Letters to the editor for Aug. 17
Veteran Overwatch would be an overreach
Derek Sanders, who is running against the sitting Thurston County Sheriff, has proposed the use of a group called Veteran Overwatch for our schools.
Veteran Overwatch, from what I can gather, is a few veterans in the community who have created their own security force of sorts. They have uniforms, guns, and ballistic vests. They take it upon themselves to patrol areas such as parks, near schools and the county fair.
As a parent, this seriously concerns me. If Derek Sanders is elected, is he going to provide the background checks, psych evaluations, and training? If these veterans want to be security, why don’t they apply for the Sheriff’s Office, complete the rigorous background checks, academy training, and continual firearms and other training? Likely because they cannot pass the background, psych, medical or drug testing required.
Should our kids see someone who is obviously not a cop with a gun near their school? Is Derek going to lobby for these unknown, untrained veterans to be let into the schools with weapons? Who is going to be liable for them? The taxpayers? Who will they report to? Who will investigate and discipline them, if needed?
The naivety of Derek Sanders is obvious in programs like this. Do we truly want a deputy with less than eight years experience leading our Sheriff’s Office? ... I am not.
Kathleen Tanaka, Olympia
Work as worship
On Saturday, Aug. 6, we attended a memorial service at the Mills and Mills Memorial Park in Tumwater. Arriving early, we decided to have lunch at a nearby sandwich shop. A young man was also grabbing a bite to eat there with his daughter.
The man struck up a conversation with my husband, complimenting him on his tie and admiring my shawl. He introduced himself as Shane and said that he worked in maintenance for the Memorial Park. He said that he was proud to help keep the grounds green and the flowers fresh even in the midst of summer heat.
Shane was exuberant and friendly, and said that he had “the best job in the world.” His work enables him to honor those who have passed, to marvel at the stories of their lives, and to be of service to families grieving their loss.
What a great ambassador Shane is for the Memorial Park and for the Tumwater community. A basic tenet of our Baha’i Faith is that “work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship.” Shane personifies this principle. We can all learn from this exemplary young man. If only each of us could consider ourselves fortunate to have work that serves others.
Roger Blaine, Corvallis, Oregon
Population growth Is destroying the earth
It is sad to think that we, as humans on this earth, are destroying or severely damaging it.
In 1927, the earth’s population was 2 billion and by 1960 it was 3 billion. By November of this year, it will be about 8 billion. It is hard to imagine that global warming and other man-made disasters, such as global garbage or disappearing species, would be such serious problems if the population had remained at those lower figures.
Although I am personally opposed to abortion, I think women should have the right to choose, even though there are better choices to prevent birth. Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner in the book “Freakonomics” made a good case for legalized abortion being a major factor in keeping the crime rate down. Perhaps that isn’t a good enough reason for an abortion, but as humankind, we definitely need to be thinking about the harm population growth is doing to our world and to do something about it.
Brian LeTourneau, Olympia