, and congrats to my fellow seniors!

Iliyana Kroeke, Olympia

Grow as a human being by listening to others

If my education taught me one thing, it is: think critically and be willing to change your opinions upon receiving new perspectives.

Didn’t grow up with gays, Black people, or other folks different from you in your community? Listen to them. Just listen. Pause. Don’t react. Just listen. Don’t think about a response, just keep your mind still and open. Open your heart. And after truly hearing the other thoughts from perhaps a wildly different world than your own experiences, then share your own perspectives, and then let them respond. You may learn something that will change your life.

Jonathan Ammons, Olympia

We need laws, so we need law enforcement

We will no longer be in need of laws (boundaries; guidelines for mutually beneficial living within close proximity of others) in our communities and therefore no longer have need for law enforcement when and only when we all:

• Are willing and able to consider others as more important than ourselves, looking not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others 100% of the time.
• Recognize in order to live together, in such close proximity with such diverse priorities, at times we may set aside our personal priority for others confident, in turn, they will do the same.
• Are able to come together, in spite of our differing values, and yield our individual thoughts and attitudes out of compassion, offering grace to another.

Herein remains the quandary in every time, culture and community. There is no person or group that can, without prejudice, offer such a way to satisfy these quantifiers. To achieve such would require an objective entity, removed from the culture and community of individuals, recognizing the value of each as no greater or lesser than any other. The very suggestion and thought of such an objective entity existing, meeting and exceeding these requirements certainly alienates many.

Understanding this, I submit that in order for any of us to live with the rest of us, without chaos dominating all of us, we remain equally in need of laws (boundaries; guidelines for the mutual benefit of others in close proximity) and therefore law enforcement.

Kristi Koeppen, Tumwater