| |
| EDITORIALS/OPINIONS |
|
Please visit our kind sponsors |
|
||||||
|
Act Like A Responsible Driver My copy of the Susquehanna County Transcript dated February 11, was accompanied by a copy of the Mountain View High School newspaper, "The Eagle’s Eye," dated December, 2003. the article on page four, "Student Drivers Are Concerned," by Alana Speth caught my eye and raised my ire. First of all, Alana, if you have a driver’s license and what you said is true and I’ll quote, "I skid backwards out of my spot and swerve around running pedestrians and cars careening out of gravel lots. I leap a speed bump, etc.," then your license should be revoked, immediately. I don’t know if you wrote that in jest, or if that is the norm, but I am inclined to believe the latter. You must realize that having a driver’s license is a big responsibility and is a privilege, not a right. We taxpayers pay good money to provide buses for students to ride, to and from school and you should be on that bus. I say, ride the bus or walk. Don’t hand me the song and dance that you must drive
to school, so you can drive to work after school. now, if you must have a job, ride the bus to and from school and then drive to work. I also think drivers education should not be part of the school curriculum. If you don’t graduate from high school, or don’t have a diploma, no driver’s license! If you or your parents have to pay for your driver training, I’m sure you will learn and remember the rules. There is no room on our highway system for people who think they are on the track at the Daytona 500, or the demolition derby at the local fair. No, schools should not let student drivers leave early to beat the buses. If you are going to drive, take your place in line and act like a responsible person, not like an irresponsible child behind the wheel of a deadly machine. Sincerely, Paul Schott Ararat, PA Need To Do Our Part Recently, the fifth and sixth grade basketball season came to an end. It was an up and down season (no pun intended) but all the boys played, improved and had a great time. My son and I would like to thank Coach Felter for taking the time to coach all these young fellas. Thanks, coach, it’s men like you who make America great. We all need to do our part to teach and form all our young Americans. Sincerely, Angelo and James Petriello Thompson, PA A Dangerous Epidemic Fascism is not merely a political disease, it is a cultural and psychological one as well. But what are the symptoms of this disease? How can it be recognized? Fascism is: an autocratic government that’s belligerently nationalistic and allied with corporate wealth that craves a monopoly of power, is intolerant of opposition, and tends to equate dissent with treason and champions "traditional values" by force of law. I submit that the Republican Party has all the telltale symptoms of this disease. The evidence follows. Unilateral foreign policy contemptuous of international norms. Corporate welfare, and public policy made in secret by corporate representatives. The GOP’s history of using dirty tricks, impeachment, recall, re-reapportionment, and partisan voter purges to void or steal elections; plus exclusion of Democrats from Congressional Conference Committees that finalize legislation and a general, uncompromising stance. "You’re either with us or against us." (Bush) "Be careful what you say." (Fleisher) Detention without charges or trial at the mere word of the government, plus other Orwellian excesses of the Patriot Act (that Ashcroft wants to make even worse.) Official favoritism toward the religious right, and proposed laws limiting individual choice and freedom. The demonization of Liberals by their lackeys in the right-wing media. I’m not disappointed that the Republican party is behind all this. I expect it from them. I’m disappointed that most of the American people, so far, seem unconcerned about the radical and reckless things being done right now. Sincerely, Stephen VanEck Rushville, PA There Is More To It I feel the need to comment on a few things in P. Jay’s column of February 26. If there’s no rule book or job description for commissioners, who is P. Jay to tell them how to do their jobs? Think before you talk. Think before you write. Just give us the facts, sir, just the facts! If you don’t know, find out and until you do don’t guess. Was not Commissioner Kelly correct when she said, "Our ability is to come here and make changes"? If it is not their ability, then whose is it? I’m quite sure that the majority of the commissioners have never kidded themselves that they are either JFK or Hilary. If I recall correctly, P. Jay complained of the last administration that they only worked "part-time" in their "part-time" jobs. The present administration, he said, "boasts" of being full-time – it happens to be true. He instructs them that there is more to government than inside the courthouse and then complains at times no one is to be found. You just can’t please some people! Sincerely, Mary Wilder Lanesboro, PA Newspapers In Education EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year the County Transcript allocates space for area students to write Letters to the Editor in celebration of Newspapers In Education Week. The following letters were received from the sixth grade at Susquehanna Community Elementary School, which we are happy to offer for your review. A Swimming Pool And Fitness Room I have a suggestion to make our school better. We should have a swimming pool and fitness room in our school. I think this because we could get more exercise and learn at the same time, for free! I support this idea because other students would enjoy school more. I believe this also because some people won’t have to drive to Windsor or Binghamton just to work out. I believe we can exercise and learn at the same time because swimming is the best exercise and using the fitness room would be great exercise. We would learn how to use fitness machines and how to swim and do strokes. We would enjoy school more because everyone I know enjoys swimming and exercising. We would have more fun in gym class. People wouldn’t have to drive a long way away just to work out if we had a fitness room. Also, our town would attract more attention from around the area. It would be a great addition for everyone around. So I think if we had a pool and fitness room it would make everybody happier and we would enjoy school more. It would help some people lose weight and become stronger. Sincerely Shawn Norton 6th Grade SCES They Provide Safety And Insurance I think Susquehanna should have cell phone towers. There are many reasons why we should have or why we shouldn’t have cell phone towers. My opinion on this situation is "yes" Susquehanna should have cell phone towers. I am writing to you to give a couple of reasons. I think we should have cell towers because when there are accidents and someone pulls out their cell phone to call for aid, there is no service. One example is the innkeeper of the Nethercott Inn, her customers have their cell phones and ask if there is cell service but there isn’t any and that drives people away. In Ararat, when my Mom drove bus eight, the bus pulled over and on the ice (in the winter) slid into the ditch. The phone on the bus didn’t have any service and we were there for two hours before we got out. Another reason I think we should have cell phone towers is when they are located on yours or someone else’s property, the company that put it there pays rent for having the tower there. The people who have the tower on their property get paid rent! The towers may be ugly, but they should be put where everyone won’t always be looking at them. This is why I think Susquehanna should have cell phone towers. It will provide safety and insurance for citizens like you and me. Sincerely, Harrison Piercy 6th Grade SCES How About A Theater I think that Susquehanna should have a movie theater in town. I think so because there would be less kids on the street, there would be more jobs, and parents wouldn’t have to drive themselves or their kids very far to watch a movie. So, if the town had a movie theater we would have less kids hanging around downtown. If they were at the movie theater they would have less time to do drugs, or smoke. Also, they would be watched by an adult if they were at the movie theater. There are a lot of people who need a job or need some extra money, and there are very few jobs in this town. So if we had a movie theater there would be a few more people who aren’t unemployed in this town. My final reason we should have one is because parents wouldn’t have to drive forty-five minutes to see a movie. I’m sure every adult has driven about forty-five minutes away just to see a movie on a big screen, so why not put one right in town, so we won’t have to drive so long. That’s why I think we should have a movie theater in town. And I hope someday my wish, and I’m sure many other sixth graders’ wish, will come true! Sincerely, Jami Towner 6th Grade SCES After School Activities I think that Susquehanna needs after school activities for K-12. Some of the reasons I think that we need after school activities are because there are not any non-sport activities for kids to do after school. Another reason is that some parents are working and kids are coming home by themselves. It could also improve a child’s education. The only reason kids stay after school today is because they are involved in basketball, football, and cheerleading. Some activities we could do are arts and crafts/art lessons, computer lessons, tutoring for all ages, homework helping, music classes, chess club, reading club, history club, science club, and math club. If there were more non-sport activities in Susquehanna, it might make it a better place for kids to be. They won’t be hanging out downtown on the streets, or sitting in front of the computer or television (playing games or watching cartoons) rotting their brains. After school activities can feed their brains and make them feel good, knowing that they are part of something. If parents are not home after school and there were after school activities, the parents wouldn’t be so worried about the kids home alone. The parents would know that their kids are safe, with one or two adults. It could be dangerous for kids to be home alone. After school activities could improve kids’ education; by joining a history club or math club it could help kids understand more. They can choose things that they want to do and are interested in and want to learn about. You don’t even have to use a textbook, you can play a game. Kids like to have fun and if you play a game that requires thinking they are having fun and learning at the same time. If we had after school activities in Susquehanna, it could do a lot for our community. We can do many activities for kids K-12. There are programs ready to help start the activities, a simple phone call away. Sincerely, Jakki DeCicco 6th Grade SCES Do Less Timbering I wish there was less timbering. Timbering destroys, kills, and decreases a lot of things that we and animals need to survive. If we timber more we make forests, woods, and rain forests look more unpleasant. When trees are being cut down, it destroys animals’ homes and their nests. If animals’ homes are destroyed, animals slowly starve and die out. If there are no animals our world would not have funny noises, new species, and happiness. Also less people would go to the park. When it destroys their nests we wouldn’t have baby geese, ducklings, all other birds, butterflies, moths, crocodiles, and alligators. If this happens, the zoos would probably be about one-third of the size they are right now. Timbering also cuts food supplies. If food supplies are scarce, then more animals would starve and die out. Some animals like squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, and prairie dogs would use all their body fat and die out during late fall to the cold, cold winter. When trees are being timbered it makes forests, woods, and all the tropical rain forests look different. You want to know why? Every time a person cuts down a tree, it leaves a stump. If people cut more trees, we will see more stumps. I think if a forest turned into a thousand stumps, it would look very unpleasant and less beautiful. My last opinion is the amount of oxygen and air we get every day. The timber people and others are not hurting and destroying just animals, they’re hurting themselves and others. They are hurting us because we need the oxygen trees deliver to us. If we didn’t have trees, all the people and animals would suffocate and die, because we need to breathe. I hope my opinion of less timbering will make the community do less of it. Sincerely, Courtney Slocum 6th Grade SCES LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR POLICY Thank you, Susquehanna County Transcript For questions, comments and
submissions contact us at:
News
|
Living
|
Sports
|
Schools
|
Churches
|
Ads
|
Events
Military | Columns | Ed/Op | Obits | Archive | Subscribe © |
